Sabre vs Sabre 2

[marcantonio152 0]

Any opinions on this?

I had a Sabre 2 DOM 2003 with about 400 jumps on it. It was fun. However, it wasn't the prettiest thing in the world.
I traded it with my DZO for a Sabre (1) that was literally brand new (I made the first jump on it to try it out!) and it matches my container and jumpsuit (black and blue)

The differences I noticed were that the Sabre 2 makes a much longer flat glide on landing (it swoops longer) but retains its forward speed so much that you really have to be willing to run after you land.
The older version makes a softer landing.

By the way, I'm not interested in any comments about hard openings. I've been packing for quite a while (I've got twice as many packs as jumps) and I certainly know how to pack a soft opening! Also, I've jumped a lot more than just Sabres, and I haven't found anything I like more than a Sabre except a Safire.

I'm now required to quit skydiving by the US Navy

[AggieDave 6]

There might be a couple of opinions out there:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2852970;search_string=sabre%20vs%20sabre2;#2852970

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1928549;search_string=sabre%20vs%20sabre2;#1928549

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3723108;search_string=sabre%20vs%20sabre2;#3723108

Actually, here's just the full search results using your thread title:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=sabre+vs+sabre2&search_type=AND&search_fields=sb&search_time=&search_user_username=&sb=score&mh=25

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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The differences I noticed were that the Sabre 2 makes a much longer flat glide on landing (it swoops longer) but retains its forward speed so much that you really have to be willing to run after you land.

No. In no-wind conditions proper technique will allow you to land modern canopies with up to moderate or high wing loadings (at 5000 feet MSL it may be about 1.9 pounds per square foot under a Samurai and 1.7 under a Stiletto. I haven't put a lot of mileage under less aggressive tapered designs, although with conventional squares the number it's around 1.4 at that elevation. You can go higher at sea level) with a few steps at a comfortable speed.

Potential problems that lead to running are

1) Putting your feet down before the canopy has too little speed to maintain level flight. You can aim for the pea gravel, keep your feet off the ground, and see where that really happens. If you don't get your feet down in time you won't come down too hard.

2) Maintaining level flight until the end. With the canopy flying relatively flat it may be going fairly quickly. Instead you want to apply the toggles harder just before it runs out of lift, which will pitch the canopy and give you some aerodynamic braking. If you fly your plane-out so that your feet would be below ground level if you were standing and do this at the end the maneuver will take you back up to walking height and give you a very slow comfortable landing.

Personally I'd get some canopy coaching (perhaps just experienced pilots with some teaching aptitude looking at landing video and giving hints) and trade back for the Sabre2.

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The older version makes a softer landing.

You're doing something sub-optimally.

[c10edges 0]

Sabre: Driving a 18wheeler...

Sabre2: Driving a BMW.

[marcantonio152 0]

I appreciate the input... I definitely should have searched before posting - I'm finding a lot in those threads as well.
I've always wanted some real deep canopy coaching, but my home DZ is REALLY small and tends to focus a lot more on helping students learn and getting a tiny bit of RW done in the 40 seconds of freefall we get from the Cessna 182s. Maybe someone will show me a thing or two when I go to ECSC this weekend!

I'm now required to quit skydiving by the US Navy

[jakee 1,254]

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Any opinions on this?

Was it a straight trade, no cash involved anywhere?

I'd say you got fucked on resale value...

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[skyjumpenfool 2]

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I'd say you got fucked on resale value...

Agreed! Resale value.. he got screwed. 400 jumps is not a lot on a Sabre 2. However, he got a good Sabre 1 that he seems to be happy with.

O.P.
If you putt 1000 jumps on it and enjoy the hell out of it, it will have been a good deal. If you try to sell it next year to downsize or whatever.... maybe not such a good deal. If a Sabre 1 is working for you, great! But, if you think that the Sabre 1 is a better canopy than the Sabre 2, you may want to talk to some canopy coaches. Anyway, I enjoy the hell out of my Sabres.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[marcantonio152 0]

I don't think that the Sabre 2 isn't as good of a canopy. In fact the differences I noticed seem to say that it's a much better canopy. I'm just saying that I'm more comfortable flying the Sabre 1, and maybe that's because most of my jumps have been on a Sabre 1. I still enjoy it more than I do the Sabre 2, so I think I'd prefer to fly it.

As far as resale value is concerned, I already know about that. I also know my DZO. He'd let me hand him 100 bucks in a year and he'd trade back. He also has packed a reserve or two for free for me, and given a good bunch of free jumps. I'm not really worried about money between me and the guy who traded it to me.

Again, hopefully I'll find some guys that can teach me something about canopies this weekend!

I'm now required to quit skydiving by the US Navy

[AggieDave 6]

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I still enjoy it more than I do the Sabre 2, so I think I'd prefer to fly it.

Its what you're used to, so I understand how you could feel that way. Let me guess, what you didn't like about the Sabre2 was how it flared and how you couldn't get a good stand up landing with it, but you could on the Sabre1? You tend to hit harder and maybe tumble a little bit with the Sabre2?

The reason why I ask is that exact scenario is something I've personally seen as a canopy coach. All it took to fix that was some light coaching, a couple of jumps, and showing the jumper video of their landings (with debrief) to work out the problems with that jumper's canopy flight.

I'm not in Alabama, but there are some very excellent canopy pilots in that part of the US. Send Ian (moderator in Swooping and on the PD Factory Team) a PM. He'll point you to the right people in your area!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."