How would you compare a diablo to a stiletto?

[hackish 8]

This is just an idle question and a curious one since the DZ is closed for the year... I have a Diablo 150. It's been a bit of adjustment since jumping a variety of canopies after my rig got stolen.

Just curious but how would those who have jumped both compare a stiletto and my diablo in a similar size? I'm not interested in changing canopies but it still is good to know where one sits within the performance potential of a given size/wingloading.

-Michael

[JohanW 0]

A Diablo glides a *lot* less than a Stiletto.

Wendy (I think) had a sweet story about a Diablo and a rock, but I can't seem to find it.

And the flare on a Diablo is somewhat less powerful than on a Stiletto. Other than that, they're both an absolute blast to fly.

Johan.
I am. I think.

[Remster 24]

I went from a Diablo 170 to a Stiletto 170 several years back.

The canopies dont really compare, except for the size .

The glide on the ST was much shallower then on then Diablo. The turns were still much faster on the Diablo. Landings were easier to dial in with the ST, but the Diablo landed fine (with less swoop) once you figured it out.

Remster

[billvon 2,384]

The Diablo will spin up on you faster than any other canopy out there. I know several people who have had pretty frequent cutaways due to this. When I jumped one for a few months (a 135) opening was like trying to balance on a beach ball.

[dragon2 0]

2 completely different canopies... The stiletto may spin up on you if you screw up on opening, the diablo WILL spin up on you if you even look sideways. Stiletto has a very flat glide, diablo has a fairly steep glide. Flare on stiletto is much much better.

Of both, I'd get the stiletto any day.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[SStewart 13]

Quote

The Diablo will spin up on you faster than any other canopy out there. I know several people who have had pretty frequent cutaways due to this. When I jumped one for a few months (a 135) opening was like trying to balance on a beach ball.

Interesting....I have over 600 jumps on Diablos and never had that happen. In my experience they open pretty much like a Triathlon, the most I have ever had was maybe a 180 but that is pretty rare. Generally speaking they open soft and on heading. I would guess I have about an equal amount of jumps on Triathlons.

I did have a cutaway last year but that was a baglock, the canopy never came out. The only other chop on a Diablo was after blown toggle which resulted in a knotted up steering line. Kinda hard to describe but the steering line ended up tied in a knot around the riser. I had the opposite side buried to counter the turn but did not feel comfortable landing on rears so I chopped it. It was never really "spun -up"

I frequently jump with two cameras and the reason I like the Diablo is because of the openings, opens like a seven cell but flies more like a nine cell. I think you are much more likely to get spun up on an elliptical nine cell or cross braced. The leading edge on the Diablo is square as a box.

I have only made a few jumps on Stillettos but they seemed much more "twitchy" to me. Definetly a longer flare and flatter glide but didn't seem as stable as a Diablo especially in turbulence. I have heard the Diablo described as a "seven cell Stiletto" but they are really two different animals. More like a Triathlon on steroids. The only real difference between the Tri and the Diablo is the Diablo has an eliptical tail and a steeper glide angle.

Onward and Upward!

[hackish 8]

Quote

The Diablo will spin up on you faster than any other canopy out there. I know several people who have had pretty frequent cutaways due to this. When I jumped one for a few months (a 135) opening was like trying to balance on a beach ball.

Haha. Good analogy. First few times I jumped the diablo I was wondering what the @#$@# I'd gotten myself into. Now I quite like it. I guess what I was really wondering is if I was only 1/2 way into how twitchy a canopy can be loaded 1.3 and sized at 150. From what I read above the two seem to be in the same general area as far as performance goes.

-Michael

[jakee 1,254]

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From what I read above the two seem to be in the same general area as far as performance goes.

Really? That's what you got from this thread?

Huh.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[pchapman 261]

I wonder if the differences between Diablos have to do with line trim, with poorer openings on older lines? That theory only works well if they are Spectra lined.