Why did PD stop building the Vengeance?

[Titanman2789 0]

I've got probably over 1000 jumps on a Vengeance - most of them video jumps at 1.8 WL with Vectran lines. Opens a bit quicker than a Sabre2 or Katana but it's soft. Occasionally it would do a 180-360 turn on opening due to uneven inflation. I can't remember ever being slammed on the Vengeance and never had to chop it.

The rigid wing is awesome, but the rears feel less responsive than the Katana. That doesn't mean you don't get nice swoops on it. It's not a pain to gather up in high winds either if you know how to do it.

[primetime 18]

After Brian/Tony quit making the Jedei, I put 1000 jumps on a Vengeance 107. Flight characteristics are fine, and in my experience the openings are also decent until the lineset goes out of trim at 500+ jumps.

As for DSE's statement about why you would fly airlocks instead of x-braced, my personal feeling is that many people are jumping x-brace that don't need to and are not reaping the rewards of the high performance as they make straight-in approaches and flare it like an accuracy canopy.

[jurgencamps 0]

I made + 2000 jumps on a vengeance 120. I really liked the canopy. It opened very well, very soft, no chops. And I really packed it very sloppy.
Some people had shitty openings.
I do know that the canopy liked WL's between 1,5 and 1,8.

I see three possible reasons for the mixed reviews:
- the airlocks were difficult to sew correctly,
- unexperienced skydivers who bought the bigger ones with a (too) light WL
- or with a WL above 1.8.

[Ron 7]

This has been answered.... But here is the reasons I was given.

1. Cost a bunch to make. Between the sewing and paying a royalty to Brian they cost more than other canopies to make.

2. They didn't sell very well.

3. In the age of Xbraced canopies, most of the design benefits could be gotten by either design.

Add them all up and it just was not worth it to continue to make them.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[erdnarob 1]

A friend of mine was jumping an airlocked Lotus at an exhibition jump. It was windy and the landing area was a football field. I landed first with my Katana. I had then the chance to see my friend's approach. At about 150 feet, the right side of his Lotus collapsed badly. Fortunately the recovery was fast allowing him to do a good landing. I am now not sure if airlocks are really efficient. If there is a dowward air drift caused by turbulences, airlocks or not, the canopy will have a negative angle of attack and will collaps.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[-ftp- 0]

erdnarob

A friend of mine was jumping an airlocked Lotus at an exhibition jump. It was windy and the landing area was a football field. I landed first with my Katana. I had then the chance to see my friend's approach. At about 150 feet, the right side of his Lotus collapsed badly. Fortunately the recovery was fast allowing him to do a good landing. I am now not sure if airlocks are really efficient. If there is a dowward air drift caused by turbulences, airlocks or not, the canopy will have a negative angle of attack and will collaps.

Is it safe to say a non-airlocked wing would have done the same thing?