Aerodyne sizing?

[ernokaikkonen 0]

Could somebody try and explain to me the logic behind Aerodyne's sizing of their various products? It just doesn't make sense to me.

To give everyone a chance of understanding what I'm going on about, here are a couple of examples:

My exit-weight is 86kg. For the purposes of this exercise, I'll consider myself an "Advanced" skydiver(but not better than that). That means that, according to Aerodyne's canopy selector, I should not be jumping a Smart smaller than a 150(max 89kg). Fine with me. I would be willing to go down to a 135(max 80kg), but that doesn't make a difference in the container I have to pick; an Icon I4. But now, the smallest main I can fit in my container is a 132! As an "advanced" skydiver I want to go a bit faster.

Ok, let's go the other way around:
I want to jump the hottest shit they have: a Vision. The 124 is about my size; max weight is 90kg. I could also be a bad boy and overload a 117(max 85kg). Both these canopies would fit into an Icon I3. But now, the reserves that fit the I3 are the 110 and the 120, both of which, according to Aerodyne, are too small for me!

I can understand that when a company only makes, say, containers, it's difficult to get the sizing exactly right. But when the same company makes the containers, mains and reserves, you would think they would be able to sort their products out.

I rather like the Aerodyne products otherwise, but if I can't make choices that are acceptable to the company's own sizing charts... well sorry, but I'll take my business elsewhere.

Any Aerodyne people out there who would like to shed some light on this?

[diablopilot 2]

#1) Would you like some cheese to go with that whine?

#2) From personal experience I can sugest there is a wider range of lattitude in the useable sizes per container than your description or the sizing charts sugest.

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Any Aerodyne people out there who would like to shed some light on this?

#3) Have you bothered to send an e-mail to Aubry, or Bushman at Aerodyne?

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[jsconn 0]

Erno,

Sorry the sizing chart doesn´t make sense to you right now. As a rapidly growing company that makes many products, canopies and containers, to the sport, military and tandem markets I can only remind people of the word growing. We designed certain sizes of certain products and have done quite well with those.

While saying that, I´ll also point out we are a work in progress and are developing new size containers and container/canopy combinations to alleviate the sizing concerns some people have (while working on a multitude of other projects.)

We´re planning on releasing a new canopy soon (you may have seen some ads, some right here on dz.com) that will cater to the more ´advanced` skydiver in you and I would be willing to bet you may find a container size to suit your needs at about the same time the new canopy is ready for public consumption.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact any Aerodyne rep on dz.com via PM, contact our European rep ([email protected]) via email, visit our website to contact our departments or call one of our offices (information is on the website.)

Thanks and hope you can wait a little more before investing your money in a new system.

Jody

[fffff 0]

I don't know what your problem is. In my opinion the best way to choose a canopy and rig is to jump it.
I demod al of my Aerodyne gear and than bought it.
The I-4 i jump is not to big for my Pilot 124, so there is no problem even if it is not in the chart on the Aerodyne site.
So go to a dealer or contact Aerodyne they will help you out.

Later
F

ps: is this the same way you pick your car, without driving it, just on what the brochure tells you?

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NIL VOLENTIBUS ARDUUM.
(nothing is difficult for those who really want it)

[John4455 0]

I have an I4 with a 150 Smart and a 150 Pilot which are the max sizes for the container. The Pilot fits it really tight. I believe that you could put a good bit smaller main in the container and it pack up really nicely. Having said that, I have never tried it. I'm not really clear on what you are asking though.

How do ya like it Johnny?

[thegreekone 0]

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#1) Would you like some cheese to go with that whine?

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ok, first of all, TWO whines don't make a right

#2) From personal experience I can sugest there is a wider range of lattitude in the useable sizes per container than your description or the sizing charts sugest.

maybe, but for some ppl, myself included, it might be nice to know more specifically. For instance, my first rig was a brick because I wanted to have the smallest container possible. UGH! (this was when I was in the sport years before with jumps not listed here, and well, you know, god forbid I should 1 centimeter of my gear hitting air) I know of a few harness container manufacturers that not only list canopies but FIT of those canopies, esp. as they relate to comfort.

***#3) Have you bothered to send an e-mail to Aubry, or Bushman at Aerodyne?

I think he is referring to the fact that even though their website is so specific and detail oriented, he is not that impressed with the thought put into sizing and compatibility cross-referenced with experience and real world choices. (at least that is what I got)

[flyboyZA 0]

Hi Erno

The sizing chart that we use on our website is intended as a guide ONLY, and is partially based on wingloading factors when it comes to "recommending" canopy sizes for student, intermediate and advanced skydivers.

As an advanced skydiver, it is ultimately your choice of whatever size you want really, and if you choose to get a reserve smaller than a 150, that is your decision - it just means that you will be loading the canopy more than 1.3

As a manufacturer, it is not up to us to dictate to you what size reserve you should or should not have in your container, but we will make informed recommendations that take your safety into account - especially when it comes to new jumpers in the sport.

Blue skies!

Dave

AERODYNE SYSTEMS (PTY) Ltd
Dave Macrae - Sports Marketing: Indian Ocean Region
[email protected]
www.aerodyne-int.com

[JYorkster 0]

I would recommend NOT getting the largest reserve that will fit in an Icon unless you live in a really humid climate. As someone else stated, it will end up fitting like a brick. For example, the 150 Smart in an I4 is extremely tight in a dry climate and can make an otherwise comfortable rig very stiff.

Rock

[hipgnosis 0]

Really?

I have 2 I4's with 150 Smart's in them and no problems with fit.

Also, in response to the original question you can put smaller canopies in the I4, although caution is called for (or perhaps ask a rigger if you aren't sure).

My I4's currently contain a Blade 120 and a Blade 108, although while packing you have to think "pack big".


Bill

[AndyMan 7]

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For example, the 150 Smart in an I4 is extremely tight in a dry climate and can make an otherwise comfortable rig very stiff.

I'm surprised at that, too. I have a PDR 143 that fits comfortably in my I4. I can't imagine a Smart 150 is that much bigger...?

_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[dgskydive 0]

You have gotten good answers from everyone already. At 1500 jumps, nobody is going to tell you what you should or should not be jumping. You have enough experiance to go out and jump anyting you want.

I myself jump a Vision 117 and a smart 135. The main is loaded at 1.8e and the reserve at about 1.59 both work fine at those loadings.

Dom

[John4455 0]

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For example, the 150 Smart in an I4 is extremely tight in a dry climate and can make an otherwise comfortable rig very stiff.

I'm surprised at that, too. I have a PDR 143 that fits comfortably in my I4. I can't imagine a Smart 150 is that much bigger...?

_Am

I don't live in a dry climate but mine is very comfortable. The reseve is great to pack, I love the line stow retainers.

How do ya like it Johnny?

[degeneration 5]

Very old thread being resurrected, I know, but it was the closest I could find to answering my question, but it didn't have the specific example I was after to answer my question.

Basically, attached I've copied the Icon sizing chart with annotations.

I'm planning on getting an I3. For reserve I was set on an R-Max 138 as I've been told it will fit fine in the I3. My main is a Pilot 132, so with having an Aerodyne main and container I'm thinking for sentimentality I would like to have an Aerodyne reserve too.

However, the 'x' marks on the chart only indicate a 110 or 120 reserve - too small for me.

But the min/max reserve pack volumes correspond to sizes 110 and 135. Now a 135 reserve I'd be happy with.

Does anyone have any experience of a Smart 135 in an I3, cause I don't know what bit of info to trust - the 'x' marks, or the min/max volume.

There is a cross over on all other sizes, I6-I5 on a 190, I5-I4 on a 150, I3 - I2 on a 110, I2-I1 on a 99. So a crossover with an I4-I3 on a 135 would fit the pattern.

I emailed an Aerodyne rep last week asking this, but am awaiting the reply, so thought I'd ask here too while I wait.

Sky Switches - Affordable stills camera tongue switches and conversion adaptors, supporting various brands of camera (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic).

[degeneration 5]

For those that are interested, I got a reply from Herman Landsman regarding the query I had on the container and reserve sizing. This is what he said:

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the Smart-135 will fit into an Icon-3 but it will be tight. This means that the packer needs to be very careful not to have to much reserve fabric at the top of the reserve container, otherwise the riser covers will be under tension which make them open up prematurely.
The charts we have will be updated soon. The Icon-1 takes the 110, the Icon-2 takes a 120 and the Icon-3 does take the 135.

Sky Switches - Affordable stills camera tongue switches and conversion adaptors, supporting various brands of camera (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic).

[42piratas 0]

Hey, there! How do you compare the sizes of the smart with other canopies? I've bought an i3 and I want to use a Crossfire on it, and a PD reserve. The session "ICON HARNESS CONTAINER SIZES" from the manual only talks gives ranges for one specific main and one specific reserve, though, which I suppose are the smarts, correct? Sorry in advance if I'm talking any s**t ;-)

[DHemer 0]

You should be able to find the information you want here for most canopies
http://www.unitedparachutetechnologies.com/PDF/CHART_00037___Rig_Sizing_Chart.pdf

I3 takes up a a 135 normal smart so that is a PD126 or OPT143

I3 take up to a 140 Zp canopy so that is ~ Crossfire 139