Do Sabre 2 openings settle down

[darrenspooner 0]

Sorry folks, I posted on this a couple of times before. I'm persevering with my Sabre 2, but the openings don't seem to be getting any more predictable yet. Its easier to pack, so its bedding in okay. For those of you who have had erratic/squirrelly/diving/turning/scay openings on your Sabre 2, do they settle down after 50 jumps or so. If not, what did you do that worked? Seem to have tried everything.

[ladyskydiver 0]

Have you had a rigger take a look at the canopy and lines to make sure that everything is ok with them?

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

I have a Sabre2 170 (used to have the Sabre2 190 up til jump 100ish)...love them both! I've had really nice openings. I've noticed that when I've had not so pleasant openings it was a slider and/or rolling the nose (ie: packing) issue.

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[AggieDave 6]

Rolling the nose will give you some wild openings on a Sabre2, so will a lot of packing "tricks." I've had the best luck with a decent number of different Sabre2s that I've jumped from a 150 up to some 210s (every size in between) by just packing a normal pro-pack with a good quartered slider and letting the nose hang. Usually on heading and soft.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[duroejc 0]

I'd be very interested to know as well. I lost my Spectre 190 at Richmond this year. Replaced it with a new Sabre2 170. Because of business travel and crappy weather I only have 4 jumps on it. Landings are beautiful. Openings have been Ok but not predictable. I've had 3 where the slider hung up about 1/2 down. Just required some pumping- for the most part on heading. One was very brisk- not a slammer but quick- the slider didn't hang up on that one. I pulled it out a bit in an attempt to overcome the hang-up problem. Have a afriend at the DZ who said the opening just get better with time on his Sabre2- new last year.
So I guess time will tell.

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

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Rolling the nose will give you some wild openings on a Sabre2, so will a lot of packing "tricks." I've had the best luck with a decent number of different Sabre2s that I've jumped from a 150 up to some 210s (every size in between) by just packing a normal pro-pack with a good quartered slider and letting the nose hang. Usually on heading and soft.

hmmm...that's strange Dave. It is possible that from canopy to canopy they have differing characteristics from packing techniques? I'm just seeking to understand.

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[AggieDave 6]

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hmmm...that's strange Dave. It is possible that from canopy to canopy they have differing characteristics from packing techniques? I'm just seeking to understand.

To a point, but in my experience with PD's modern canopies compared to some other canopy manufactures out there, is that they are very consistant. If you have a canopy that just flat out sucks, they'll take alook at it, put a jump on it and see if there's something wrong with the canopy possibly.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[fields 0]

This was in the last "News at Performance Designs" email (V3 Issue 4 Oct 2005) . Perhaps it might be of help?

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Are you experiencing end cell closure? Know someone that could use some tips? We have a video on our website that clarifies some of the common misunderstandings on how to deal with end cell closure.
check the video!

I must not have the right plugins, because I can't see the video, so I may be way wrong, but I would suspect your end cells are not inflating evenly or may be not at all, so "erratic/squirrelly/diving/turning/scay openings" might result.

"And the sky is blue and righteous in every direction" Survivor Chuck Palahniuk

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

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hmmm...that's strange Dave. It is possible that from canopy to canopy they have differing characteristics from packing techniques? I'm just seeking to understand.

To a point, but in my experience with PD's modern canopies compared to some other canopy manufactures out there, is that they are very consistant. If you have a canopy that just flat out sucks, they'll take alook at it, put a jump on it and see if there's something wrong with the canopy possibly.

I suppose I'm just fortunate to have had two Sabre2s which have been "good to me". Not that I have experience with other canopies, but I've been very pleased with Sabre2 openings and canopy control.

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[hookitt 0]

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....erratic/squirrelly/diving/turning/scary....

Here are some things the come to mind:

This is often jumper induced. Are you steering the canopy as it opens or are you just letting it open?

Often if you "help", it makes the openings more like you describe. If you just let the canopy finish opening without attempting to steer, the opens often become tame.

Additionally, do you watch your pilot chute after you toss it? If you do, then stop. Throw it, but not hard, and maintain a heading without watching.

Packing has some affect but if it's really squirrely, it's either a problem canopy, or it's jumper induced. Let a highly experienced jumper, take your canopy for a ride and see how it opens for him.

Good luck

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

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Just my 2 cents...

What I've found with Sabre2's... For starters, I like the canopy. I jump a Sabre2-170 myself, but I too know what y'all mean by squirrely SA2 openings. What I've found is that much like a Stilletto, an SA2 will highlight any body position problems you have on opening more so then a more docile canopy will. So, what I've found that works for me, is at throw time, to concentrate on being level, throw your pilot chute, eyes on the horizon, arch -- put your dick in the dirt or push the bush (as applicable), and as the canopy starts to sit you up just spread the risers -- Don't try to steer the canopy as it opens. Once the canopy is open, have at it steering the canopy with the rear risers, collaps your slider, unstow breaks, etc. ... and DO NOT roll the nose on a Sabre-2 like you may have done / seen done on the original Sabre when packing, just set the nose into the center like with a Stilletto.

Like I said, just my 2 cents... * passes the salt *

[Zoter 0]

Darren why dont you pack the canopy and let an experinced jumper at your DZ jump it a couple o times....and then get it packed by a staff packer and let the same jumper jump it a couple o times
You should know for sure then whether its your pack job or your body position......or the canopy...

You get it all done in a day and then you would be done with this issue which you seem to have been carrying around forever..!

[billvon 2,400]

As you learn to pack better your openings will get more consistent. However, as your lines shrink, your openings may get more squirrley. I have never had a canopy that started opening better because it was "broken in" or anything. If anything, I was the one that got 'broken in' to packing a new canopy.

[darrenspooner 0]

Thanks folks. I had the canopy checked out by PD, and it was apparently fine. Done about 10 jumps since then. All over the place. The only way I can feel confident is to grap the risers as I'm starting to sit up and pull them apart. Really focussed hard on body position, jumped it when its been packed by other people (including senior rigger), tried all the packing tips, no predictability. I spoke to two others recently who corrected the same problem by pulling the slider into the centre of the pack job. But no joy with that either. I will do another 20 jumps then change it for a Pilot if its not any better (I demoed a few jumps on a Pilot of the same size with no problems).

[UDSkyJunkie 0]

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Packing has some affect but if it's really squirrely, it's either a problem canopy, or it's jumper induced. Let a highly experienced jumper, take your canopy for a ride and see how it opens for him.

I think it's true that these are the main factors, but some canopies are just more random then others, and the Sabre2 is one of them. I've put several jumps on two separate Sabre2 120's (W/L 1.4ish), and they both opened identically, which is to say dead on heading and soft snivel, followed by chaotic diving in random directions until the slider comes down. One of these canopies was serial # 70 and had about a million jumps on it, a dozen patches, a half-replaced cell, tons of eloy-dust and a built-in right turn. The other is still crinkley and has a fresh lineset.

I found that what works for me is to not watch the pilot chute, dump stable, and not touch the risers... then wait through a clean snivel for the inevitable random dive and lean against it in the harness.

I love my Sabre2, but it's openings require heightened awareness compared to all other canopies I have jumped. To be fair, it's a small size and it's loaded significantly.

"Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission."

[phoenixlpr 0]

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One of these canopies was serial # 70 and had about a million jumps on it, a dozen patches, a half-replaced cell, tons of eloy-dust and a built-in right turn.

LOL. built-in right turn at W/L 1.4ish?
I don't think so. I've though I had a built in left turn. It turned out if I fasten my leg straps evenly, but not equally by length; it was flying strait. I'd rather call your built in turn as harness turn.

[koppel 3]

Not sure of the history of your canopy but try checking the trim against this chart or see you local rigger who can help you with it.

I had a canopy that was out of trim and I left it alone for a while, it got worse and then it got line twist and then it got cut-away

worth keeping an eye on these things

I like my canopy...


...it lets me down.