Katana Opening

[matt6242 0]

I just recently purchased a Katana 120. My other main is a Stiletto 120, which opens like a Stiletto (fast, moderate snatch force) but usually for me always on heading. I love everything about the Katana except I am getting a little leary about the opening. It opens softer than anything i have ever jumped, yet after 10 jumps on it I have had 3 goofy openings, line twists (easily cleared), left diving turn (countered with right rear riser), and 360 spiral that had my hand reaching for plan B untill the lines twisted then thankfully released.I use the same deployment technique as I do with my Stiletto of equal wing loading, I am just trying to figure out if Katana requires a different techique or is it just much more responsive to any bad habits that complaicancy over the years may have produced.
Thanks

[tetra316 0]

The Katana is very sensitive to your body position on opening. I've jumped stilletos, crossfires, cobalts, sabre2s, and several square canopies and the Katana is by far much more sensitive. It took me a few jumps to realize that and pay attention to what I'm doing throughout the entire opening. But once I got that down it opens very nicely.

There's a reason some people refer to them as the 'noncrossbraced velocity'

[agent_lead 0]

yeah just try to be as square as possible when you pitch..when you pack it dont push the nose in..and dont roll the tail too tight..

but definitely pay close attention to your body position on deployment..

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[cderham 0]

The packing is a huge deal!!! More then you would think. leave the nose hang and I only put 3 half rolls in the tail. I have had packers rock my world. when I go back and ask them how they pack it they have rolled the nose or shoved it in. Also pitching flat makes a big differnce as well. You need to take an extra half second or so. also don't look up right away on opening. (you will know if something feels wrong then look) let the opening happen then look up. stare at the horizon this will help you keep flat.

Chris
It's Jimmy Time!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Fast-As-Fuck/6099474213

[deadbug 0]

I have been jumping a Katana 107 at 2.0 for 3 years and agree with everything in the above posts with reguards to packing and deployment. Once you get it figured out you'll love it.

DA

[tdog 0]

I hear the bigger ones (which I have) have slightly different openings, however I have noticed:

1) Pack it sloppy, it does not need a lot of attention to the nose. Not advised, but I have thrown it in the bag raw - no flake - nothing - just the tail up and cocooned, and it opens perfect.

2) Pitch and relax. The more I grabbed a riser or fought it, the more I had troubles with it. Now I just weight shift and even sometimes kick a hair to straighten myself under it if it goes 45 off heading or something, but for the most part, let it take me where it wants to go, which is never too far from where I want to be. Now I love my Katana openings better than my Sabre 2! Hundreds of jumps and no line twists or anything unpredictable.

[agent_lead 0]

thats reckless shit tdog!


what size is your katana..mine is quite large as well..

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[matt6242 0]

Mines a 120 loaded 1.6

[agent_lead 0]

dam a katana 120 loaded at 1.6 with 450 jumps..thats even more recklesss then tdog...

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[headoverheels 291]

Mine is getting better but still lots of off-heading openings. One other thing to do is make certain that your lines are even before you flake it and throw it down. While you are holding it, look at the point where your brakes cascade, and make sure that left and right are aligned.

[skyshimas 0]

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yeah just try to be as square as possible when you pitch..when you pack it dont push the nose in..and dont roll the tail too tight..

but definitely pay close attention to your body position on deployment...

reply to piahenzi because the same thraed has been locked in the canopy and swoop section:
you said that you like the light front risers and want to move to a big guys canopies later but dont crossbrace canopies have heavier preasure. In other words katana may spoil you? ;) I am still demoing it and getting used to katana will have to make a decision after whats best for me :)

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[freakyrat 1]

Everything said in here is correct.

Keep Your body level when you pitch and don't look up at it too quick.

Don't do anything to the nose and don't roll the tail more than one or two turns.

When mine was new I put it in the bag very sloppy and it still opened soft and on heading.

Chris

[sfc 0]

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Mines a 120 loaded 1.6

I jump the same canopy and wing loading, about 4-500 jumps on it.

I totally agree with the packing, just let the nose hang, this is really important. I also quarter the slider again after I let the nose go to give more consistent opening force.
Body position is very important, I get an off heading about 1 in 5 jumps.
Something I got from B Germains canopy course was don't fight the line twists during opening, when I feel it turning (I often get 180s on opening) go with the turn, it prevents line twist, if you fight it the canopy goes one way and you don't and then line twists. I jumped a stiletto before so I know what line twist can be like.
I love the katana, I have had one line twist in 4-500 jumps, on the stiletto I used to get 1 every 10-15 jumps.

[matt6242 0]

My other main that I still use is a Stiletto 120, same wing loading. And odly enough it has never even thought of twisting me. Thankfully

[matt6242 0]

Thats a matter of reference. I havent updated my jump number lately, but have focused much of the last year on canopy piloting more than any other discipline. 75 of my last 100 jumps have been high hop n pops learing canopy techinqes.
And with 10 jumps on that Katana I am only landing with a Front Riser 90.

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[Trae 1]

in reply to "1) Pack it sloppy, it does not need a lot of attention to........ 2) Pitch and relax........"
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Have to agree with the spirit of this but don't pack it sloppy just loose .
The idea is to let the thing open itself during deployment. It does move around a bit.
Just ride it out and it opens beautifully. Most of mine are on heading with fullinflation... but after a very slow wingsuit deployment sometimes it doesn't fully inflate.

Try and control it during opening and anything goes usually over-correction= nice spinners.

it doesn't need rolled nose or tail but it definitely HAS to have the slider FULLY up against the stops and nicely squared.

Same basic packing rules apply.
lines right and tight,
slider all the way up against the stops,
stay symmetrical

I've had about 200 wingsuit jumps + about 100 ordinary skydives using my Kat120 and only had one spinner after deploying from a backloop on a hop'n'pop.
...even that was pretty fun

[brucycle 0]

It's not really, i started jumping Katana 120 , at 200 jumps , and am very comfortable with.
I believe, its all about canopy piloting skills, can not evaluate a jumper by only the number of jumps they have, we have seen fat ass guys out there even with hundreds of jumps still can not land a square canopy properly.

peace

[jumpwally 0]

tons of skinny guys not landing well cuz they have mad skillz...

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[grimmie 173]

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It's not really, i started jumping Katana 120 , at 200 jumps , and am very comfortable with.
I believe, its all about canopy piloting skills, can not evaluate a jumper by only the number of jumps they have, we have seen fat ass guys out there even with hundreds of jumps still can not land a square canopy properly.

peace

Hey, I'm a fat ass guy that flys a Katana 120 loaded at 1.8. Watch it bub!

I would get a quick right or left on opening once in a while when I first got it about 5 years ago. I messed around with the packing stows a bit and now tighten them around the lines just enough to not get line dump. It seems to have worked and I love the openings for my old guy back.