Turbo Z

[themitchyone 0]

Someone I know has a Turbo Z 165 for sale and suggested it might be a good canopy for me. I've just started using a Spectre 170. I've done a little research so far, and I've seen phrases like significant airspeed. I don't know if this is faster that what a Spectre would fly. I still of course want a fairly conservative and somewhat forgiving canopy. Any advice?

Thanks!
-Michele

"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson

[sundevil777 93]

It is a partial zp fabric (easy to pack) 9 cell by para-flite (now only makes military canopies and stuff).

At your loading, go ahead and try it out, it is not a 'radical' canopy. Even if it was considered high performance when it was introduced - I believe it is not tapered at all - completely rectangular. I put a couple jumps on a similarly loaded one and remember it to have a great flare.

If it is the right price/condition, you should definitely consider it.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[tfelber 0]

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I have a Turbo ZX-165. I've flown it about 200 jumps. It is 100% ZP, however they made a hybrid first. You can call Paraflight with the DOM and they can tell you the construction. Do you know the DOM? It's a fairly nice conopy to learn on, but on mine the front risers are impossible to pull down. The openings are 800-1000 feet and on heading. The flare is around my waist with a little extra on bottom if you need it. It planes out nicely when flaring but doesn't have a lot of stopping power.

I'm loading it about 1.4. How much do you weigh?

When at Rantoul this year, Kola (from PD) said it was a Stiletto knock-off. I always thought it was a Sabre knock-off. However, after that comment, I noticed it had a taper to the trailing edge which makes it look more like a Sabre2.

A friend of mine has a 165 and a 185. He said they were designed for higher winds, hence my feeling of little stopping power, since I don't generally jump in high winds (with the same tail deflection, drag would increase with higher relative wind speeds.)

It is a faster canopy than the Spectre or even the Sabre2 170's. I have flown both. The comments above are for my 165. This one may be trimmed different, have more jumps on it, etc. The only way to know for sure is to fly it. I think with your profile, this would be a canopy you could learn a lot on for a relatively low cost. How much does your friend want?

I just downsized to a Nitro 135, but kept my 165 in case I go without jumping for an excessive amount of time. This way I can attach it and get back up to speed instead of possibly hurting myself under the 135.

Flare it several times up high and get a feel for how long it will take to slow down and fly it until it stops, because you will probably have more forward speed on landing.

Have fun, don't get hurt, and let me know if you have any other questions.

I went ahead a posted the PM I sent you here to give others a chance to comment on my perceptions and since SunDevil and my observations don't match.

[sundevil777 93]

I thought it was not at all tapered, but apparently am wrong.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[tfelber 0]

I think the difference between the Turbo Z and the ZX is the hybrid construction. Maybe they tapered the trailing edge also...

[Squeak 17]

I have a tourbo ZX 143 (i think) Erno left here for me to get rid of for him.
He reckons that loaded above 1.1 it's a bit of a dog & doesn't handle all that well, but under that load it's fine. I've not personally flown it so I can make no comment for myself.
PM Erno if you want any clarrification

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[themitchyone 0]

Thanks for all of your input.

I weigh 125lbs. I haven't tried the Turbo Z 165 yet. For the moment I'm staying on a larger canopy (190). Since starting to use a weight belt my landings are way off. I need to learn to land again.

Hopefully I'll adjust soon, but in the meanwhile I'd like a more forgiving canopy. In a few weeks when I've moved back down to the Spectre 170 and am comfortable with that, maybe I'll try the other.

"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson

[tbrown 26]

Just my opinion, but I don't think new people with low numbers should be using old canopies that have gone out of production. Para Flite used to be THE premier sport canopy company in the business. Their decline and eventual exit from the sport market leads me to conclude that their products just couldn't cut the mustard.

We see a lot of people still jumping the original Sabre canopy, which is basically the canopy that drove Para Flite into their tailspin. But the Sabre's a proven design, one that's since been improved on, but even the original is still widely used.

If you buy the Turbo, you're comitting yourself to a canopy you won't be able to sell for any kind of a decent price. A Turbo might be fun for a canopy collector with the experience to enjoy its flight characteristics. But for you, start with something that's widely used, accepted, and understood. There are oodles of used Spectres and Sabres out there for great prices. And even a brand new Pilot can be had for some great discount prices. If you were just learning how to fly, would you rather learn in a Cessna or a Curtiss Jenny ?

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[themitchyone 0]

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If you buy the Turbo, you're comitting yourself to a canopy you won't be able to sell for any kind of a decent price. A Turbo might be fun for a canopy collector with the experience to enjoy its flight characteristics. But for you, start with something that's widely used, accepted, and understood. There are oodles of used Spectres and Sabres out there for great prices. And even a brand new Pilot can be had for some great discount prices. If you were just learning how to fly, would you rather learn in a Cessna or a Curtiss Jenny ?

Sounds like good advice. Thank you.

"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson

[filioque 0]

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Just my opinion, but I don't think new people with low numbers should be using old canopies that have gone out of production. Para Flite used to be THE premier sport canopy company in the business. Their decline and eventual exit from the sport market leads me to conclude that their products just couldn't cut the mustard.

We see a lot of people still jumping the original Sabre canopy, which is basically the canopy that drove Para Flite into their tailspin. But the Sabre's a proven design, one that's since been improved on, but even the original is still widely used.

If you buy the Turbo, you're comitting yourself to a canopy you won't be able to sell for any kind of a decent price. A Turbo might be fun for a canopy collector with the experience to enjoy its flight characteristics. But for you, start with something that's widely used, accepted, and understood. There are oodles of used Spectres and Sabres out there for great prices. And even a brand new Pilot can be had for some great discount prices. If you were just learning how to fly, would you rather learn in a Cessna or a Curtiss Jenny ?

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How can you make these comments when you have never jumped one?

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[hookitt 0]

Let it go. You're responding to a post from september 2004. The person who started this thread has passed on.

For what it's worth, I've plenty of jumps on a turbo z and I agree with mr brown.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[riggerrob 558]

Given that parachutes depreciate as fast as cars, I wonder why skydivers worry about re-sale value.
???????

For example, I picked up an Ariel 150 (Sabre I competitor) for free because its first owner never learned how to pack it for soft openings. Most of my openings on it have been soft. The only time it spanked me was when I got sloppy packing. Also a great canopy for wing-suit flying.
I will never re-sell the Ariel for an significant money, but it is a free ride for hundreds of jumps.

[marcwgarber 0]

themitchyone

Someone I know has a Turbo Z 165 for sale and suggested it might be a good canopy for me. I've just started using a Spectre 170. I've done a little research so far, and I've seen phrases like significant airspeed. I don't know if this is faster that what a Spectre would fly. I still of course want a fairly conservative and somewhat forgiving canopy. Any advice?

Thanks!
-Michele

Old thread, I realize, but for those who may have future interest in an increasingly-obscure canopy I will say that it flies very well when loaded 1:1 or 1:2 (although I wouldn't exceed that). It's not the easiest thing to land, but most of my 300 or so jumps on it were stand up (starting when I had 57 jumps). Openings are brisk and on-heading.

I had zero malfunctions out of ~300 jumps and sold it to my ex-fiance, who had zero malfunctions on the ~130 jumps she put on it. I am re-acquiring it from her now, because it will be nostalgic to me and I know I can handle it when I am uncurrent (which I am).

Marc

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.