unruly demo canopy

[aufreefly 0]

I was wondering if, after all of the slack has been taken out, you can do anything to lengthen the breaklines? I have a demo canopy that I am not sure that I want to jump again but it is the only thing that I have right now and need something. The jump went like this. At 3500 I tracked off. At 3000 I pulled. At 2900 I had a fully open canopy with line twists. (I don't know how many because my head was pinned forward from the risers) After clearing the twists I tried to set up my approack with some front riser turns and suprise the canopy starts buffeting wildly. My question is also, is it customary to give away demo canopies that will kill you?

[jayhfx 0]

no its not customary, LOL
Too continue jumping a canopy you feel is unsafe just cause ya got nothing else seems even crazier. Is that customary???
In all honesty it could be a number of things:
a different packing and flying technique maybe required
a canopy that lost its trim
etc etc.
I'd ask your rigger to check it or just send it back.
peace
jay

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

All you do is replace the lower control lines with longer ones. I simply will not jump a main with tight control lines anymore. The last one I did (my wife's Stiletto 120 into a demo) stalled violently on landing and I broke my cocyx. If I cant grab my dive loops with my toggles still over my hands and pull them down to my chest without deflecting the tail, then they are too tight.
If I had that parachute you are jumping, I would sew some new lower contol lines for it. It would only take me about 20 minutes. Then I would get them set right and call the dealer/manufacturer and tell them what was wrong and what you did to fix it.
Chuck
I have no idea why there is such disparity in same-type canopies in different sizes, but the fact remains that there is. Some sizes of certain mains come with very loose control lines, just the way I like; others are so tight that you can't touch a riser without the main porpoising.

[skymedic 0]

How is that ASS of yours Chuck? I bet it still hurst like a bitch!!!
Marc
Because I fly, I envy no man on earth

[riggerrob 558]

aufreefly,
Ask the manufacturer to fax you the trim chart for that demo canopy. Then take the canopy and the trim chart to your friendly neighborhood rigger and ask him/her to compare the two.
Chances are, the steering lines have shrunk.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

My ass is fine, thank you very much. It actually only hurt for three weeks, amazingly.

Quote

check to see if the brake lines have shrunk

If that main was ever chowed in a pond and left to dry in the sun, then there is a good chance it is out of trim. I can't believe my 75 still even flies! LOL!
Getting a line trim chart is a great idea and checking the whole thing out won't take a half an hour unless you are dragging ass.
Chuck Blue

[aufreefly 0]

thanks for the responses and I will ask for a trim chart. Does anybody know how pilot chute size/material can effect openings?

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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Does anybody know how pilot chute size/material can effect openings?

Absolutely. Larger ZP pilot chutes have WAY more "snatch" force than is neccessary to open a small eliptical. Too big and your main is going to open much faster than if you jumped a correctly-sized PC. Some mains can really be tamed by using F-111 PC's. Others, like my tiny Cobalts, get along with a very-small ZP model.
Chuck

[aufreefly 0]

what size should be used for a 135 ZP elliptical?