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Round Lopo Canopies

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I have heard a various stories about the 26 foot round Lopo canopy. Have you jumped that canopy? If so, how was the landing? PLF or standup? How much forward speed did you have?

Thanks
Looks like a death sandwich without the bread - Steve Deadman Morrell, BASE 174

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I have heard a various stories about the 26 foot round Lopo canopy. Have you jumped that canopy? If so, how was the landing? PLF or standup? How much forward speed did you have?



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See post about 5 lines down from PC Chapmen about jumping a round reserve. Me thinks you'll find all the answers. Strong lopo etc.



R.



Thanks


One Jump Wonder

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Saved my arse a couple of times with a Lopo. Opened fine, landed OK did a PLF out of habit.

Had a 4 line cut mod, which gives enough steering to turn into the wind for landing. Apart from that a good spot landed me in the clear, as it was supposed to do.

Have never actually had to use a square reserve even though I've had one packed in my rig since 1988.....and that mainly because I did a lot of demo jumps, into very tight LZ's in the city or near hazards.

A good spot is essential, no matter what reserve you have, never trusted GPS spots without backup of the mark 1 eyeball.....

Edit: Its never a good plan to expect a standup on any round canopy......main or reserve. Always prepare for a PLF.....
My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

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I had three reserve rides on a 26' navy conical and one test jump on a 26' Security LoPo. All four had a four line release. The Navy Coni and Security LoPo handled and landed about the same. I did a Plf on one landing and stand ups on the other three. I still have a Security LoPo packed away in an old Classiflier in my shed.

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I'm looking to use this round on a BASE jump into a vertical cave with a flat grass landing area. Spotting won't be an issue. Just that I can have some forward speed and land it without issue.
Looks like a death sandwich without the bread - Steve Deadman Morrell, BASE 174

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Hi Jerry

I'm wondering didn't pioneer or someone else come out with Lo Po round canopy's, for mainss.

I'm not sure about the Dia either.:( We need a rigger:P

The LO PO mains did have some nice color patterns, I think:|

One Jump Wonder

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Lopo worked well for Owin Quinn.
If you want a really fast opening canopy, find a Tri-con.
If you can't find that, look for a Piglet reserve.



I was always a Piglet girl. That was the canopy I jumped whilst making the required 100 jumps (Elsinore) so I could jump a square.

It always opened like a firecracker. My early 20's body never had a problem with it. With my body weight, it had about 12 mph, and with a bit of care and perfect rear riser flaring, I could do perfect standups. It could also pound you in if any part was just a little bit off.

I also had a Piglet reserve. Jump #91, had a terminal opening on it, crack! And then a standup in the peas. 700 jumps later, cutaway. Again, intstant opening. Needless to say those 700 square jumps set me up for a two-week hospital stay with 3 surgeries due to a broken calcaneus. That and not insisting on spotting the jump myself.

A Piglet reserve is NOT one I would recommend to 1. Someone over 150 lbs. 2. Someone not currently jumping a round, preferably a piglet.

Learn to spot and insist that you (the jumper of the canopy capable of covering the least ground) have the right to to this yourself. I usually spotted all the jumps i made (damn, I was good :$:) ). I would play the "I have a round reserve" card, but for some reason, I didn't on that jump. I still regret it. [:/]

IIRC, The regular Piglet was 21', there was a larger version which was 23', but the reserve was only 20'. :o For lightweights only.

lisa
lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

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For many years Pioneer built Lo-Po's in both 28 ft & 32 ft diameters.



I've got a couple jumps on a 28 ft lo-po. The owner swore it gave him softer landings, but to me it landed just like any cheapo.


Hi A

I had at least 75 jumps on a 7tu rag (as required) and 400 + jumps on PC's . We ONLY weighed 120 lbs:o.

We started with PLF's on the rag but eventually started standups on the rags and PC's were no problem. I could check my log book (#1 ) and come up with a specific first stand up # but whats the point. It Was all good.

No way could we penertrate a 12mph wind[:/]. (One of these days I'll figure out how to reduce the photo size and post some pic's.) I still hate backing up[:/]

The winter water jump (frozen pond) landing was :D:D

Never jumped a Lopo. To expensive.

R.
One Jump Wonder

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For many years Pioneer built Lo-Po's in both 28 ft & 32 ft diameters.



I've got a couple jumps on a 28 ft lo-po. The owner swore it gave him softer landings, but to me it landed just like any cheapo.


Hi A

I had at least 75 jumps on a 7tu rag (as required) and 400 + jumps on PC's . We ONLY weighed 120 lbs:o.

We started with PLF's on the rag but eventually started standups on the rags and PC's were no problem. I could check my log book (#1 ) and come up with a specific first stand up # but whats the point. It Was all good.

No way could we penertrate a 12mph wind[:/]. (One of these days I'll figure out how to reduce the photo size and post some pic's.) I still hate backing up[:/]

The winter water jump (frozen pond) landing was :D:D

Never jumped a Lopo. To expensive.

R.


Often the reserves were mounted so the mod was in the front, as most times you would be backing up if there was any sort of wind. The reserve was basically hooked up backwards.

With the mod in the front, you could turn it to get maximum drive from the canopy into the wind, but you were actually facing the way you were going, and could see better and set up for a forward PLF rather than having to do a backwards one....

In still wind conditions the forward drive was prolly about 5 knots, max.
My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

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I wish I had a dollar for every standup landing I either had, or witnessed on both cheapos and lopos. The Lopo was the most common main chute in the early 1960s, and just as I was about to order one, they brought out the Para Commander, so I got that instead. I always had a cheapo packed and ready to use in case someone had a plane and my P.C. was still unpacked.

Bill Cole D-41




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I once jumped a 26 ft Security Thunderbow LoPo reserve rigged as a main. It landed softer than my daily driver surplus C9 cheapo.

377
2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

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Hi A

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I had at least 75 jumps on a 7tu rag (as required) and 400 + jumps on PC's . We ONLY weighed 120 lbs:o.



Warning!!!!! Me bad checked log book actually weighed 135#'s

Quote

We started with PLF's on the rag but eventually started standups on the rags and PC's were no problem. I could check my log book (#1 ) and come up with a specific first stand up # but whats the point. It Was all good.



No way could we penertrate a 12mph wind[:/]. (One of these days I'll figure out how to reduce the photo size and post some pic's.) I still hate backing up[:/]

The winter water jump (frozen pond) landing was :D:D

Never jumped a Lopo. To expensive.

R.
One Jump Wonder

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