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Sneakerz

Optimum Reserve

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I am sure this question has been asked a few times and maybe I am just being lazy and not wanting to do a search to find an answer, but has anyone heard anything about the progress of bigger optimum reserves??

Thanks Yall
---------------
"Once you find a job that you like, you never have to work another day in your life"

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I'd love to have a Optimum 160



Why do you want an Optimum? I noticed in your profile that you are flying a smart reserve and I have friends that have landed them quite well. I'm not questioning your choice. I am just curious over the reason.

I have jumped the PD reserve as well as the optimum and I would comfortably fly either one. I have also jumped the stellar reserve and that flies really well. Personally I have never jumped a smart reserve and so I don't have a frame of reference for that canopy.
Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.



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Since quite a few in here want a bigger reserve but a small pack volume I might suggest you to have a look at the Speed2000 reserve from Paratec (German prduct).
The Speed2000 is a very reliable canopy that packs pretty small... Just to give you an idea: My Speed2000 135sqf (246 cu.in.) packs about like the normal PD 106R (253 cu.in.) and my Speed2000 150sqf (266 cu.in.) is somewhat between the PD 106R & the PD 113R (288 cu.in.)
In other words:
The Speed packs about 2 sizes smaller than the "normal" PD reserve - and so does the new Optima (that is limited to 143sqf as of today)...
hope this helps?!

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But you can get an optimum 99!!! :S



Now I'm wondering what that packs like.:D


Larger.:P

I dug and dug thinking there was a post that reprinted tests done for a Skydiving Magazine Article.

The pack volume for the smallest optimum was the same or larger than a PDR of the same size.

I think it might have to do with the quantity of reinforcement being increased...

Now, once you got to the 143, it was much smaller.

So, for the small ones - buy them because you like the flight performance. For the bigger ones, save some volume...

Now without the data, I have no proof... Anyone keep back issues of Skydiving Magazine????

Issue 315, October 2007 - per the skydiving magazine website.

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What exactly is the technical problem for PD to build sizes over 143 sqft?



Canopies don't scale well. You can't just take a canopy, double every measurement, and expect it to fly the same. The bigger change you make in its size, the more you have to tweak the design. At some point it is pretty much a different canopy. Lots of subtleties here.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

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Canopies don't scale well. You can't just take a canopy, double every measurement, and expect it to fly the same.



PD even has the same software that companies like Icarus have to scale a canopy. However, they still test the scaled canopies and find that they don't open the same, fly the same, etc. So they spend time jumping and tweaking. That's a reason why PD doesn't offer a "choose any size you want" program like Icarus. They (PD) doesn't want you to be a test jumper with a final product.

Now couple this with a program that requires TSO testing and you get a program that is not only expensive to the company, but it takes an incredible amount of time. I'm excited for the bigger sizes and understand why it takes so long, but its like I'm sitting on my hands just wanting the large sizes to be released.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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But you can get an optimum 99!!! :S



Now I'm wondering what that packs like.:D


Larger.:P

I dug and dug thinking there was a post that reprinted tests done for a Skydiving Magazine Article.

The pack volume for the smallest optimum was the same or larger than a PDR of the same size.

I think it might have to do with the quantity of reinforcement being increased...

Now, once you got to the 143, it was much smaller.

So, for the small ones - buy them because you like the flight performance. For the bigger ones, save some volume...

Now without the data, I have no proof... Anyone keep back issues of Skydiving Magazine????


There were two articles in October 2007 Skydiving, one by Sandy Reid, one by me.

The table in Sandy's article does not have a volume comparison for Optimum-99 and PDR-99, possibly because he has not done a volume measurement for the PDR-99.

Optimum-106: 258 cu in
PDR-106: 253 cu in

Optimum-113: 263 cu in
PDR-113: 286 cu in

Optimum-126: 286 cu in
PDR-126: 296 cu in

Optimum-143: 327 cu in
PDR-143: 356 cu in

Remember these are numbers from individual canopies, and there is some variation even within canopies that are intended to be identical.

My experience has been that the Optimum reserves pack about 1 size smaller, including the smaller Optimums, so my experience doesn't match Sandy's measurements.

I think the larger pack volume Sandy found with the Optimum-113 is more measurement error than anything else.

The amount of reinforcing tape in both models is about the same; line volume, slider grommets, etc. would be nearly the same for both models, so difference in pack volume should show up most for canopies with more fabric.

Mark

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