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pfloydd

"Pegasus?"

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I have an 8-cell Pegasus. Does anyone know the history this variant? I recon that it was a transition step to the LR-288 (Manta) as the cell dimensions are similar. And at a time when most folks had one canopy for everything the lack of a center cell was problematic for CRW docks.

The guy I got it from said it was Ted Strong's before. Anyway, I've jumped it recently and it flys nice for a big F111 canopy. Seems to have a lot more drive than a Manta. I've also got a nice standard Pegasus that may have more sub-1000 footers than airplane exits. If you added up all of the Pegasus and Furys could it be the most popular sport canopy of all time?

Tom

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My then-husband's Pegasus had 7 cells. But it wasn't uncommon for people to send their canopy back to the factory to have 2 more cells added on to upgrade it to a 9-cell, especially if it was starting to get more porous from use. I did that with my Firefly (also a Django canopy).

Wendy P.

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On 9/19/2022 at 7:36 PM, wmw999 said:

My then-husband's Pegasus had 7 cells. But it wasn't uncommon for people to send their canopy back to the factory to have 2 more cells added on to upgrade it to a 9-cell, especially if it was starting to get more porous from use. I did that with my Firefly (also a Django canopy).

Wendy P.

A couple of free-lancers also offered to spray tired canopies with porosity-reducing sealants.

I have only ever seen a single 8-cell canopy, it had about 240 square feet. It was made by APS. I only did one jump on it, but stomped the disc.

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On 12/10/2003 at 3:43 AM, tommymc said:

I have an 8-cell Pegasus. Does anyone know the history this variant? I recon that it was a transition step to the LR-288 (Manta) as the cell dimensions are similar. 

LR-288 was originally built to compete for a West German Army contract. WEA wanted to be able to jump into East Germany and make messes if the Cold War ever went hot. They also wanted to be able to jump at night with rucksack, rifle, snowshoes, demolition charges, etc. ... well maybe not snowshoes.

Kind of by accident, they found that increasing the aspect ratio of LR-288 - and the similar Manta 288, 9-cell - that they flattened the glide ratio and students were more likely to slide out poor landings than collapse like the sack of potatoes that they resembled under round parachutes. I believe that it was the change in ANGLE of landing that did the most to reduce student injuries (e.g. sprained ankle) during the 1980s.

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I sold my Cruise Air and bought a Pegasus.  As much as I liked the Cruise Air, the first thing you did after opening was pump the brakes to get the end cells inflated.  The Pegasus had cross-port venting that allowed the end cells to inflate immediately after opening.  Of the 145 jumps I made on the Pegasus, I only had one reserve ride in which it opened in a rapid spin.  I cut away and opened the Firefly reserve, which, like the Pegasus, was rock solid and stable.  The landings were incredibly soft as well.

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