dragon2 0 #1 May 14, 2003 I've been reading here and there, that the safire isn't a 'real' elliptical, it makes a good first canopy etc. Well it's my third. I started on a spectre 150 (wl 1.0), then traded that one for a spectre 135 (wl ~1.1). Jumped it for all of like 25 jumps than ran into Joris from Icarus who let me demo a safire2 145 I really liked, so I bought a safire 135 that Icarus had laying around, for cheap. Fell in love with it after the first jump (no wind) But here goes: the thing is FAST. I mean, I know I downsized a bit, it being an original safire (wl ~1.2), and it's a 9 cell. I know I've mostly jumped 7 cells (spectre's, lightnings, tri's) But, damn. I lent it to another jumper for a birdman jump, he compared it to a stiletto (he jumps a stiletto 107), except for the speed (or lack thereof) landing. And except for the opening on heading with no twists (which he fully expected from his opening position) part. Another guy who now jumps a safire2 119 at a high wl (~1.7 ??) and jumped hp ellipticals before says it's really tame..... Which is it? I figure I'm gonna be happy with this canopy for a looong time, also I'm not really allowed anything HP or smaller for another 200 jumps. But is a hp like a stiletto really that much 'faster'? I now have like 55 jumps on the safire, and have only recently figured out the new glide angle/landing pattern etc. And no-wind landings are fun. I did shorten the lines by more than a hand's width after a few jumps on it on my own - really short - risers, which made it more responsive. But man does it turn..... Or is it just me..? ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #2 May 14, 2003 Safire's are lightly elliptical canopy. They are a great intermediate canopy that can swoop pretty good (for that kind of canopy). The original Safire(meaning not the Safire 2) has a fairly long recovery arch. Here is also some info that might explain why it seams so fast. I e-mailed Icarus and explained that this had been talked about here and if they could give me a reply that I could post so here is Icarus's reply The Safire-1 and the Omega are measured differently to PD canopies. As a rough guide a Safire-1 or Omega is about the same size as the next size down - eg A Safire 149 is about a 135. A Safire 119 is about a 109. Use an equation of 8%. The Safire-2 and Omni (Omni supercedes Omega) are measured the same as PD. All other Icarus Canopies are measured the same as PD. The reason for the difference is due to Precision measuring their canopies differently. Icarus have always measured the same as PD however when we originally commenced in the USA, Precision were building parachutes for us under license and were doing it using their size equations and not Icarus/PD's. We have therefore had to wait to supercede these models to change the size equation. Only the Safire and Omega were affected. Blue skies Simon Icarus Canopies USA: 1S671 Bender Lane, West Chicago, IL 60185, USA Ph. (630) 562-2735, Fax (630) 231-4430 Europe: P.I. El Ramassar, c/ Vallés, s/n O8520, Les Franqueses, Barcelona, SPAIN. Ph. (34) 938 496 432, Fax (34) 938 497 971 www.icaruscanopies.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MGentry26 0 #3 May 29, 2003 My second canopy was a safire 132 at about 1.5psf. I think that was the bes possible canopy at the time. I put over 800 jumps on it and I hardly ever had an off heading opening and never a fast opening. They are great from students all the way to a great swooping canopy. Great performance without all the baggage Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
