Xfire 2 vs Katana vs Nitron

[Jasepk 0]

Hey guys, trying to decide which one of the 3 canopies to buy next? i am currently on 600 jumps and looking to downsize to a 105-109sq ft canopy and stuck on which one i want to buy! i would like to know which one of the 3 is better for openings, and performance? your opinions will be helpful for my decision!

[EmuuuH 0]

I haven't jumped the Katana or the Nitron. But The crossfire gives you really nice soft openings.

Best thing is to do a few jumps on all 3..

[AggieDave 6]

I've jumped all three, but your quantifiers for wanting "performance" is really vague. What do you exactly want out of a canopy?

As for openings for softest I would rate the canopies in order of softest to harded: Katana, Xfire2 and Nitron. In order of ease of opening for maintaining a heading: Nitron, Xfire2 and Katana.

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

[Pantanal 0]

For a everyday jump canopy I would definitely stick with the NITRO. It gives you speed and good performance whenever you ask for and it flyes very well on low speed landings. Highly stable always.
The crossfire is a great canopy as well, but doesn´t performe as efficient as the Nitro on low speed landings with the same WL.
In my opinion Katana means speed and that´s all you get from it.
OH forgot to mention a new surprise on almost every opening.
safe jumps

prego

[billvon 2,881]

>Xfire 2 vs Katana vs Nitron

Nitron - VERY stable on opening, on heading all the time. Moderate openings, good glide, nice flare

Xfire2 - Very soft openings, great camera canopy. Will NOT give you on heading openings, so might not be good for bigger loads. Excellent glide, excellent landings, very responsive.

Katana - good openings, very strong flare, but very steep glide. Great canopy unless your spot is long.

[knic 0]

What about for a swooping? Since you guys say that the katana has the steepest glide would that be your recomendation for swooping over the other two?

- Knic

[AggieDave 6]

The Katana is the top dog when it comes to open 9-cell swooping canopies. It has a steep glide, but you can make it back from long spots if you are even a half decent canopy pilot.

I call the Katana the Velocity minus. The minus is the bottom end, it just doesn't have the range the Velo has, but it still has a good range for an open 9-cell. It is a no-joke hi-pro canopy.

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

[Jasepk 0]

Sweet so for swooping you recommend the katana then? cool thats what i was wanting to know for 'performance' do you anything about the aerodyne mamba too?

[AggieDave 6]

Yup, jumped the Mamaba as well.

The Mamba is sort of Stiletto-ish. It is a great choice for an all around canopy, but if a swoop monster is what you want, the Katana would be my choice.

However, knowing nothing about your experience level please understand that the Katana is for experienced canopy pilots only. Swooping starts with a solid foundation in the basics, then pushing that foundation with a solid canopy like the Sabre2. Then those skills are translated to the Katana. Swooping isn't learned on something like a Katana, if you're trying to learn with that canopy, it's like trying to teach a 16yr old to drive in a Z06. Sure you *could* do it, but the chances of a significant crash is higher.

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

[kuai43 7]

Quote

I call the Katana the Velocity minus. The minus is the bottom end, it just doesn't have the range the Velo has, but it still has a good range for an open 9-cell. It isa no-joke hi-pro canopy.

What do you mean by 'range'?

Every fight is a food fight if you're a cannibal

Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man. - Anthony Burgess

[Jasepk 0]

i've been jumping a 120 extreme crossfire a hybrid canopy and have been swooping it for about 50 jumps and i am very aware of how little of a mistake you need to make for a swoop to go wrong! but thanks for the feedback! so far its the katana in the lead with the x fire in 2nd!

[AggieDave 6]

I'm referring to a canopy's range in this context by expressing the canopy's ability to not only go fast but go very slow before breaking into a stall. I've been able to hang a Velo loaded at 2.7:1 with a jumper under a Sabre2 230 loaded at 1:1. A highly loaded Katana couldn't do that, it would break into a stall. Although the Katana still has an incredible range.

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

[Glandu 0]

In your profil, you don't mention anything about you. What's your experience ? number of jumps? Canopy piloting training camps?
The Katana is nice to fly but can be a very dangerous machine for those who don't have the skills and the brain !!!! to fly it and it doesn't matter what size it is.....
So, tell us about you first.

[verticalflier 0]

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Yup, jumped the Mamaba as well.

The Mamba is sort of Stiletto-ish. It is a great choice for an all around canopy, but if a swoop monster is what you want, the Katana would be my choice.

However, knowing nothing about your experience level please understand that the Katana is for experienced canopy pilots only. Swooping starts with a solid foundation in the basics, then pushing that foundation with a solid canopy like the Sabre2. Then those skills are translated to the Katana. Swooping isn't learned on something like a Katana, if you're trying to learn with that canopy, it's like trying to teach a 16yr old to drive in a Z06. Sure you *could* do it, but the chances of a significant crash is higher.

Whoever is reading this please do not go by above opinion that Mamba is like Stiletto. It is misleading as Mamba has by far much more performance and very long, comparing to Stiletto, recovery arc. It is direct counterpart to PD Katana and should be taken just as serious. I do not let anyone demo a Mamba unless they have at least 500 jumps and prior fully elliptical experience. If you are ready for Crossfire/Stiletto type of a canopy but would not want to fly a Katana then a Mamba would be poor choice as far as safety goes.

[Floflo 0]

If you want an accurate answer, please give us your exit weight.

The wing loading is an important factor: In my opinion, for swooping, the Xfire needs to be loaded more. But it "forgives" more than the Katana.
IF you're ready for (example) a 109 Xfire and want to go with a Katana, go for a 120 and not a 107.
Don't know about the Nitro, I only have 5 or 6 jumps on one.

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

Quote

Yup, jumped the Mamaba as well.

The Mamba is sort of Stiletto-ish. It is a great choice for an all around canopy, but if a swoop monster is what you want, the Katana would be my choice.

However, knowing nothing about your experience level please understand that the Katana is for experienced canopy pilots only. Swooping starts with a solid foundation in the basics, then pushing that foundation with a solid canopy like the Sabre2. Then those skills are translated to the Katana. Swooping isn't learned on something like a Katana, if you're trying to learn with that canopy, it's like trying to teach a 16yr old to drive in a Z06. Sure you *could* do it, but the chances of a significant crash is higher.

Whoever is reading this please do not go by above opinion that Mamba is like Stiletto. It is misleading as Mamba has by far much more performance and very long, comparing to Stiletto, recovery arc. It is direct counterpart to PD Katana and should be taken just as serious. I do not let anyone demo a Mamba unless they have at least 500 jumps and prior fully elliptical experience. If you are ready for Crossfire/Stiletto type of a canopy but would not want to fly a Katana then a Mamba would be poor choice as far as safety goes.

Really? After jumping a Mamba for a while when they first came out, I found it to have a shorter recovery arc than a Xfire2 and a Katana. Although it is in the "high performance" class of canopies, it doesn't hold a candle to the Katana and is really sluggish compared to the Xfire2. I guess a better comparison to for the Mamba would the a Cobalt, but not a lot of people are familiar with those canopies anymore.

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