Evolution: Sub 50sqft Canopies

[Mostly_Harmless 0]

Last night for the fun of it I was checking through some of the older post about the Xaos21-21. The main thread I came upon was the thread about Chris Martin (RIP). What I wondered was who is the driving force behind these canopies. Is it the jumpers who want to go faster and explore all reaches of canopy flight or is it the manufactures who want to see how far they can push there canopies. Maybe a combination of both? Is there any future to these smaller canopies? I compare these smaller canopies to the cars at the salt flats. They are there to explore the limits of what we can achieve. Meanwhile I compare the canopies used in the PST where I believe there are w/l restrictions (could be wrong, please don't flame) to a nascar type event. Nascar's have the possibility to create as much horsepower as they want but are restricted for safety reasons. The reason I use this comparison is because the salt flat racers aren't as well known as Nascar but when someone goes big and breaks a major record everyone takes notice. Is that how it is with these small canopies, sit in the background until something big happens with them?

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[tso-d_chris 0]

As I understood at the time, the 21-21 was built specifically to play with wingsuits, so was sized accordingly. There were no intentions of landing the canopy.

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[ccowden 0]

There is a point of diminishing returns with size of wing and loading. We have already seen the drive for smaller and smaller canopies die down. In fact, the trend is to actually go a bit larger with the canopy. There is not much at all driving the desire to build these ultra-small canopies anymore, and if they do, it is just for experimental reasons and not because there is a market for jumpers to use them.

The change will be in design of the wing and with loading larger wings heavier and also with better technique. But the push for smaller canopies is pretty much dead as of right now.

[davelepka 4]

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The change will be in design of the wing and with loading larger wings heavier

I'm not sure which is worse. I guy who jumps a 70 sq ft canopy, or the guy with the 96 who wears 30+ lbs of lead.

At least when small canopies were the thing it took $1800 to get one, or you had to borrow one from a guy who had one.

With lead, you've got every jackass out there weighting up. Guys are stacking on the lead to get their WL from 1.2 up to 1.4, some of them before they are ready to donwsize. Now they are at too high of a WL, and carrying (and mayeb crashing) with alot of extre weight.

Thats progress, baby.

[TALONSKY 0]

It is my understanding that the Xaos 21 21sq foot canopy was built for displaying at the Precision booth only. It was built completely to scale and constructed exactly as all production Xaos's. I believe Andy Farington saw the canopy and wanted to try and fly it. From there it took off and some saw the potential of flying relative to wingsuits.
Kirk

[Mostly_Harmless 0]

That explains a lot. Anyone know how th VX46 project came about too?

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[Mostly_Harmless 0]

nvm found this on Icarus's website:

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Luis Cani’s intention with the VX46 was to test the canopy’s operating performance on behalf of Icarus Canopies, and to set a New World Record for the smallest canopy ever flown (and landed) and achieve new vertical and horizontal speed records.

So unlike the Xaos21-21, the VX46 was actually built for flying purposes.

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[ccowden 0]

Not arguing which is better or right. Just saying the direction it is going.

I don't wear lead, never have, have no desire to. I like my 96 loaded at 2.1

[skydiverek 55]

Lugi landed VX-39, too.

[TALONSKY 0]

Luis Cani’s and Icarus have even went further and he has landed a VX 39. There is video on the web of his landing it. It is pretty incredible footage as Luis does not even take one step when landing it to a complete stop.
Kirk

[skydiverek 55]

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Luis Cani’s and Icarus have even went further and he has landed a VX 39. There is video on the web of his landing it. It is pretty incredible footage as Luis does not even take one step when landing it to a complete stop.

There is even a better video showing Lugi receiving the VX-39 in the U.S. Priority Mail envelope (size of you standard sheet of paper that you use for printing). The envelope was about 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick ...

I think the someone told him that the canopy was not ready, and instead the envelope contained a T-shirt. He opened the envelope and found VX-39 inside ...

[TALONSKY 0]

The video I have on my computer is from a news cast in Europe somewhere and shows him receiving it and a compulation of his first jumps on it, even a few jumps with Jeb wingsuiting it.
Kirk

[TALONSKY 0]

Here is a link to video of the VX 39 Project.

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=1584&string=vx%2039

[Mostly_Harmless 0]

Thanks, checking it out now.

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www.myspace.com/termvelocity

[LouDiamond 1]

The Xaos 21-21 sq Ft. and the Firebolt 18 Sq ft. canopies were both built as scale models of existing canopies for use as display pieces at conventions/boogies. I began jumping with Jeffro P. at Lake Wales in my wingsuit attempting to dock in flight. Jeffro had his "big" canopy, an 88 sq ft, with him at the time and we were both not happy with what we able to do during those blazing florida days. Jeffro mentioned that he had the 21 and that Andy had sucessfully jumped it. Based on our previous flights we decided to move forward with the 21 and the dock later on in Oct. in Eloy. The rest is public knowledge and the video can be seen on skydiving movies.com. The 21 was not designed specifically for this, for landing, nor was it an experimental canopy.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[riggerrob 558]

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The Xaos 21-21 sq Ft. and the Firebolt 18 Sq ft. canopies were both built as scale models of existing canopies for use as display pieces at conventions/boogies.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Similarly, Performance Designs built a whole whack of Sabre 50 canopies. They were only meant to be training aids for new sewers and senior staff had a hell of a time preventing skydivers from "borrowing" and jumping them.
Hee!
Hee!

• Quote

[agent_lead 0]

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The Xaos 21-21 sq Ft. and the Firebolt 18 Sq ft. canopies were both built as scale models of existing canopies for use as display pieces at conventions/boogies. I began jumping with Jeffro P. at Lake Wales in my wingsuit attempting to dock in flight. Jeffro had his "big" canopy, an 88 sq ft, with him at the time and we were both not happy with what we able to do during those blazing florida days. Jeffro mentioned that he had the 21 and that Andy had sucessfully jumped it. Based on our previous flights we decided to move forward with the 21 and the dock later on in Oct. in Eloy. The rest is public knowledge and the video can be seen on skydiving movies.com. The 21 was not designed specifically for this, for landing, nor was it an experimental canopy.

can you link to the video?

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[LouDiamond 1]

Small version

Large version

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[FrogNog 1]

I think a simple center-cell modification during the cutting process could prevent people from trying to jump them.

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Pull.

[precision 0]

This extreme downsizing all started with Charlie Mullins when he worked at Precision. He was very careful to not let me know that he was making the first ever sub-70 sq ft canopy because he knew I would not tolerate it. However, he was able to sneek it through production without my knowledge, and it was only after he landed it that he came in that Monday morning and asked me if I wanted to see the video. I couldn't be mad at Charlie because he had actually pulled it off and some great footage to show for it.

I suspect that both Beezy Shaw and Chris Martin knew at the time what Charlie was up to, but they were all successful in keeping the secret from me.

Years kater, when Chris decided to make the X-21-21, he "said" it was for display only, but I can assure you (and I am sure Beezy will back this up) that Chris had every intention of jumping it from the get-go. That's why all of the fabric, line, and thread was production standard, and the canopy went through the entire detailed construction/inspection procedure that all canopies go through.

The canopy was "displayed" as intended initially, but otherwise it didn't leave Chris Martin's office for a couple of years.

Chris' original intention was to dock the full flight canopy with somebody in freefall, and that jump was made successfully by several people, including Chris.

You can be certain that this canopy was never intended to be landed, however.

I know Beezy is reading this, and I suspect he may have some comments.

George Galloway