Strange openings... please share your thoughts?

[DougH 270]

I am hoping some more experienced pilots can give some thoughts on the openings I am getting on my canopy.

It is a hornet 170. I would guess that there are only 100-150 jumps on the canopy.

I am pro packing in, nothing special to the nose, and rolling the tail. I ensure that the slider is tight against the stops.

I jumped it three times last weekend, on all of those jumps I took it to terminal.

One those jumps it opened great as far as I can tell. It was much quicker then the pilot, which is why I purchased it, but not violent and not hard.

I did two jumps today, pulling sub terminal that were a little weird!!!

The first jump the canopy came out of the bag, but didn't inflate right. It didn't snivel, I would call it more of a streamer. It sat me up but it definitely didn't slow me down. It had me reaching for my cutaway handle.... and then wham instant canopy!!!


The second jump was also from sub terminal. I didn't pitch out the door but I had not hit terminal at the time I threw the pilot chute. This was also a very quick opening, it wasn't hard, but it was very fast. It opened and spread out with no snivel at all, and the slider came down fast as well. The canopy opened in what I can only describe as a stall. It felt very funny, I could feel that it wasn't right. A short moment after it surged forward just like a canopy after you stalled it and let up the toggles to fast, picked up speed, and then started flying normally again.

My guess is that the brake lines might be shrunk and are affecting the opening.

I am going to try and let them out at the toggles, the are bartacked at the bottom of the toggles but I think that there might be excess finger trapped in there.

At least it lands real nice.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[lekstrom10k 0]

Your brakes are goverened by the loop to the tail .Your toggles are relative to you and arent involved with the opening. Do you have a big loop on yoursteering lines after opening. If your toggles are at the rings and it tucks the tail down. Then move them so you 1/2 mph faster.The distance you need to know is on a stack pack line check where is the tail to the "A" line attachment. this should be from the factory specs. If it didnt rock so severly to catch the pilot chute in the nose its not that much of a problem. Does anybody else at your DZ have the same canopy to compare to. Sometimes its the nature of the beast.

[DougH 270]

I don't know why that wasn't clear to me when I first though of it. The cat-eye I use to stow my toggles doesn't move when I lengthen the toggles.

Sometimes I amaze myself.

I will see if I can locate those specs and get my rigger to help me measure.

It didn't rock much beside that one surge. I should note that it was a ton of turbulent air today, and the canopy skin was pulsing and dancing most of the ride down.

Thank you for the response!!

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[councilman24 36]

Check the trim, and untwist your steering lines. If all good probably just the normal variation in canopy openings. Remember on fast hop and pops the canopy deploys in the relative wind nearly horizontal to you relative to the horizon. Then you have to swing under it. Or snivel enough to swing you under it then open.

On low hop and pops NO cut from a 182. You need the air speed to open the canopy when your at 2000'.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[tommymc 0]

Check the line and trim specs' that are still available on Aerodyne's webstie. You have to go to the "Other" and then "Discontinued" tabs to find the Hornet and other PISA products. I've had 150 and 170 Hornets within the last couple years and thought they opened and handled great. But on both I found the toggle length from the factory to be short, causing bucking with front riser control. The 170 was tight enough to float the canopy in full flight. This was easily fixed with new longer lower control lines. Such a setting should have nothing to do with opening characteristics. If yours is of the last couple years of production (I think it ended the last of '03) it may have a larger slider which could affect subterminal openings. The original Hornet manual calls for a little rolling of the outside four nose cells to the middle and a little push in of the center cell.

I really miss the soft South African fabric and the nice packing with it. Hope this helps.

Blue ones,
Tom

[DougH 270]

After jumping it nine more times this weekend I think that I have my anwser. This canopy just opens like a banchee!!!

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[popsjumper 2]

OK Doug...I'm not helping much here but I just have to say....

Every time I hear the word "Hornet", it's always followed by "slammer" somewhere in the same sentence.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[DougH 270]

I have been reading a little bit about something called and H mod?

It sounded like a modification the the nose of the canopy.

Does any one have any more information about this?

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[phoenixlpr 0]

if you would search Gear and Digging section............

[DougH 270]

Quote

if you would search Gear and Digging section............

Wow, you sure are smart. A search, why didn't I think of that!

I did search in the gear and ***rigging*** forum. Most of the responses related to cobalts and heat waves, they mentioned the mod but didn't describe what was actually changed on the canopy, just the result.

There was one mention of an h-mod done to a hornet, but no substantiation.

The responses are also dated by several years. Things might have changed, the mod might have caused problems that only appeared down the road. An old thread doesn't bring that to light, but some new posts might.

You are by far the most useless poster on this website. Thanks for your help.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[phoenixlpr 0]

Quote

I did search in the gear and ***rigging*** forum. Most of the responses related to cobalts and heat waves, they mentioned the mod but didn't describe what was actually changed on the canopy, just the result.

There was one mention of an h-mod done to a hornet, but no substantiation.

So? And you could not find out by yourself, that modification can be applied to any canopy of your choice.

Wow!

Quote

You are by far the most useless poster on this website. Laugh Thanks for your help.

That it personal! You are a wonder as I told before.

[phoenixlpr 0]

H-mod fo dummies....and wonders

[DougH 270]

Quote

So? And you could not find out by yourself, that modification can be applied to any canopy of your choice.

Actually I didn't notice that. If you knew that you could have mentioned it. Instead you included one of your useful common posts, search. Since obviously don't want to help posters, why bother to post at all.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[phoenixlpr 0]

Try to use the method :search, it migth work better than your method:bitch.

Jump more, post less.

[DougH 270]

Now your just being silly. I jump my ass off for a weekend jump. I have only really been jumping since September when I finally earned my license.

Now who knows if I will be able to keep up with this rate, but it looks like I will be hitting 200+ this year alone.

And I could point out that I am on track to average more jumps per year than yourself, but that really doesn't mean shit, and it has nothing to do with the fact that your posts tend to be unhelpful. Maybe you should heed your own advice, and jump more, post less.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P