The "big" Katana report

[AggieDave 6]

Well, this weekend I finally was able to jump the Katana 150 as well as the Katana 135.

My wingloading on the 150 was 1.8:1 and on the 135 was 2.0:1.

These are really HOT canopies. However, I felt like the 135 wasn't flying well at that wingloading. The 150 at that wingloading was incredible. For comparison I've jumped the Mamba 150, Vengence 150, Vengence 135, Crossfire2 149, Crossifre2 139, the Velocity 120 and the VX 114.

Now, how do these "big" canopies stack up? These are serious high performance canopies, definately not for low jump number jumpers! (sub 500-1000 jump jumpers) Both of the canopies open very well, very similar to the XF2s I've jumped. Both were relatively responsive in the harness and had a strong toggle stroke. Both of the canopies were much more responsive on the toggles then both the Mamba and the XF2. The front riser pressure is stupid its so light. Actually I feel like that is one of the reasons why the Katana is not a good "transition" canopy to a higher performance wing. With the front riser pressure being so light its much too easy to "cheat" your turns and not truely learn how to fly a front riser approach that will translate to another HP canopy.

The trim is very similar to a Velocity. Infact overall I felt like the Katana was a Velocity that wasn't as perticular to packing. The Katana also doesn't have the range that a Velocity has in the bottom end. Don't get me wrong, the Katana had a good bottom end, but it just wouldn't float like a Velocity can. I attribute that to the Velocity's very rigid wing, but I'm sure one of the people versed in canopy design could discount that reasoning (or agree).

I did have a bit of concern as to the longevity of the mess on the sliders. Will that last for 1000 jumps or would a jumper have to replace the slider with each line set?

The diving performance for an approach I would place somewhere between a Velocity and a XF2. Not nearly as long as a recovery arc as a Velocity, but very similar. The way you fly a pattern is very similar, though, due to how ground hungry the canopy is. However, I found it very easy to float the Katana to get back on a long spot. Not quite as good as the Velocity in this regard, but very similar to a XF2 in that regard. Which surprised me, with how steep the canopy is.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that its a bit of a higher performance wing then a XF2 and it blows the Mamba clean out of the water. Would I buy one? Well, if it had been released two years ago I would have, but its not a wing that fits how I fly and how I want to fly. That gap is only going to be filled by a VX or Velocity. Will I recommend the canopy to other "large sized swooper?" Absolutely.

Would I recommend the canopy for someone to venture into the high performance canopy market for a "transition" canopy to a X-braced? Absolutely not. Basically the Katana is a slightly detuned Velocity, if someone has no business being on a Velocity (if it was made in a size to have a similar wingloading) then they have absolutely no business on a Katana. I would still hold to my recommendation to jump a Sabre2 or Safire2.

PD has produced one hell of a product that I refered to this weekend as a "Hot Sh*t canopy" but I'm fearful that too many people will miss use this canopy as something it is not. It is, as a bottom line, a swoop monster that an experienced pilot could jump as an every day "working" canopy. Although I stated this before, this is not for someone that is not an experienced canopy pilot. Period.

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

[genoyamamoto 0]

I just got back this weekend from jumping a Katana 170, loaded at 1.53:1. I currently own an Aerodyne Pilot 168 (~400 jumps). The following is my impression of the Katana 170.

KA170 in flight:

The terminal openings were ok, a lot of hunting. The openings overall are very comparable to the Pilot.

I found the canopy's response to toggle and harness input very similar to the Pilot. The initial front riser pressure was higher than the Pilot, but did not build up and was very easy to keep in a dive. Response to rear riser input was also comparable to the Pilot.

The canopy is very ground hungry in full flight and overall felt faster than the pilot. Overall, however, I found very little difference in the response of the KA170 and the Pilot 168.

Landing the KA170:

The landings on the Katana are faster than the Pilot. I did nothing more than 90's on landings (initiated at ~400 ft).
The brake lines were very long, with no real response to toggle input until about shoulder level. The canopy, however, did shut down nicely at full extension.

The canopy dives extremely well and responds very nicely to rear riser input on landing. I found my best landings involved at least some rear riser input to plane the canopy out as opposed to toggles. I found the Katana much easier to fly thru the landing on rears than the Pilot. I think this in part to the very long recovery arc for the Katana, which gave much more time to fine tune the landing. In this sense I think the Pilot is much less forgiving, as there is very little time to fine tune a landing on the Pilot.

Overall I found the Katana easier to swoop than the Pilot because of its desire to stay in a dive with front riser input, allowing one to set up much higher, and the subsequent additional time to fine tune the swoop with additional input.

Conclusions:

The Katana was a fun canopy to land, but just ok to fly. While this may be due to my wingloading, I was somewhat disappointed that the response and overall twitchiness for the Katana is so similar to the Pilot. I found myself wondering whether large canopies (> 150 sq ft) are inherently similar due to the physical size of the canopy.

I categorize the KA170 as a high performance canopy, however, because it is so ground hungry and likes to dive, which could get people into trouble in no time.

Gotta go... plaything needs to spank me
Feel the hate...
Photos here

[diablopilot 2]

I did have a bit of concern as to the longevity of the mess on the sliders. ***

The what? Did you mean mesh? Do the larger Katanas really have mesh sliders?

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

[AggieDave 6]

Sorry, yes I meant mesh. There is mesh on the sliders.

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

[nbblood 0]

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I did have a bit of concern as to the longevity of the mess on the sliders. ***

The what? Did you mean mesh? Do the larger Katanas really have mesh sliders?

They have some mesh on the edges of the slider, but not totally mesh. The slider appears to be quite large too.

I jumped the 135 at a wingloading of about 1.65:1. My experience was very similar to AggieDave's. I would compare the openings to a Stiletto, not near as snivelly as the XF2. Very responsive on toggles. Silly light on front risers and dives great with a long recovery arc. It felt like you good get the front risers and just put the canopy where you wanted it and hold it there. Steep, ground hungry glide, but I had no problem flying with a lightly loaded (1.3) Stiletto and bumping end cells. I felt it had great range. I don't think it'd get back like a Velocity or Stiletto, but still could fly back from some long spots in brakes. Bottom end was good with some sort of speed inducement, but I thought that in straight or braked approaches, there wasn't as much lift as I expected. Still ok though. I've also jumped the 107 and 120, but not enough to really talk about. After jumping the 135, I've decided on a 120, but the 135 was definitely a fun canopy at that wingloading and as Dave said, not at all for the inexperienced canopy pilot.

Blues,
Nathan

If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

[jheadley 0]

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I did have a bit of concern as to the longevity of the mess on the sliders. ***

The what? Did you mean mesh? Do the larger Katanas really have mesh sliders?

I packed and inspected a demo Katana 150 yesterday, it seemed like it had maybe 100 +/- jumps on it, and the mesh on the slider was already showing signs of wear and tear. Maybe the fact that it's a demo means it gets abused more than normal?

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[ZigZagMarquis 8]

I put 6 jumps on a Katana 170 last weekend while the PD Tour was at Cal City.

Loaded at about 1.2:1.

Loved the openings LOTS! ... more so even then my Sabre2. Although I could see where the openings could be a bit "too snivelly"... (i.e. low pull)...

Flying it was fun.

Landings (straight in) were all stand-ups... sorry, I don't "hook it for safety"...

Price wise... ...

[pchapman 262]

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it had maybe 100 +/- jumps on it, and the mesh on the slider was already showing signs of wear and tear.

I was just talking to someone who got a bigger Katana at the start of this season (not sure what size) and he was also complaining about the mesh giving out.

Recently PD sent him a new slider that's slightly different. Where the mesh goes over the wide tape that forms the edges of the slider, the mesh is now sandwiched between two layers of tape. That may avoid mesh wearing at the edges, but can't do anything for the mesh that's on its own, where the slider is supposed to be porous. The jumper is thinking he may just have to live with the mesh wearing out quickly.

[crazydiver 0]

I'm curious as to why the mesh would be expected to wear out so fast. Its the same mesh as on a pilot chute, am I right? I only got to briefly look at one of them a while back.

THe pilot chute gets drug through the grass and dirt for hundreds of jumps. The pilot chute seems as if its taking as much if not more force than the slider.

Who knows...

Cheers,
Travis

[Supergeil 0]

What else than the slider is different on the "big" Katana?

I got a 120 and there is no mesh slider..