OPINIONS ON CROSSFIRE 2

[Zoltan 0]

Have you ever jumped same loaded Stiletto? I would be interested in the difference.

Somehow i have the feeling that any ordinary elliptical canopy with new line-set and high enough wingload (1.7+) gives you rocking flares and quick turns and soft openings.

The problem is that i am not convinced that these new ellipticals gives any additional value compare to my old (ie. cheap) Stiletto.

Whoever i asked about improvements I received the same information :) fast turns, long flares, short recovery, soft on-heading openings... yes i get these from an old Stiletto with new line-set...

But what the hack is the new...

z

[zyzko 0]

I have jumped a Stiletto and Cobalt at about the same wingloading (~1.6) - ok, it's still fairly light and I'm a small guy so the sizes are 97 and 95, respectively.

Openings - both are soft, but the Stiletto was much more prone to turning 90 or 180 during the opening. This can also be due to my inexperience at the time, but I definitely feel more "in control" during the opening of the Cobalt. Also the owner of the 97 keeps getting turning openings from time to time - on the Cobalt turns are much more uncommon.

Turns: Stiletto turns fast - 107 turns about as fast as my Cobalt 95. It also has more oversteer and feels more twitchy - harness turn on Stiletto were much more aggressive, the Cobalt goes where I want it to go - easy and quick to steer but also goes straight like on rails. Front-riser pressure is lighter on Cobalt - I can't really give a fair comparasion on the recovery arc becaus I don't have that many jumps on a Stilettos and I wasn't doing very agressive approaches with them.

Glide on a Cobalt is impressive. The canopy is solid on deep brakes and flies very flat. On flare the bottom end is more powerfull and the flare is easier to control.

The only thing I don't like on the Cobalt is it's behaviour after toggle-turns - after a fast 720 and letting up the toggle _all the way up_ the canopy has quite much speed, and it sort of "flares" - it won't keep going down but returns to level flight very quickly, and for a short while the toggle pressure is ridiculously light, and the canopy feels quite unstable - I once got into linetwists by initiating a turn to the opposite direction after "just" a 360 toggle turn. I know this is true for every canopy, and radical manouvers can result in linetwists but I think this more noticeable on my Cobalt compared to other canopies I have flown. There is no similiar effects after front riser turns - the canopy is solid as a rock and if I control with smooth and progressive inputs with the toggles instead of quicly returning to full glide after a turn the behaviour is hardly noticeable.

I haven't flow either of the Crossfires (or how many different there are - the pre- and post-mod and the "2" at least...) but what I have heard my description can be more or less aplied to Crossfires also.

-Kari

[rhino 0]

I have not been able to initiate line twists under my crossfire2. I have tried but cannot do it. And I fly it VERY hard.

Rhino

[Yoshi 0]

I demo'd the 119 CFII at richmond.. it was amazing.. definately my next canopy. the riser pressure was almost as light as a cobalt (I would achieve 180-360's at altitude without too much of a streign. snivels were long, just like the CFI. turns were much sharper (shorter toggle stroke). flare was great. The crossfire 2 also was very responsive to harness turns..( I was loading it at 1.79) even though the sweet spot is technically at 1.85 I could get some hella swoops out of it with a 90 carver. it dove very long. more so than the crossfire 1 (which was long in my opinion.) Simon said some of the reasons for the increased performance are a new plane form shaping (much like the saber II) a shorter toggle stroke (which also gave it faster turns, but with the new plane form shaping it did not compromise the long dives. the recovery arc was easy to pull out of and easy to keep it diving with a little shift in the harness. anyways thats my input....I loved it and it will definately be my next toy!
-yoshi

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