Amazon 7 #1 October 18, 2004 I have been wondering just how many people out there are Samurai Pilots. I love mine. Brian did very well by me. While it was being built He sent me a Lotus 190 to jump and it was quite fun to fly as well. So what is yours. Stats for mine below Size 190 Color Red w/white DOM APR 2004 Signature Series y/n YES Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 14 #2 October 18, 2004 First was my Jedei 136. DOM of 1995. I loved it, STEEP dive. Lots of flare, sweet openings. Got rid of it last week only since I got a Sam 136. Blue, Black, White, about 1200 jumps on it. Samurai 136. Blue with one offset white cell. Unknown DOM since its a completely label-less Hand built by Brian as a demo fleet canopy but was sold I guess. And yes... I hit the pad in both those swoops Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BikerBabe 0 #3 October 18, 2004 I love my Jedei. Here it is. I believe, and Brian can correct me if I'm wrong, that the kanji means "Ascension". It was made for Chuck Karcher, but now it's mine and I will keep it forever. Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #4 October 18, 2004 I will not post pics of my Sam for fear of destroying the viril image I have on dz.com Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eUrNiCc 0 #5 October 18, 2004 Are Jonathan's welcome in this thread too?Egad, A BASE life defiles a bad age. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sdctlc 0 #6 October 18, 2004 Love My Sam"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #7 October 18, 2004 Hey Phree compare the two for us. What category do they fit into? High performance, speed, dives, fast turns or general purpose, soft opening moderate elliptical with nice glide and flare. Which of the two would be labelled more for the aggressive pilot and which would you put someone with 200-400 jumps on? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 14 #8 October 18, 2004 Using PD canopies as the baseline since the flare point on the Big Air canopies is kinda split between the PD range and the Icarus deep toggle range IMO... The Jedei had about 4-5 revisions and they all fly slightly different. You've got the original, the Sweptwing, the Flattop, the version with inner stabilizers (on the 3rd and 7th cell in addition to the outer stabs) and a few other slight tweeks. Almost all of them are a like in that they have a pretty long front riser dive. The dive is probally as long as a Vengence if not longer. Mine had pretty heavy riser pressure, but nothing totally extreme. Turn rate on toggles was about as fast as a Stiletto. Very fun in other words They all seemed to open on heading a lot more then the Vengence/Stilettos I've jumped. The leading edge is straighter then the Stiletto so that makes some sense. Its wants to continue its dive for a while after riser input unlike the Stiletto. Openings were like butter since most had pocket sliders installed on them by the factory. Opening distance was about 600 feet and it felt like forever. I've jumped 3 different Jedeis and each was just slightly different so thats to be expected too. My Sam I love even more. It has much lighter riser pressue. Lighter then any other canopy I've jumped. I thought the Cobalt was light... the Sam is even less. Just as fast as a toggle turn rate as the Jedei, but the recovery arc is shorted somewhat over the Jedei. I do a fairly fast 180 carve at 400+/- and I used to do the same on the Jedei at about 450-500. I was high my first few jumps on the Sam almost always by the same height. The Sam seems to respond better to harness input but that might just be my improved awareness with another few hundred jumps. Openings on the Samurai are right at about 400 feet. They are not hard at all, but they are quicker then the Icarus canopies. I'd gladly jump cameras with it since it opens nice and predictible all the time. My Samurai opens dead on heading. I've had 2 line twists in 100+ jumps on it and both were wingsuit jumps that it opened with half a twist (I need to get the cut corners ). My freefall jumps with it are just fine. I've done CRW with a Crossfire2 119 loaded at 1.7 with me at 1.45 and he only had to put on a touch of breaks for us to stack. In full glide he out drove me by only about 100 yards from 5000 feet into 7-10 mph winds (Silly us ran downwind too long). Spread the rear risers and open up the chest strap and the Samurai has a great glide. If I land off its since the spot just totally sucked Using the Vectran/Spectra lineset is great, keeps the slightly lower cost of Spectra on the lines least likely to shrink and puts Vectran on the outter lines and breaks to keep them from shrinking. I'd rate the Samurai and the Jedei at the same level of a Vengence/Crossfire. I'd like to jump a Katana to compare it but they don't have the 135 done yet. Its a HP canopy, not a good canopy for a first or low experienced jumper. Brian was really nice and let me demo a Lotus for free at WFFC '02. If I was looking for a great all around low stress canopy thats where my search would start and probally end. Its stable, same great flare of the Samurai. Crisp clean turns, but not super fast. Lower oversteer then the Sam. Did'nt get to play with the front risers much, but it was about the same as the Sam for recovery arc. It reminded me so much of the Sabre2 that I asked and found out that the CAD templetes are very similar. Excellent glide rate. A perfect canopy for those people looking for their first semi-elliptical canopy or someone looking for a low stress 9 cell. Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
luis 0 #9 October 18, 2004 size: 120 color: lemon/tangerine DOM sept 2003 ~300 jumps on it so far - loving each and all of them! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alan 1 #10 October 18, 2004 Sorry, I'm not Phree, but have jumped both canopies. My Jedei 136 is #1121, DOM Aug '97. I wrote a rather extensive review of the Samurai for Brain a few years ago when he introduced it. The review is in a back issue of Skydiving Magazine. Your questions: Both canopies are high performance canopies. The Samurai is a refinement of the Jedei and is the result of the evolution of the canopy based on feebback from Jedei pilots. The canopies are not exceptionally fast, but are as fast or faster than comparable class canopies at similar wing loading. Stiletto comes to mind. My personal opinion is the Sam is a step ot two above a Stiletto in most aspects that I find appealling. Ground handling and packing are two notable exceptions. The turns on both are realtively fast, but a proficient pilot will enjoy either for a general purpose canpy. I can easily barrel roll my Jedei and had no problem with it on the Sam. My Jedei opens very nice. Soft and not an excessive snivel. It is less consistent than the Sam though. I like the Sam because it has great openings. Better than most of the current wave of "great" opening canopies. I say that because I don't care for the excessive and unneccessary snivel on some of the current favorites. I would not describe either canopy as a moderate elliptical. I think they both use the same planform yet, the "sweptwing" version of the Jedei. That may have chaged though. The glide is very good with the Sam's being a little better. I tought it was very close to as good as a Stiletto at the same loading. Flare is a matter of technique for a particular canopy. The Sam and Jedei both have an easy to finf sweet spot. Both are very good all through the range with a very nice shut down. The nod goes to the Sam by a small, but noticeable margin. Either canoipy is suitable for a more aggressive pilot. There is no jump in class between the two, but the Sam is the latest evolution of the Jedei and therefore you should expect it to be the "better" of the two since it employs the most current technology. You don't have to be an "aggressive" pilot to fly these canopies, but you should read and follow Brian's suggestions for wing loading, experience and skill. They are both high performance canopies. Which would I put someone with 200-400 jumps on? You should read and follow Brian's suggestions for wing loading, experience and skill. They are both high performance canopies. Check his web-site, his book, or call him. I can't answer that because I don't know your wing loading or skill level. At 1.4#/sq ft, or higher with less than 400 jumps, I would advise to think twice about it unless a very qualified and unbiased instructor recommended it based on "demonstrated "skills. Hope this helps.alan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #11 October 18, 2004 Size 105 Color Royal blue, white, and black Signature series YES Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samurai136 0 #12 October 18, 2004 This is a photo of my 136 that now resides in Florida. I've got a Signature Series 120 in the same colors but a different pattern. Ken"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stacy 0 #13 October 18, 2004 Hey! that canopy looks familiar! I'll just paint myself under it. __ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaerock 1 #14 October 18, 2004 Here's my 105. I picked it up with 80 jumps on it and have had some kick-ass swoops. People say it's pretty loud when I swoop it. :> White bottom-skin, yellow top-skin, blue airlocks and triangles. -R You be the king and I'll overthrow your government. --KRS-ONE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut 0 #15 October 19, 2004 i got to jump phree's samurai a few weeks ago and only gotto put one jump on it....i normally jump a safire 149 at 4500msl and jumping phree's 136 at 1000ft msl was noticbly slower but still very fun to fly.... i was amazed at the low front riser pressure and the flare was great,..had a great swoop off of a 90deg front riser.... the opening was faster and a little harder than my safire but not uncomfortable, if i would buy one (seriously considering it) i might see about having a little pocket put on to slow it down a little... .. right now i'd just like to bable to flymy safire to it's fullest, but when i can do that i'll probly be lookng intooneof these.... ______________________________________ "i have no reader's digest version" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GraficO 0 #16 October 19, 2004 Ok...I'll bite... Here are photos of 2 of my 3 Samurai's The mostly white one is a Sam 170 and the mostly blue with racing stripes is a 136. I went through a ton of photos and din't find my other 136... soon I guess... 1000s of photos left to go through. GraficO PS... love my SamsGraficO "A Mind is a terrible thing to taste." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WFFC 1 #17 October 19, 2004 Sam 170, but not a signature edition I need to bury the toggle more when taking pictures of my baby...----- ~~~Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 14 #18 October 19, 2004 Alan, your write up is also here: http://www.dropzone.com/gear/articles/PilotingtheSamurai.shtmlYesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1234hutch 0 #19 October 20, 2004 Hi Here is a photo of my Samuri 120 It's a sweet sled! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #20 October 20, 2004 KEWL... an Invisible Canopy.. I need one of those to go with a Wonder Woman outfit I want to wear Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chrissay 0 #21 October 20, 2004 I wish I had a photo of mine to show! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #22 October 20, 2004 Wellll next time you jump have one of the camera guys get some pictures.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jerdahl 0 #23 October 20, 2004 This is my lotus 136. My wife took the pics of my landing as fast as she could(digital camera), they show how to get an airlock on the ground pretty well. Size: 136 Type: Lotus DOM: May 2002 Signature: Yes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sanzlk 0 #24 October 20, 2004 I have a Sam 120 and love it. Dom Nov 2000 BBY-TUR-WHT-RBL Nice new shiney lineset. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chrissay 0 #25 October 26, 2004 Alright, I hope my attachment works. I was just going through my video and pulled this frame off. Size 105 Color limegreen/blackberry/silver/blackberry/LG/LG/LG/LG/LG DOM 2003 Signature Series...not officially I don't think, but Brian did make and sign it I love my Samurai!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
