Opinions regarding Icarus Safire2 canopies

[regulator 0]

I am now ordering my new rig and I am going to get a new container, new cypres2, new reserve, but I am looking for a good used main. I dont know of anyone at my DZ that jumps icarus canopies so I dont know how to demo one, if they have any to jump. I was going to go the Sabre2 190 route but the one I was looking at is already sold. I found a good deal on a Safire2 189, and I was wondering if anyone had any good/bad things to say about them and their flight characteristics.

Thanks

Paul

[billvon 2,426]

I like the Safire2 line a lot. At those sizes they are quite similar to the Pilot/Sabre2, which are also nice canopies. They open well, have a flat (i.e. long) glide, are fairly responsive and have a pretty deep flare.

[regulator 0]

Thanks for your input sir, I appreciate it.

[millertimeunc 0]

I did a couple jumps on a Safire2 189 a while ago, loaded at 1.1. I remember the canopy opening incredibly soft. Other than that, +1 to everything Billvon said. I think you'll like it.

The best things in life are dangerous.

[bigway 4]

I love the Safire 2. Amazing canopy. You can load it rather lightly or you can load it up at a max of 1.6 and it really performs.

It has a long opening but is not so much a snivel, i mean you can see it opening so very nicely. It was the first canopy that made me feel comfortable under a canopy. It gave me the feeling that it was an extension of my body and it is very light on the arms. It has light riser pressure.

It will give you a long landing holding it at half brakes, one that you can lift your legs and fly along the ground until you put the full brakes on while at the same time having a very forgiving flare if you flare late and more or less go straight to full brakes it will pop you right up. Of course this is not what you want to rely on but it works when you need it to.

As far as I am concerned, It is Safire 2 all the way when looking amongst that range of canopies.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[mircan 0]

I go with everything that bigway said.
170 jumps on mine. 139sqft at 1.6. And it goes..... Even from straight approach. Effortlessly. My2c

dudeist skydiver #42

[bwilling 0]

Demo one from the guys here and see for yourself.

I've jumped all the canopies in that class (Sabre 2, Safire 2, Pilot), and for a newer jumper, you can't hardly go wrong with any of those three canopies. They're all pretty popular, because they're all very good canopies!

I you really want to figure out which one you like best, you need to jump all three. Take delivery on your new gear minus the main, then just demo for a while! Or... find a good deal on any of the three, and buy that. You can't lose, really!

"If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."

[jacketsdb23 45]

I'm glad you asked for opinions because thats all we can really offer. But the opinion that matters most is yours!

I put about 250 jumps on a safire 2 159 and LOVED it. The openings are what I liked the most and the powerful flare - especially bottom end. I could never get used to the sabre openings but that was after jumping the safire for 200+. As people have mentioned they are both great canopies. Jump both and decide which one you like best.

Blue Skies!

Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

[likestojump 3]

I have talked to a lot of people, and I have met more people who adore their Safire than the ones who love their Sabre2. And I don't think I ever met anyone who DID NOT like their Safire.

good luck

[x46255 0]

I just bought a brand new Safire2 169 from bigway (Gary) back in December and I've put over 50 jumps on it already...it rocks. I've also jumped a Sabre2 and a Pilot and I must say that the Safire2 is the best of the bunch. The Pilot opens softer but isn't as responsive or as much fun to fly. The Sabre2 is about equally fun to fly but doesn't open as smooth and has a lot heavier riser pressure. I am pretty sure that if you pick up that Safire2 that you won't be disappointed.

[mangledspoon 0]

You will love it. I have flown about 3/4 different canopies, two of them Safire2's (one my own, which I have put about 150 jumps on).
They open very consistently, softly no matter how you pack them.
Flare is great too.
Never been dissapointed.
Have two friends who also have a Safire2 and it is a good canopy, both for beginners and advanced, depending on the wing loading.

[FLJB 0]

I have always flown safires, i have a safire II and Safire 1, both are awesome canopies, soft on heading openings, versitile flight characteristics and a great flare. just jumped a crossfire 2 recently and frankly i am going to stick with the safire, you cannot go wrong with it.

[mircan 0]

I now have 200+ jumps on mine and from tomorrow I`m xfire owner...
Saphire, for me, is everything that you need from a canopy. Except if you want to move on with swooping. It was a great canopy for all those times when I was tired from doing tandem video all weekend and just wanted to land and not to think about it... Plus I got so good at accuracy that I started to hit accuracy pad when I wanted (yes, 32cm/12inch radius target...) Right now, I need longer recovery arch and more dive... And I demoed crossfire and it was saphire on steroids.
The only thing that I was not satisfied with is openings. Everybody says they are great, but mine were quirky al the time. Maybe it was because of PC (large F111). I dunno...

dudeist skydiver #42

[billvon 2,426]

>And I demoed crossfire and it was saphire on steroids.

Oddly, there are two canopies at Perris in the demo program - a Safire2 109 and a Crossfire2 109 - and between those two canopies, the Safire2 is the better swooper. Odd, but it's been verified by at least one other jumper who has jumped them both.

[FLJB 0]

I'm with you. I thought when i demoed the crossfire i would get longer turf-surfs ( i wouldn't call what i do a swoop..) and suprisingly the Safire has a longer "swoop" for me. Don't get me wrong, in no winds I can scoot across the ground pretty nicely on the Safire and i love that...

I probably didn't load the Crossfire heavy enough even with it being a size or two smaller than my Safires. It does dive easier and has a longer recovery arc so it would be a better transition canopy for serious swooping, but i guess it depends on what you are after (and can actually handle). My opinion is that the Safire is fine for the majority of jumpers. loaded lightly it is docile and loaded heavier it is a monster.
The guy i bought the first Safire from was heavier than me and he could swoop that thing with the best of them - i think he is on a Velo now after a stop on a Katana so take that for what its worth...

[format 0]

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>And I demoed crossfire and it was saphire on steroids.

sheding some light on it:
it was saphire2 [email protected] vs crossfire2 [email protected]

What goes around, comes later.

[mircan 0]

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Oddly, there are two canopies at Perris in the demo program - a Safire2 109 and a Crossfire2 109 - and between those two canopies, the Safire2 is the better swooper.

Are you are regarding some of your earlier posts?
I bought Safire based on some things you wrote. Still, if I recollect correctly you jumped US made Safire (with some mods)...
Mine is/was made in Spain.

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sheding some light on it:
it was saphire2 [email protected] vs crossfire2 [email protected]

i really demoed same size xfire - 139 (superhina`s)

dudeist skydiver #42

[billvon 2,426]

>Are you are regarding some of your earlier posts?

Not sure which posts you're referring to!

I've jumped a lot of both. I liked the Crossfire enough to buy one new, and that's my primary canopy now (XF2 109.) While I was waiting I put a lot of jumps on both the XF2 109 and the SF2 109 in Square 1, and the SF2 opened more consistently and had a longer recovery arc. In both cases they were loaded just under 2:1.

BTW even though the SF2 in Square1 is a hideous pink and white (now pink and brown) I'd still buy it used in a second if they sell it.

I also have a Safire1 129 (which is the same size as a SF2 119) that I don't like as much. It's a much earlier model with Derek's brake line mods. It's a decent second canopy but doesn't land nearly as well as the SF2.

The larger Safire2's I've jumped have been consistently well behaved and predictable, and I'd have no problems at all jumping them on bigways and/or with camera.

One caveat - I've discovered that there are sometimes significant differences between even the same two canopy designs made in different locations (or even the same location at different times.) For all I know the Safire2 at Square 1 was an unusually good one, and that's not typical of the design.

[darrenspooner 0]

I've done 100 jumps on my safire2 159, and before that 100 on a sabre2 150. I found the sabre too twitchy for me, but I am sure this was to do with me and body position rather than canopy. It just felt like it was designed for people with more experience than me. All over the shop on opening (which I am sure was body position). Sent it back to PD for testing, then I got a mal. So I switched to the safire2. Its been sweet. Much more stable and consistent openings, although these are clearly correlated with the quality of the pack job. What is interesting (in my lay person experience) is that the safire2 has a lot less power. On low/no wind days I generally skid in on my ass because the flare runs out of legs. It could be my brake settings but never had this problem with the sabre2.

Personally, though, I feel safer with the safire2.

[jakee 1,257]

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What is interesting (in my lay person experience) is that the safire2 has a lot less power. On low/no wind days I generally skid in on my ass because the flare runs out of legs. It could be my brake settings but never had this problem with the sabre2.

Honestly, you're not flaring it right. Seriously.

The Safire2 has massive, massive flare power, but that flare power is located lower in the toggle stroke than the Sabre2. Finish the flare and it will reward you greatly. The only way that you're skidding that Safire2 on your arse is if you're not flaring to the bottom of the toggle stroke.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[tetra316 0]

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What is interesting (in my lay person experience) is that the safire2 has a lot less power. On low/no wind days I generally skid in on my ass because the flare runs out of legs. It could be my brake settings but never had this problem with the sabre2.

Honestly, you're not flaring it right. Seriously.

The Safire2 has massive, massive flare power, but that flare power is located lower in the toggle stroke than the Sabre2. Finish the flare and it will reward you greatly. The only way that you're skidding that Safire2 on your arse is if you're not flaring to the bottom of the toggle stroke.

I disagree. The Katana has "massive, massive flare power". The Safire II has merely good flare power by comparision But I do agree with everything else, if you are sliding in on your ass, no matter the conditions, you are not flying/flaring it correctly.

[jacketsdb23 45]

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The Safire2 has massive, massive flare power,

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I disagree. The Katana has "massive, massive flare power". The Safire II has merely good flare power by comparison

PD pilot vs. Icarus pilot argument...I love these.

I tend to think both the safire and crossfire have more flare power than the sabre/katana equivalents. I also have more jumps on the Icarus canopies.

Can't go wrong either way..jump what fits your flying style.



(......but the safire and crossfire both open better....)

Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

[mircan 0]

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>Are you are regarding some of your earlier posts?

Not sure which posts you're referring to!

I think this one

I demoed Safire2 one size smaller than my old one (129, wl:1.7) and Crossfire2 of the same size (139, wl:1.6).
- Safire had more front riser pressure, dive shorter and was more zippy on the toggles.
- Crossfire was more docile on the toggles (?) had less riser pressure dived more and had a TON of flare power.
So I went for the Crossfire.
Still, if I had a chance I would keep Safire as my second rig. Plus I would recommend it to anyone wanting no hassle canopy that can do some aggressive stuff if flown properly.

dudeist skydiver #42

[jakee 1,257]

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I disagree. The Katana has "massive, massive flare power". The Safire II has merely good flare power by comparision

True, but I'm not comparing the Safire2 to the Katana

How about: For its class, the Safire2 has massive flare power.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[tetra316 0]

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The Safire2 has massive, massive flare power,

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I disagree. The Katana has "massive, massive flare power". The Safire II has merely good flare power by comparison

(......but the safire and crossfire both open better....)

I'll give you that, so far. I have a couple hundred jumps on Katanas and only a handful on my Safire2. I'll check back in after a few hunderd on the Safire2 to see if my opinion changes.