Wildfire and national phantom

[Zeemax 0]

Hey all... i've just become the lucky owner of a Wildfire 168 and a National Phantom 27. (ebay, dont ask)

After a bit of searching, i know the wildfire is a flight concepts 9 cell f111, but i cant find anything on the national phantom...

Has anyone got any information on either of these canopies, flight charecteristics etc... Are they basically 2 new car covers?

Thanks all in advance

Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE
Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies

[riggermick 6]

I don't remember if the Phantom 27 reserve was one of their squares or not, are you sure you don't mean a Phantom 26'?

If it is a Phantom 26' don't use it as a reserve!!!!!!! Buy a newer canopy and jump the PH 26' as a main for cut away practice. Acid mesh, diapers and Kevlar reinforcing bands come to mind. Good luck with your new found toy.

Mick.

[murrays 0]

I owned the Wildfire's predecessor canopy, the Bandit, and loved it. Old tech today but when they were current they were hot little canopies. I wouldn't load it up much...1:1 would likely be ok provided it doesn't have too many jumps on it. How many skydives does it have?

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[mjosparky 3]

If I remember right the Phantom series of canopies were a copy of the Para-Inovators reserves, 24' & 26', but with one less lateral band. And then there was the kevlar thing.

And Mick is right, if you have not done it before, they would not be a good choice for a reserve.

Sparky

(I did the test jumps on the R-2 and R-4 canopies)

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[gjhdiver 0]

Quote

Hey all... i've just become the lucky owner of a Wildfire 168 and a National Phantom 27. (ebay, dont ask)

After a bit of searching, i know the wildfire is a flight concepts 9 cell f111, but i cant find anything on the national phantom...

Has anyone got any information on either of these canopies, flight charecteristics etc... Are they basically 2 new car covers?

Thanks all in advance

The wildfire used to be the hottest thing around in it's day. Now it's seen as quite a sedate old thing. You can have a lot of fun on one though, if you take a couple of wraps and know how to fly it. It was made by Glide Path, not Flight Concepts, although it's essentially the same company in most respects.

As for the reserve, it's probably a Phantom 26. Despite what one or two other posters say here, there's nothing wrong with them per se. In fact , my first reserve ride was on a Phantom 24.

There was a required mod for them that required an extra reinforcing kevlar lateral band. Later models came with it already installed. Also, there was an issue with all round reserves about acidic mesh in the steering vents degrading the canopy strength adjacent to it whan packed. There is a test that can be done for acid mesh using an indicator called bromocresol-9. My Phantom 24 had that test and passed OK. If it fails that test, then the fix is to first do a pull test on the fabric. If it passes that, then the mesh can be washed, retestedm and the reserve placed into service. If your reserve passed those tests and had the kevlar mod, I'd use it as a reserve with no worries. They were a good canopy, and along with the Handbury Preserve 4, saved a lot of people.

[parafredo 0]

I owned one in my collection and it is making the most beautiful stalls I ever experienced..I have a picture too with Patrick De Gayardon swooping it in a ditch!!Old conception but still good.I would not load it more than 1;1

[shropshire 0]

Yeap.... I just had to check.... I've got an old Wildfire in my attic, so I took a look at the plackard(?) W-302 D.O.M July-87 by Glide Path International (Atlanta).. I cann't see a size on it. I haven't jumped it for about 5 years.... maybe I'll get our rigger to check it out and see if it'll fit in my d-bag..... fond memories....

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Zeemax 0]

hey all, thanks for the replies
looks like it could be an interesting jump when the gear arrives!

Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE
Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies

[gjhdiver 0]

Quote

Yeap.... I just had to check.... I've got an old Wildfire in my attic, so I took a look at the plackard(?) W-302 D.O.M July-87 by Glide Path International (Atlanta).. I cann't see a size on it. I haven't jumped it for about 5 years.... maybe I'll get our rigger to check it out and see if it'll fit in my d-bag..... fond memories....

The Wildfire is 168 square feet. I'd stay off the front risers though. Damn things bucked like a horse on front risers. The best way to wring 'em out is to push them into a full stall and cross control them.

If any of you have seen the radical canopy control segment of the skydiving video "The Right Wally", that's a Widfire there. Try doing that shit on a Stiletto.

[shropshire 0]

Thanks.... but could you please explain cross control (what, why, when)?

Cheers,

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[CharlieMack 0]

So, let me get this right, 1.1 eh? would that maybe be 1.5 at a push, or am i asking for a visit to food through a straw park? Just wondering...

[Zeemax 0]

i too am interested to see what people think of that kind of wingloading

Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE
Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies

[riggermick 6]

Cross controll is basicly the opposite input of the toggles in order to affect a turn. When operating a canopy in deep brakes (50% or more) it is actually safer to make a turn by raising the oppoite toggle slightly rather than pulling the desired toggle even further towards the stall point.

Example: You are in 75% brakes and wish to make a right hand turn, instead of pulling the right toggle down closer to the stall point (risking a collapse) you would raise the left toggle allowing the canopy to drive to the right. Get it? This is a much safer way to manouver in deep brakes @ a low altitude, think back yard landings, demos into tight arenas etc. Make sense? It's an old school survival skill much like PLF's.

Mick.

[Zoter 0]

Also known as 'Braked turns' or at least thats the name I recognise this manouvre as....

[murrays 0]

It depends on how many jumps the canopy has on it...a new F111 canopy is almost as non-porous as a ZP canopy...and flares accordingly. As it loses porosity it loses flare. If it has very few jumps on it you might be able to load it heavier.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[nicknitro71 0]

Quote

If it is a Phantom 26' don't use it as a reserve!!!!!!!

I don't agree. Have it checked for acid mash, and other known bugs. If it's a sound canopy I'd jump it.

You can try canopy transfer with it

Phantoms are great rounds by the way and at your weight it should land you just fine, just don't forget to PLF!

Memento Audere Semper

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