0
ladyflyer77

Need help with a canopy question.

Recommended Posts

Okay...since ALL my gear was stolen I am forced to buy new. With that being said, I'm not sure what to get. I jumped a Spectre 135 before but am wanting something with more flight characteristic. Something slightly taperd because I want to down size in a safe matter. So I don't want anything fully taperd just yet. (not ready for that)

I'm working on riser turns with my landing and have been doing well with that but I don't like the riser pressure the Spectre has.

I was thinking of maybe a Sabre 2 or Safire 120. Again, I am here for advice so please help me out if you can.

My exit weight is around 135 lbs.
If I stand on my tip toes, I can see the weekend from here!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I was thinking of maybe a Sabre 2 or Safire 120. Again, I am here for advice so please help me out if you can.

I like the Safire a lot, try and get a couple of jumps on all/most canopies of that class, compare them, and then get a Safire :P
scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I jump a Spectre 150 and have a few jumps on a friend's Pilot 132, have to admit, I really enjoyed jumping it... Spectreish openings, consistently good. I liked how it handled, particularly with regard to riser input. I'm not in the market for another canopy right now, but if I was, I'd consider it along with the sabre2 (which my husband flies and loves).

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I'm working on riser turns with my landing and have been doing well with that but I don't like the riser pressure the Spectre has.



I know a few people have mentioned the Pilot, and it is a good canopy, but from talking with a bunch of people flying them, they have very high front riser pressure.


Demo demo demo....
Remster

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I was just curious on what to demo.

Icarus Safire
Precision Aerodynamics Fusion
Aerodyne Pilot
PD Sabre2

between others. That's already a nice selection, in my order of preference.

Didn't mention french canopies (Basik X-Fun and PdF Electra) because I don't know if you can have access to them
scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I’m curious what about an elliptical you are concerned with. And please describe “more flight characteristic”.

I ask because I would say demo my canopy (the firebolt), but I do not want to recommend it if you are looking for something that this canopy cannot provide. In my personal completely biased opinion, the firebolt is a great canopy to transition from a semi-elliptical to an elliptical. It also has lighter riser pressure – but what do I know, I only have 300-some odd jumps and most on this canopy.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I’m curious what about an elliptical you are concerned with. And please describe “more flight characteristic”.

Quote



Well to my understanding, an elliptical is a fully tapered canopy. And with that you get some pretty agreesive step dives and if your not careful could put you into line twist fast. I understand the wing loading has a lot to do with this as well. But at the same time, I am wanting something in the 120 area which does have shorter line sets would could contribute to a lot of potential problems if you're not familiar with this type of flying.

The flight characteristics I am looking for are the same sweet openings I get with the Spectre. Something with less front riser pressure. (I'm working on those 180's and being a small framed woman is hard for me sometimes). I'm also wanting something that is not going to pull out of my turn to quickly like the Stiletto (sp) does. I want a canopy that if I get screwed on a load and need to use my rear risers to get me back that the canopy is going to help out a little. I also would like to go back to a 9-cell.

I love my Spectre don't get me wrong, I'm just ready to advance my skills to something a little more. And I can't do that with a Spectre.

If I stand on my tip toes, I can see the weekend from here!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Marlene

I think your on the right track with regards to wanting to demo canopies before you purchase, there are many good, reliable and consistent canopies on the market today.

Aerodyne has a great demo program and we would like to work with you on getting a demo Pilot out to you for your evaluation, and we would also appreciate any feed back or comments you would have on the Pilot.

When your ready to demo a Pilot, please contact me and I'll get a demo sent.

It's almost like xmas shopping but in January ;)

Blue Skies

Karl Meyer
Sales Representative
Aerodyne Research
Office: 1 813 891 6300
Mobile: 1 813 841 2149
[email protected]
www.flyaerodyne.com

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Try as many canopies as you can and decide what best suits your needs. All of the suggestions so far should keep you busy & on the right track. ;)

I would suggest that you try them in the size you're used to jumping first, though (135). It will make comparisons a bit easier. Take your favorite(s), try it/them in the 120, & then decide.

Sorry to hear your gear was stolen. Thieves suck. :|

My .02 cents. Have fun! B|

Kim
Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
With what you are looking for, I would then have to say that the firebolt would be a maybe. It has some of what you are looking for and some of what you are not. I will list what I think are the pros and cons and you can decide if you wish to demo it or not.

Pros:
The openings are very similar to a Spectre. They are long, soft and easy to stay on heading. It is pretty immune to body position. I know this because I have given mine some of the worst body positions while trying to video the openings and it does no more than (sometimes) take you for a “ride”. It does not spin up!

Riser pressure (to me) seems light, but I have no real frame of reference. The only thing I can tell you is that I can easily do 360 front riser turns without feeling like the risers are trying to rip out of my hands.

It is a 9 cell.

Cons:
The forward flight characteristics are somewhat what I remember like the Spectre. What I mean is that the angle of attack is steeper than I wish it were. I have not had a problem making it back from a long spot, but you will need to use rears/toggles to extend the glide. Also your landing pattern will be shorter than others flying Sabers would be.

From my perspective, this canopy does have a short recovery arc. Whenever I stop a turn it immediately stops the dive and starts to swing back over my head. However, once you pick up speed it seems to swoop forever before returning to normal flight. You decide whether this is a good or bad thing.

Resale value may be less than other brands since it is not as popular as those made from the bigger canopy manufacturers. That is only an issue if you plan on selling it, though.

Neither a Pro nor Con:
It is elliptical (fully tapered). If you tell it to turn, it will turn – and fast. If you are prone to pulling on toggles (wildly) during landing or in the case of an emergency, this is not the canopy for you. It will turn and dive very quickly. I personally love this, but others may not.

Disclaimer:
All of my observations have been at altitude as I have yet to put one “high performance” landing on this canopy. I also have very limited experience trying these maneuvers on other canopies. When I went through the demo mode, this one had more of the aspects I was looking for in a canopy and few of the ones I didn’t. You need to decide what is right for you.

Jim

Ok, I’m done with my gear review.:D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
If you're looking at the Sabre 2/ Safire category then also look at Nitros. Send Beezy Shaw a PM and ask about demos. I've been flying one for about 400 jumps now and have had to land it in some tight spots and nasty turbulence. It does really well at slow speeds in turbulence and also has the capability to rock out swoops. It also doesn't oversteer like a Crossfire 2.
"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I really don't think you're going to find a slightly tapered canopy with less riser pressure than the Spectre. I think the Spectre riser pressure is pretty light actually. People have listed many options. I like the Sabre2, Pilot, and Safire2 based on what you say you're looking for. I wouldn't rule out the Spectre either. It's a great canopy. Oh, by the way, it is also a slightly tapered canopy. If you're looking for a decrease in riser pressure and that's really what you're looking for, I don't think you're going to find it in these other canopies.
Blues,
Nathan

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

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0