Softest Opening Canopy

[airtwardo 7]

The more I jump my Z-Po 210 by Strong the more I love it...I think it's a combination of the trim and the large pocket slider, that thing opens soft every time no matter how fast & sloppy I pack it or how fast & sloppy I unpack it.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[erdnarob 1]

Fully elliptical canopies are known for soft openings. My Katana deploys on a average vertical distance of 600 ft. That has been determined by downloading the data from my Vigil 2 via its interface I have. Instead of working with figures directely, I have worked on 10 consecutive jump graphs (altitude-time from the Vigil 2). By drawing lines precisely on the graphs, I could determine altitudes and time taken (simple physics work). In comparison, using the same method on my former Sabre-2 gave an average deployment vertical distance of 340 ft, quite a difference.

From my point of view, this is the most accurate method when not using more sophisticate expensive equipment. Obviously, soft openings mean longer vertical distances to deploy.

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

[billvon 2,673]

>Fully elliptical canopies are known for soft openings.

Two of the softest opening canopies I have ever jumped were the Spectre 170 and the Pilot 150. One of the hardest opening canopies I ever jumped was a Katana 120.

Planform is a pretty minor issue in terms of opening severity when compared to slider size, cathedraling, brake settings, trim angle etc.

[DocPop 1]

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>Fully elliptical canopies are known for soft openings.

Two of the softest opening canopies I have ever jumped were the Spectre 170 and the Pilot 150. One of the hardest opening canopies I ever jumped was a Katana 120.

Planform is a pretty minor issue in terms of opening severity when compared to slider size, cathedraling, brake settings, trim angle etc.

My KA 135 and 120 both open really softly. To the point where I have started packing the nose like a reserve to speed it up.

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[godfrog 2]

softest opening canopy I have is my cruise lite, pitched at 5000 and it just sniveled, to high for a cut away so I waited, reached for the cut away at 2500 and it got scared and opened. haven't jumped that one in a long time

Experience is a difficult teacher, she gives you the test first and the lesson afterward

[mjosparky 3]

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Planform is a pretty minor issue in terms of opening severity when compared to slider size, cathedraling, brake settings, trim angle etc.

With trim and slider being the biggest factors. You add 1” to the “A” lines and 1 ¾” to the “B” lines of a hard opening canopy and it will open sweet. It may fly like shit but it will open sweet. Canopy design is all about trade offs.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[skydiverek 60]

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Spectre 190, Dacron lines, 27-inch F-111 pilotchute, larger 26x31-inch slider with brass grommets. Pure delight!!! 5-10 second openings!!!

That's not an opening...that's a malfuction.

Just to add to my Spectre config listed above, it opens similar (if not a bit slower) than the first opening shown here:

http://performancedesigns.com/pdzone/videos_endcellclosure.asp

[Krip 2]

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softest opening canopy I have is my cruise lite, pitched at 5000 and it just sniveled, to high for a cut away so I waited, reached for the cut away at 2500 and it got scared and opened. haven't jumped that one in a long time

Hi God

Bought one new

When it started to snivel we stopped rolling the nose.

It helped for a while then we hot knifed a coffee can size hole in the slider.

That helped for a while then we had to resort to pumping the shit out of the brakes to get it to open.

We were pulling at 2.5. only cut it away once or twice

We finally threw the POS away (it only had 500 jumps on it) Bought a Sabre first jump left the nose fully exposed like the cruise lite

Let someone pack the Sabre once.. lesson learned roll your own or know the packer.
Kathy from TPP was a real pro there are some others that can give some advice on packing for a soft opening just know who your talking to.

R.

[godfrog 2]

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softest opening canopy I have is my cruise lite, pitched at 5000 and it just sniveled, to high for a cut away so I waited, reached for the cut away at 2500 and it got scared and opened. haven't jumped that one in a long time

Hi God

Bought one new
____________________________________________________________

Always pack my own Krip, tried alot of methods with that old rag to, reason I opened high is because I was with a person with new gear and he opened at 6000'. only cut the thing away once though.
That old 22' sac reserve had a pretty docile opening to
When it started to snivel we stopped rolling the nose.

It helped for a while then we hot knifed a coffee can size hole in the slider.

That helped for a while then we had to resort to pumping the shit out of the brakes to get it to open.

We were pulling at 2.5. only cut it away once or twice

We finally threw the POS away (it only had 500 jumps on it) Bought a Sabre first jump left the nose fully exposed like the cruise lite

Let someone pack the Sabre once.. lesson learned roll your own or know the packer.
Kathy from TPP was a real pro there are some others that can give some advice on packing for a soft opening just know who your talking to.

R.

Experience is a difficult teacher, she gives you the test first and the lesson afterward

[Airviking 0]

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Don't confuse soft with slow... Personally, I wouldn't like a canopy that took 1000' to open every time.

+1
My 210 Spectre spends a good 800ft not opening. That's just wasted to to me. My old Pegasus would start opening as soon as it was out of the bag, and still super soft.

Oh, and yeah, the Spectre opens soft, except when it doesn't.

I believe you have my stapler.

[erdnarob 1]

Hard openings can likely happen on any parachute when for instance your slider moves up away from the stoppers only by one inch. Also, when you evaluate the vertical distance for a canopy deployment you should take a reasonable sample and take the average. One opening is not always significant for evaluating how hard opens a parachute. One time (the only time) my former Sabre 2 opened on a vertical distance of 180 ft (really hard). I am pretty sure that the packer had not checked the slider being against the stoppers. I complained to the packers responsible person who said she will pack herself my Sabre 2. It didn't happen again. No wonder, my Sabre 2 was opening on an average vertical distance of 340 ft (based on 10 consecutive jumps).

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

[Sped 0]

My Glidepath Fury 220. 400 foot or less opening soft smooth and on heading EVERY time. For a camera jump, 15 lbs back then, I'd roll the nose, flat pack it, (Yeah Im one of those) and had a 36" F111 pilot chute. The older my PC got the smoother the openings. I had no problems pitching at 2000 at all. I wish someone made a ZP fury. The closest i came was an Omega with almost 1000' snivels. I put a 159 slider on my 169 and solved that problem. It brought it back to 500' smooth openings. I dont freefly at so I dont need 10 second snivels

Ed "Sped" Hauck
D-12662
[email protected]

[Jadera 0]

Definitelly Hurricane from parachute systems..
have experience both with Hurricane 150 and 120 (currently owned)

[BartsDaddy 5]

I would recomend a saber one opens quick and doubles as a chiopractor gotta love it

Handguns are only used to fight your way to a good rifle