Pilot Chute Size for Cobalt 150

[landmissle 2]

Hi all,
I've been thinking about getting a collapsable pilot chute for my rig. I currently have a Mirage G3 with the standard pilot chute and am flying a Cobalt 150.
Atair's web page suggest that the appropriate pilot chute size for this canopy is a 24" ZP. I've contacted Mirage and they said based on canopy manufacturor input, they are going to making only F-111 fabric pilot chutes.
So my questions are, what size pilot chute made of F-111 fabric should I get? ( I've contacted Atair about this issue but haven't heard from them yet.), and why would canopy manufacturors reccomend F-111 fabric over ZP?
Feet up, heads down, blue skies,
Landmissle *WWOD

[rgoper 0]

i'd go with the 24" zp, it's going to do what it has to, so why change? i know you said it was based on atair's specs, (so mirage says) but haven't heard from them yet, i'd wait and call dan.
Richard
"Gravity Is My Friend"

[edid 0]

Go with manufacturers recommendation. But, if you get given or find something that works for you. Stick with that. I now favour the old, 'if it's not broke don't fix it' rule. I say this becasue I had an interesting experiment with pilotchute size.
I fly a Cobalt 135. I was using the the standard 28" ZP pilotchute that came with my container. Out of about 20 jumps, 16 or 17 would be beautiful. I'd get the very occasional brisk opening and a few off headers. Pretty good stats considering all the variables that come into play at opening time. But I thought I could get 20 out of 20 picture perfect with the recommended pilot chute (22" ZP).
So I put a new 22" ZP PC on and wham. I got a noticeable delay in bag liftout and then 3 absolute slammers. I tried dumping slow, fast and in a track. Same thing, hesy then whack. Why? Who knows. I put my old 28" back on and am enjoying lovely two stage openings again. If the occasional one is brisk and a few are off heading that's fine. It's undoubtedy my packing and body position anyway. I'm not saying manufactuers recommendations aren't extremaly well founded. Atair definately seem to do an incredible and laudible amount of research. But whatever size and material you get, if you try it, and it works, and as a bonus with a slightly larger PC, you get less chance of any hesitations , great. Just my experience and 2c

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I would jump the ZP just because they last longer in my experience. Still, I have made many, many jumps on Atair mains with F-111 pilot chutes with no problem.
Chuck
My webpage HERE