Diablo opinions

[Vlad 0]

HAve anyone flown a diablo at 1.3 wing loading ? How is it ? Forgiving enough ? I have about 100 jumps, thinking of switching to another canopy. I'm used to fly 160 Omega, now want to try my new Diablo150, but worried, if it's too extreme...

[OmriMon 0]

preper for a loooooooooooong long snivel
Free Skies,
Omri

[imdskydiver 0]

If you are looking for a forgiving canopy i do not think the Diablo is for you , It turns very fast dives steep and has a fair amount of oversteer. As for the openings mine opens great and does not have that loooooooooooong long snivel.

[Vlad 0]

Do you thing that Diablo is WAY much different from other 7cell zp's (spectre, omega, tria.) ??

[riggerrob 558]

The Diablo is the fastest turning, most responsive of modern 7-cells. Some people like that. Diablos are too "twitchy" for my taste. I like canopies that turf-surf long distances but don't care how fast they turn. My boss describes the Diablo as "a Stiletto without the scary line twists on opening."
Yes, the Diablo is more forgiving for packing and opening. On the other hand, it turns so fast that you have to be really smooth on the toggles. Diablos are probably the least forgivng (7-cells) when you do low turns sloppily.

[rhino 0]

My main is a Triathlon 150, I put 20 jumps on a Diable120 a few months ago. The need for cross steering was virtually non existant. Turns were fast! Yet forgiving.. Probably the best flair you will get out of a non tri braced canopy. I was loading it at 1.4,, I just put in an order for a Diablo 110.. It flies bigger than the square footage,, The 120 felt like a 135 so I went with the 110.. Overall a great canopy that still has the forgiveness of a 7 cell.. I for one have great things to say about it. Do what I did, put 20 jumps on a demo and make your own decision.. Blue Skies!! Rhino....

[RemiAndKaren 0]

I've jumped a Sabre, Diablo and Stileto 170 is the last year and 1/2, at 1.4 wingload
I fould the Diablo opened the smoother (ie pretty long snivel);
had the fastest sink rate in full flight;
had quite a slow sink rate with toggles stowed or in rear risers (slower then the Sabre);
had the highest toggle pressure and front riser pressure of the 3;
had no overstreer that needed correction;
had the least amount of surf of the 3 in straight in approaches (sorry, I dont hook, so cant compare high speed approaches);
had very fast turns!
Fun canopy at 1.4, but not the most forgiving.
Remi

[rhino 0]

I don't hook either, Do most of my playing up high :) I enjoy the fast turn rate of the Diablo...
I jumped a Diablo120 and an ExtremeFX114, of the 2 the Diablo had a MUCH lighter toggle pressure than the extreme.. I hear you really have to load the Extreme for it to act properly. The Extreme had what felt like twice the bottom end of the Diablo...I can't afford the Extreme yet and I'd like to get a few more jumps first... Can't really compare the Sabre to the Diablo, 7 cell vs 9 cell is a big difference.. Sabre was fun I've jumped 120,135,150,170,190,210 but I do not like how it acts in bumpy or turbulent conditions.. I've seen a sabre fold up and drop someone 20 feet to the ground in rotors. I have never seen a Triathlon or a Diablo even get squirly in rough conditions.. I think I'll continue on 7 cells until I have 700 jumps or so.. The Diablo is allot like the Triathlon in the sense of it comes in relatively slow. BUT it can be sped up tremendously if wanted.. Very versatile and forgiving.. I can't wait to get my Diablo110!!
Rhino

[imdskydiver 0]

I think the question here is if it is a good canopy for someone with 100 jumps , Unless the pilot has a lot of talent then i think the question is no ! It is true that the Diablo does not have the glide of a Stiletto on straight in approaches and can be stopped quickly . (Good for emergency landings) Carving turns are much faster and surf just as well as a Stiletto.
Hard Toggle Turns need to be terminated 20-30 deg. early as the canopy will keep turning that far, unless it counter steered .

[maretus 0]

Although I've never jumped Diablo, I still have doubts about one thing. Rhino wrote:
"Probably the best flair you will get out of a non tri braced canopy."
What do you mean by best flare ? If you are talking about toggle pressure or handling/controlling the canopy in flare you might be right. As I said, I've never jumped a Diablo. But I really think that overall 9 cells generate more lift than 7 cells and so they have more powerful flare. Diablo might be a great canopy and I'd like to try one, but I'd still prefer 9 cell elliptical as a turf surf machine.

[RemiAndKaren 0]

I'm not sure I would apply the "9 cell = better surfs then 7 cell" rule for everything (I've not jumped enough different canopies to say that) but on a same wing load, my Stileto does have more surf then the Diablo. I had been warned on purchase hat if I wanted comparable performace / flight characteristics out of the Diablo then the Sabre 170, I should have gone for a 150. But at 225 pounds + rig, I did not like the idea of 1.6 wing load.... yet.. hehehe
As far as more stable in trubulent air, I'll agree with Rhino on the Sabre: i had a nice end cell to end cell collapse on what seemed (emphasis: seemed.. there obvioulsy was some hidden shit in the air) to be a not turbulant day at 25 feet.. it was nice to find out that the ole PLF training still kicked in automatically....

[maretus 0]

My point excatly. I too am not sure wheter the "9 cell = better surf than 7 cell" -rule applyes to every single comparison but I feel that the opinion about Diablo having the best flare amongst non crossbraced canopies is quite strongly said, if the best flare means best/longest surf.

[rhino 0]

Best flair as in the most bottom end. I jumped an ExtremeFx114 and a Diablo120. The Extreme never quit flying "quiet amazing actually" The Diablo got to a point at the bottom end where it simply ran out of gas in the air. Where the Extreme didn't? They are 2 different worlds and cannot be compaired. My reference was not in swooping. As I do not swoop I could not possibly argue the point. Although I can argue the STOPPING or flairing capability of a 9 cell vs a 7 cell.. 7 Cells stop faster, can fly slower, and have a "wider" performance envelope. Put the Triathlon or Diablo against a Sabre or a Stiletto "as an example" in an emergency, the guy on the 7 cells "if he knows how to fly it" would out perform the 9 cell canopies in the bottom end and save his butt. I enjoy the Triathlon and ESPECIALLY the Diablo because of the flight envelope, it can be flown fast or very slow. Try and sink in a stiletto? It's not made for that.
Rhino

[rhino 0]

http://www.aerodyneusa.com/2thisisques2.html
Go here for your info on 9 cell vs 7 cell. If you are already loading at 1.3 be patient. Wait for 200 jumps or so before downsizing. No rush. I would suggest moving from a 9 cell to 7 cell though... Rhino,

[riggerrob 558]

Because the Diablo is the twitchiest of the 7 cells, it would be an excellent transition canopy if your long term goal is turf-surfing. After a few hundred jumps on the Diablo, yo could trade it for a more exotic elliptically tapered, cross-braced, 27 cell, airlocked turf-surfing machine. Your specialized new canopy will cover more ground, but its turns will remind you of the Diablo.

[rhino 0]

What do you mean by twitchiest?