0
ramon

Precision's New Canopies

Recommended Posts

Precision suddenly revamped their website.
http://precision.aerodynamics.com/
new canopies
XAOS21 21 cell cross brace (like Icarus?? he he)
XAOS27 27 cell cross brace (no other data)
Fusion some new canopy
Synergy some new canopy
Raven Max new high speed reserve
Any body know any scoop?
bloo skies
ramon

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Andy Ferrington at our home DZ will be the precision factory pilot at the Perris swoop contest (June 6-8th or something). Thing is, even he hasn't jumped the chute yet, and he doesn't know anybody that has. He was supposed to get his 84 XOAS, or whatever, yesterday though. He doesn't know a lot about it either, except to say that the guy that designed it worked on the Icarus project, and I think owns part of Icarus. The guy just said, 'don't worry, you love the canopy'. I figure it will be like a tweaked FX extreme. Either way, Andy will be able to smoke with it. Well, as long as it doesn't fold into a ball when he risers it. (<

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Oh keep us informed....T.J. Landgren (texas) is supposed to be a factory pilot, but he is in Dallas and I am in Houston and can't spy on him.
Yeah George Galloway (Precision) was on the Icarus board of directors and quit to start promoting his "own" new designs.
I wonder if they're all Icarus ripp offs (except the reserve)...Or maybe improved versions that he does not want to hand over.
The Safire is due for redesign due to multitude of customer copmplaints (flare sucks unless you hook it), Possible "Synergy" Chute.
We'll know for sure, if the "Fusion" parachute looks too much like a "Cross Fire" ;)
Maybe they will be Icarus chutes with that wacky material that precision put on Batwings and Monarchs :D
bloo ones
ramon

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
It sounds more like a marketing ploy, that being the re-release of older canopies under new names. Remember the Space canopy was re-released under the Alpha name (the same chute with a new label and higher loadings). Sounds like the same thing, with the only "tweeking" being a new label and logo.
Skydiving is not a static excercise with discrete predictability...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
George did send Andy his new reserve. I watched him jump that the other day. Sheesh, who needs a fancy main when you can swoop a reserve that you have never jumped before half way across the DZ. It is fun to watch. We have a lot of good canopy pilots at Kapowsin. A lot of us end up wet (pond), but that is part of the fun.
I'll keep you informed.
Oh yea, I jump a safire loaded at 1.5. I generally get a fair head of speed on the landing, although I am more cautious over the land then the pond. My impressioon is the flair is fine, but it drops off at the end, causing me to have to run out a bit more than some other canopies (stiletto, crossfire, sabre). It seems like they are able to slow down a bit more before they lose lift. I think I can see where a little redesign would make it better. I like it though. A nice transisiton from a Sabre.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
It flys!!!
Andy finally got his main. It is the 21 cell 84 XAOS (chaos). I didn't really examine it in flight too closely, but it seems to actually be a different design. One thing they are trying on it is that the lines don't cascade. All of the lines come all the way down to the risers. It has 8 lines on one and 6 on the other. There where supposed to be some micro mini lines, but apparently they didn't make it to manufactureing in time, so they are a normal size, non vectran. It is a prototype though, so they are thinking the non cascade might be causeing too much drag. They will be tweaking on it in Perris.
Flying wise, he seems to like it, and figures he will get it dialled in. It has been wet allready though. Heh heh. He has jumped it 20 some times, opens good, and flys nice. I saw it open a couple times, looked like it was nice, soft and not to spinny. He said it opened much better than the VX. One thing, is he has been flying a vx74. In order to get the same distance out of this, he has been wearing an extra 20lbs. So a bit smaller canopy might be optimum, for him.
Anyway, that is an impression of the new precision XAOS

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I talked to George Galloway last week and he said he would try to send me a Xoas 21 to review after the swoop meet in Perris. Look for an article here on Dropzone.com soon after. The new reserve is supposed to be TSO'd to 180 kts. He isn't releasing much information until his dealers have all of it. The release of the Xaos 27 won't be until later. It looks as if Precision is going to expand their role as a major player in the canopy market.
alan

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
WTF are you talking about regarding the Safire? "Flare Sucks unless you hook it"
I've read tons of reviews, and jumped them plenty. No one has ever mentioned this.
They flare just fine. They are great medium performance range canopies.
Sure they wont surf like a stilleto or an extreme, but if you fly them straight in they flare just fine.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
It is called exageration....Chill...
Fact is they have very deep brakes compared to other canopies aimed at the beginner to intermediate market and often newbies buy them and have difficulty flying them (I see this every weekend). I don't have a problem with them, but then I like samurais and they have deep brakes too. My friend Scott disliked his Safire so much he called Icarus. They in fact told him they had so many complaints they were trying to fix the problem (what ever that is...newbies who can't flare).
Steve Utter can surf one pretty damn far.
ramon

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

They in fact told him they had so many complaints they were trying to fix the problem (what ever that is...newbies who can't flare).


Yeah, I've heard the same thing. When I was shopping for a main one person, who shall remain nameless, told me in no uncertain terms to stay away from them until they had the "bugs" worked out. My guess is that he was referring to the flare.
When I get around to looking at canopy #2 in the next 150 jumps or so I'll prolly look at a light elliptical. I'd get a Spectre, but I do a fair amount of RW and pulling a snivelly canopy at 3K doesn't sound particularly appealing to me. So my guess is it'll prolly be either the new Sabre or a (hopefully by then "debugged") Safire.
BTW. Has anybody seen or heard anything new about the new Sabre? It's June and I thought they were gonna be unveiling it in the summer.
------------
Blue Skies!
Zennie

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 subjects:
First the guys from PD promised us a Sabre 2 that is a slightly tapered nine cell that is more forgiving of sloppy packing.
Geeh! Sounds a lot like a Safire.
Speaking of Safires ... I only have 3 jumps on a Safire 149 and thought it flared great! Yes, the Safire required a longer toggle stroke to get a full flare, but it surfed beautifully and set me down softly in the pea gravel bowl.
Why are those newbies whining?
What is their point?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Why are those newbies whining? What is their point?


I don't know if you were referring to me or not. I personally haven't jumped one so I have no frame of reference. I'm just relaying what I was told. If someone at our DZ has a 149 I might jump one just to see what all the fuss is about.
------------
Blue Skies!
Zennie

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I arrive in San Diego at 10:01 and will be at Perris by noon. I am just as anxious to see the new stuff as anyone else and can't wait for the competition! I will definitely write an "as competitor" view of the meet when I get home. Till then,
Chuck
PS: Dan Preston has a Cobalt 65 and an 85 with the nose-mod waiting for me. Wish me luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Whining...dirty jump suits...I dunno..:D.
I think they get used to student gear or sabres and then buy a new Safire and can't land it, blame the canopy and call the company.
Some people have 500 jumps and still can't land their sabres, others are surfing moderately loaded stilletos/samurais with 300 jumps (much to the chagrin of old timers)
bloo ones
ramon

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Since your all yammering about safires. I'll say too. I like mine. If you keep flying/flaring until it stops. It works awesome. I suppose if I would quit going downwind over the pond, and do normal into the wind landings, I would never have to run it out. I say it is a great alternative to a sabre, with a taste of eliptical. If Icarus can make it better then, YAHOO!! But it is fine.
I had a ball on my sabre too.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
The Precision team was very busy at the meet dialing in their mains. George made a BUNCH of them for his guys to try while they were there. All were solid white with blue cross-braces and originally setup with continuous lines (no cascades). After several days of jumping, George gave them the opportunity to change to cascaded lines (which most did) and continue jumping. The problem was that by that time, most of them had pretty much dialed their mains. The new line-sets trimmed the canopies differently so it was kind of like starting over, yet most of the guys did very well on the main. To me, it looks exactly like an FX, but I didn't sit down and discuss the particulars with anyone. They all said the canopy opens great and flies great. Shaylan won the distance event on one, so that says something for it. Some of the guys took their canopies swimming, but I think that was mostly due to their VERY radical approach technique which leaves no room whatsoever for error.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My take on it from looking at the web site is that this line of canopies is designed to mirror the Icarus line but be rated to open at higher speeds for freefliers. Imagine throwing out with your head down! That may be what they have in mind. Just a guess.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0