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mazevedo

Built in turns

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I bought a new rig and this past weekend I jump it for the first time (BEER!!!). I will not post the manufacturer name here because I am not sure it is a mft problem.

I used to jump a 170 and did few jump on a 150. This new one is a 150 loaded at 1,25. I am now with 127 jumps.

It was 4 jumps (three on my own and asked a friend to jump it and see if something was different).

Both of us noticed that, the canopy was turning right and we had to keep the left toggle pulled (about 13-14 inches) to keep the canopy flying straight ahead.

It was not a windy day. The brake lines were not tensioned and they were with the same lenght. I tryied to keep the legs straps simetric all the time. The risers seems to have the same lenght, too.

Next week, I will try to change he container to isolate the problem.

Any sugestions in which test I have to make to be sure it is a mft problem?

The rig was mounted by a FAA - Master Parachute Rigger

blue skies,

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Any sugestions in which test I have to make to be sure it is a mft problem?



Yes.

Step1: Have a very experienced jumper jump it, see if they have the "built in turn" problem. This takes you out of the equation. No offense intended, though, I've had other people jump my gear before to check for stuff like that.

Step2: Have a rigger check the line trim and brake settings.

Step3: Call up the manufacture, tell them everything you've done thus far and your problem. They'll probably want you to mail it to them to have a test jumper jump it and figure out what they need to fix.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Step1: Have a very experienced jumper jump it, see if they have the "built in turn" problem.



Have several experienced jumpers jump it, preferably in their own harness. I had a canopy with a built-in turn once, the first experienced jumper I handed my gear to didn't notice it. Lucky me, one of the designers from my canopy manufacturers did.

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Is this the pilot you have listed in your profile?

It happens sometimes no matter the manufacturer so don't worry too much about mentioning what canopy it is.

All the suggestions are good. If it still turns, then you get to send it back for a fix or replacement.

If it turns, Time it. Let it fly and time how long it takes to do a full 360.

Good luck. I have no doubt the canopy will be fixed or replaced promptly.

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Yes it is. I get in contact with Aerodyne and they prompted gave me some feedback. Their rigger, Jody, just told me to do exactly what you are saying. Jump the canopy 10-30 times taking note how long it turns 90, 180, 360 (with and without brakes). Jump the canopy in another container and let more experienced jumpers fly it. I will start do it tomorrow! Thanks for the input. I will post the progression.

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One more thing, you're pulling the toggle down an awful lot to keep it straight. If it feels unsafe to land it over an over ... just take it out of your rig and let Aerodyne deal with it. They'll figure it out.

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

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I did 6 jumps this weekend (10 until now).

The canopy is flying straight with brakes undone.
The canopy is taking 11-15 seconds to turn 90º (depends on the wind)
The canopy fly straight if I raise my right leg 90º (tryied to put my weight to the left and it worked)
When flying, I just untightened the right leg strap a little and the canopy began to fly straight.
I noticed that the amount of input I have to do to fly straight is not to big if I discount the the amount of line that is not tensioned. For example, if I pull both toggles a little, I have to pull the leftt one just 4-6 inches to fly straight.

I did not jump the canopy in another rig. I will try it later.

My lands are fine. Nothing I cannot handle.

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I tryied to keep the legs straps simetric all the time. The risers seems to have the same lenght, too.



Instead of keeping the leg straps symetric, tighten them up to where you feel the same amount of tension on your shoulders in the harness when you shrug them. See if that affects it any.

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Just to update:

I did two jumps today.
On the first one, I let the right leg strap a little bit unfastened. It helped, but not took away all the turn.

On the second, I changed my container and jumped the canopy under a Wings. The turn was still there.

While changing canopies, one local rigger came to help me and he noticed that the right D line from stabilizers was 2-3 inches shorter than the left one. I left the canopy with him to check all the lines.

Do you think this is the problem? Well, I hope so. After 12 jumps and testing everything possible, line set will be my last chance before returning the canopy to Aerodyne.

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Updating again (17 jumps under my Pilot, now)

The lines were not shorter as we thought, it was only 0.5 inches shorter on the right side. My rigger made a little adjust on the soft links to compensate.

It was 5 jumps this weekend, but the turn was still there.

I am attaching some photos of it to show both sides of the canopy and the amount of input I am making to fly straight.

I asked an experienced jumper to fly it and did not tell him witch side the canopy was turning - he noticed the same thing: Right turn

Blue skies

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Sorry to be the only guy posting here. But as I posted a trouble under my canopy, I fell that I have to post the great customer service, Aerodyne provides me. Please look out "Congratulations to Aerodyne customer service " posted in the "General skydiving discussion..." tread.

Thanks Audrey and Jody again,

Blue skies,

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Did this ever get resolved?

I bought a canopy second hand recently and it has a turn. Its a 129 sfire dom dec 2016 approx 280 jumps.

Im basically flying with the left toggle down to my ear to keep it straight.. The previous owner wont admit to it and won't give a refund. I've jumped it on 3 different containers now, had a couple people try it, got new lines, got it inspected by 3 different riggers... There's no damage and there's definitely a turn. It's not me or the lines or the risers or anything else external.

I've contacted icarus and they say since I'm not the original owner and the age (not even 2 years). of the canopy they won't warranty it or anything. They've offered me a discount on a new canopy but i end up losing the money i spent on this one

I don't really know what to do. Everyone just says i got screwed and there's no way to fix it.

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It sounds like it's built into the fabric. This can happen. They go to great lengths to inspect the fabric and avoid biased rolls, and they flip panels, and other things to try and avoid this but some times the tolerances stack up and you get a canopy with a turn.

Their are no good ways to fix it but there are some half assed ways. First try pulling the slider down and letting your chest strap out. It's a small thing but the more curved the canopy is, the closer the risers are together, the more twitchy they tend to be. It just exaggerates the problem. Letting it expand may make it less noticeable. Some thing else you can do, you can't fix the canopy but you can induce a turn the other way. You can do this by intentionally fucking with the symmetry of the line set by changing the trim of one side vs the other. But if you don't to get that adventurous the easiest thing you can do is to extend the full line set on one side. Sounds strange, but we all know that if your harness is asymmetric, one side slips, that it will cause a turn. If for example you add a second set of links to one side of the canopy, both front and back, you have now built a permanent asymmetry into your rig. So you have a permanent 1.25 inch harness turn built into your canopy. In this day in age, you might just have some one build you a pair of longer slinks for one side. It will look goofy. It will freak some people out. If it works you could even shorten the lines on the other side to make it less noticeable but this is the easiest way to half ass fix it.

Lee
Lee
[email protected]
www.velocitysportswear.com
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It sounds like a cheap ass company! When I worked at Para-Flite it didn't matter if you were the original owner or not. We fixed the canopy. I guess it's still a trade secret on making sure a canopy doesn't turn. It isn't just bias in the fabric.

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Tiny shit can make a parachute turn. I'd vote at this point to while youre flying it next time,preferably on a high pull or hop and pop, take the c-d line group one in from the outside on the opposite side of the turn and pull on just that group slowly until it flys straight and note the distance that takes... could be a little or a lot. One thing i can tell you is dont start messing with the end cell lines. Those control your slider stops and will seriously fuck with openings. So start one in from the end and start pulling on stuff till it flys straight...tie knots first!!! dont just start having someone chop off lengths of line till youve jumped it like that a few times.... my 2 cents... good luck
I was that kid jumping out if his tree house with a bed sheet. My dad wouldn't let me use the ladder to try the roof...

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Shellsh0ck


I've contacted icarus and they say since I'm not the original owner and the age (not even 2 years). of the canopy they won't warranty it or anything. They've offered me a discount on a new canopy but i end up losing the money i spent on this one



This is weird. I bought an X-Fire second hand. Turns out it was missing the "minirib" of the right stabilizer. The sent me a new one right away, no questions asked.

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FWIW - 

A customer/friend of mine had a canopy with a built in turn (not bad, just annoying).  Canopy had a few years and maybe a few hundred jumps on it, and the lines weren't _exactly_ to spec, so we sent it in for reline/adjustment at the factory.

Long/patient story later, they informed me that they had adjusted it multiple times and couldn't get it to fly straight, though there was no obvious issues with the canopy itself.  (they put it down to the various variations in the seam/material/measurement tolerances that cause every canopy to be a little different...  put enough inexact but within tolerance variations and you get a canopy that just doesn't fly right)

They offered a trade-in deal on a new canopy for very little cash.  Customer took them up on it and has been happy ever since.

Don't forget to include the mfg in the diagnosis if you (owner/field-rigger) can't seem to get it to work right... some of them just don't.  

Just my $.02,

JW

 

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