Stiletto's at Higher Wingloadings

[Skydive2 1]

I currently fly a Stiletto 120 loaded at 1.6:5 and I love the canopy, but I feel the need to downsize. I've got 2 jumps under a Stiletto 107 loaded at 1.8, but It was at an unfamiliar DZ, and it was very windy, so I never really got a chace to test it. I'm thinking now of going to either a 107 Stiletto, or a 97 which I would wingload at about 2.0:1. I was wondering if anyone has experience with Stiletto's at these much higher wingloadings. Many people have told me that its not a good idea to go much over 1.9 under stiletto's, and I should consider crossbraced. I'd rather stay with the stiletto, and I'm just trying to get some input! Thanks in advance!
BTW: Great Forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

I only jump a 170 so don't take this too seriously, but I don't think spinettos are supposed to be loaded that high.
When you participate in sporting events, its not whether you win or loose, its how drunk you get.

[polarbear 1]

People do jump Stilettos at higher (above 1.8) wingloadings. PD claims that if you want to jump at higher than 1.7, either a vengeance (up to 1.8) or a velocity will give you "better" performance. The newer high-performance mains (cross-braced mains, cobalt, etc.) are really designed for the wingloadings you are talking about.
Jump what YOU like best.

[pal 0]

you have had good advice already but here is my opinion
I would recomend you go no smaller than the 107 on the stilleto. When you load the canopy over 1.8 you start loosing performance and the canopy becomes ineficient. It can still be used but as you get higher loading it becomes more dangerous and you will have less performance (ie shorter swoops) Bulge distortion alone reduces a 9-cell canopy area by 9% and zig zag distortion by 4%. So if you are jumping a 100sq ft canopy you are actually flying 87sq ft of material giving you lift. To make things worse on landing the flare will pull the canopy even more out of shape increasing zig zag distortion to 12% added to the 9% bulge distortion and your landing 79sq ft of canopy giving you lift.
.....and you want to jump a 97?.... do the maths you will only have 76.63sq ft of useable canopy during yor flare....
A x-braced canopy does not suffer from zig zag distortion and loses about 8% from bulge distortion so on a 100sq ft x-braced canopy you are actually flying and LANDING 92sq ft of canopy giving you lift with only 8% added to your drag. This means you can go smaller, safer on a x-braced.
Try a 107 stilleto or better yet get a sub 100 x-braced but make sure you have the extra $$ and 20-25% extra space in your container although you save space through the added downsize.
hope you enjoy
wish i was jumping one

[Kirils 1]

Caution there buddy. Stiletto's get diminishing performance returns after 1.5 loadings. You need to move on to a cross braced canopy. Check out a Xaos or an FX.
Skydiving is not a static excercise with discrete predictability...

[PhreeZone 15]

Don't forget the Cobalt too... its a faily rigid canopy that is non crossbarced and jumped at upwards of 3.0 sometimes. It seems to fly great at above 2.0 in swoop comps so....
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend... ~3EB

[billvon 2,434]

>Many people have told me that its not a good idea to go much over 1.9 under
>stiletto's, and I should consider crossbraced. I'd rather stay with the stiletto, and
> I'm just trying to get some input! Thanks in advance!
I've jumped stilettos at about 1.7 with no problems, and Adam put about 3000 jumps on a 97 loaded 2.2 to 1. He had no problems either, but when he switched to a Crossfire 96, he said the difference was like night and day.
So it can certainly be done, but you'll probably get a lot more performance out of something like a Crossfire.
-bill von