Crossfire2 vs. Stiletto?

[bobjumper 0]

I've been flying a Sabre2 150 and Safire2 149 and want to get into something else now.

The other day I demo'd a Crossfir2 139 and it felt like I had almost nothing over my head. The toggle pressure was extremely light, it was loaded at 1.5. I'm used to felling something a bit more solid and crisper. The landings were nice.

I'd like to know what the difference would be flying a Stiletto. I know it's a totally different animal but I'd like some feedback.

Thanks!

...and as JP always says, "Share the love."

[irishrigger 31]

i have put over 1000 jumps on stilletto's.i a have also tried
the icarus canopys.
and i prefere the stilletto by far.it also has very light toggle pressure and input.but i found it was not as ground hungry as the icarus canopy.and also after a hook turn or toggle turn it recoverd more quickly from the dive.
you mentioned that you had a wing loading of 1.5 on the 150 canopy,which makes your exit weight about 225lbs?may i ask how many jumps do you have?how many jumps did you make on a 150?have you done any canopy contol courses?they are good in learning how to really fly a canopy and getting to know your own canopy.
stay safe and happy landings
Rodger

[rhys 0]

It depends what you want, in my opinion and i'm sure anyone that swoops. is that the crossfire is by far the superior canopy, it has superior openings and a nice recovery arch.

The stilletto has firm openings and a short recovery arch.

If you intend on swooping then the crossfire is a safer choice, the longer recovery arch allows more margin for error.

if you see people swooping stilettos, it is more often scary to watch. the silletto is overly elliptical IMHO and become too twitchy.

Jump them both a few times and choose for yourself, make sure you jump similar sizes though to get a good comparison.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[Canuck 0]

Nothing scary about watching a skilled pilot (i.e. Craig G.) swoop a Stiletto. In trim, they open great, fly great, and swoop great (for what it is). Crossfires are awesome too. I've had both over the years, and liked them for different reasons. I can say for sure that my old, bagged out Stiletto 107 came back from long spots better than my Crossfire 119. It also worked really well for doing video of 4-way sequential CRW.

Canuck

[phoenixlpr 0]

Tools for the purpose. What are you looking for?

[billvon 2,394]

A few comments.

First, Safire2's fly very nicely at higher loadings, and are competitive with the Crossfire2's in my opinion.

Stilettos tend to fly a bit flatter and recover from dives faster. If you think you want to get into swooping I'd go with the Crossfire over the Stiletto.

Both will spin up in brakes if you let them, and thus require care after opening. (Fast response to turns etc.)

[bobjumper 0]

Thanks for the input. The 1.5 loading was on the Crossfire2 139. My exit weight is 210lbs.

I had no problems landing my Sabre2 150 but I got more than my share of whack openings. Mind you I always had different packers pack my canopy. I switched to a Safire2 149 because even riggers were telling me that PD has not fully addressed changes in the opening deployment smoothness. A PD rep. asked me right away if I pack myself.

Another reason that got me to switch over to Icarus was that they use a wind tunnel for their testing process. I kind of like that approach using more advanced technology to make a better canopy.

I had about 700 stand-up landings on a Sabre 170 before I downsized to a Sabre2 150. I put about 150 jumps on it.

I'll probably demo a Stiletto 150, and 135, before I buy a Crossfire2 139 just so I can get a feel for the difference.

The openings on the Icarus canopies I've jumped have been wonderful. I've been jumping PD's for 26 years and it's hard to give up my loyalty.

Thanks for any other info.

...and as JP always says, "Share the love."