PhreeZone 15 #1 July 17, 2003 It looks like on the new redesigned BigAirSportz.com website that they are bringing out more canopies this summer. Shogun: 7 cell airlock canopy (going into production as of July 1, 2003) Sensei: cross-braced airlock elliptical ultra-performance canopy (nearing release as of July 1, 2003) http://www.bigairsportz.com/parachutes.php The Sensei is Brian Germain's latest design. This swooping machine features airlocks AND crossbraces. Check back here for more (and pictures) as it becomes available. The Shogun is a conservative canopy pilot's dream come true: Docile, comfortable 7-cell canopy with the proven Germain airlock system for a steady ride! Check back here for more (and pictures) as it becomes available Looks like the options are expanding even more Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhino 0 #2 July 18, 2003 He is going to sell the HELL out of the Sensei.. Rhino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #3 July 18, 2003 I do like the thinking behind making of the Sensei... The Sensei will be built in Big Air corporate colors: All white top and bottom skins, with the center cell top and bottom skins being black (to represent a black belt in Karate). The "guts" (the airlocks and crossbraces) and Brian's trademark triangles on the wing tips will be red. You can see something similar in the prototype photos below. The "fixed" color pattern aids in the manufacturing of this already complex airfoil AND will aid in recognition in the air. Like Henry Ford said about the Model T: "You can have it any color you like, as long as it's black." Our thought is this: If you purchasing a Sensei, colors should be the LAST thing on your mind. You are purchasing the Sensei as a tool to maximize your swooping power. You are not purchasing a Sensei so that you can have all-matching gear. Go Brian! Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ramon 0 #4 July 18, 2003 Actually the market is pretty full of cross braces right now. It is fairly easy to find a used one...albeit I do hope they sell well, competition is good."Revolution is an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.", Ambrose Bierce. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnischalke 0 #5 July 18, 2003 The updated website rocks! I do wonder why there's no reference to the Lotus2... I own one and put lines on two others, so I know they exist. I also know it surpasses the original Lotus many, many times over. Still no reference to it? hmmmm. Brian did a lot of work on BASE canopies when he and PD made their license agreement. (BASE is the acronym for Big Air Sportz Equipment.) Brian and I talked about it months ago and now, according to the site, there will be a BASE BASE canopy in the future. Yay! Those damn airlocks will take over your soul, I tell ya. I got a Lotus2, a Sam, a kite and it looks like I will need one of dem dare BASE canopies too! mike Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills--You know, like nunchuk skills, bow-hunting skills, computer-hacking skills. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SickMonkey 0 #6 July 18, 2003 Has a price for the Sensei been set yet? Anyone, anyone......???? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AntiPinkChrissy 0 #7 July 18, 2003 QuoteThose damn airlocks will take over your soul, I tell ya. I got a Lotus2, a Sam, a kite and it looks like I will need one of dem dare BASE canopies too! I totally agree! I bought a Samurai a couple of months ago and it was the best choice I ever made. Canopy flying use to be my least favorite part about skydiving, now I am so much more comfortable under canopy. I actually go up and do hop and pops just to fly my canopy, whereas I use to only do them during the winter to keep current. I think it is great to be able to call up a company and be able to ask questions about the canopy to the creator of the canopy. ~La La Gang Member #2~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sdctlc 0 #8 July 18, 2003 The new site is nice but it looks like the pictures page is gone. I am glad to see more information on the Sensei getting out there. i was suprised to see that it is only on 4 sizes though with the biggest being 101 sqft. My questions what is the price and when can I get one to put a few demo jumps on??? Are these being made by PD or is it something that Brian is keeping tighter control over? Love my Samurai but think I might want to get a Sensei. Scott C."He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steel 0 #9 July 18, 2003 I read that article and it said that the smallest size they come in is a 71. Why? Is that just Brian Germain canopy politics. Or is it because the design can not tolerate as heavy of a loading as the standard 27 chamber canopies? Also in the article it mentioned that some people don't want to go airlocked just yet but it didn't state any real solid reasons for this. I am guess it may have something to do with openings. That is perhaps that it may not open as consistently because of lack of airflow. But hey I am just guessing to this day I have not even jumped and airlocked canopy. (anybody with insight can answer)If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass. Can't think of anything I need No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound. Nothing to eat, no books to read. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #10 July 18, 2003 I'm willing to bet its Brians personal thinking on the canopy sizing. For the longest time it was hard to get sub 100 canopies from Big Air. Openings on my Jedei, the Sam's I've jumped and the few Lotus jumps I've got are every bit as nice if not nicer then the nonairlocked canopies I've jumped. Airlocks are misunderstood by a lot of people and in a few ways Airlocks are only associated with HP canopies like the Jedei and the Sam. Not many people know that the Lotus is even out there. Airlocks on the Lotus make it probally the best 9 cell semi elliptical platform canopy I've got to jump yet. The flight style of a Sabre2 with the stability of my Jedei. I have been hearing things like the Sensei is going dirt water dirt at the Zhills pond. I'd love to see some video of that if some one has it.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #11 July 18, 2003 QuoteI have been hearing things like the Sensei is going dirt water dirt at the Zhills pond. The one time I saw that thing fly it was more like dirt .. water .. dirt .. dirt .. dirt .. dirt .. dirt .. dirt .. dirt .. dirt .. .. .. .. I wondered if that thing would _ever_ stop flying. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Next question though is how much of that was canopy and how much was pilot? Either way, it was truely impressive. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sdctlc 0 #12 July 18, 2003 I would not doubt it was a combination of both pilot and canopy. A superior canopy pilot with an inferior canopy will out fly and out surf an inferior pilot on a superior canopy. Given a superior pilot and superior canopy you will get outstanding stuff! I am still wondering though about canopy sizing on the other end of things. 71sqft is pretty small but I would wonder about going up to a 120 or so in a Sensei standard production model. The sweet spot in a number of cross braced canopies seems to be around 2.2 with good performance from 2.0 to 2.4. In a non x-braced canopy it seems to top out with maximum performance around 1.8, again with a little above and below. The 101 would have me at 2.277 out the door and though that is fine I would be wanting to demo a canopy one size up in the 1"teen" range to a 120 which would be the max I would be interested in. I am a little more conservative regarding the X-braced canopies then others but again I am exiting at about 230-235. I would be very interested to hear about additional sizing or what the recommended performance envelope is going to be or that which has been defined in the testing phases of the canopy from Brian and others...... Scott C."He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkeyKam 0 #13 July 19, 2003 First of all, thank you guys so much for the great kudos on our canopies! You guys rock and if it weren't for you, we would all have real jobs. Ha! Also, thanks for the kudos on the web site! I hope it serves everyone well. There's more coming (Flash-based canopy coloring thingy, on-line demo requests, on-line service request forms, etc.), but I wanted to get the old one outta there as quickly as possible. You know, now that I think about it, when you talk about the web site, every feature is "on-line." Duh. I've been working late. Sorry. Just to be certain... There isn't really a for-certain release date on the Sensei or Shogun (other canopies will be coming, too). So, nobody soil your armor, just yet. If you guys don't mind, I'll address the questions I see here (if I find them all) and do my best. Brian is in Europe, right now, so if I can't answer it properly, I won't and I will defer to him for Rantoul. About the colors on the Sensei... Makes sense, right? Besides, adding custom colors to a canopy that is already by far the most complex canopy to build... I think those who need it will understand. You'll still look good, too! The market may be full of crossbraces, but there aren't any like this one, yet. Oh, yeah, Baby! We will be building the Sensei in-house. Let me re-phrase that: BRIAN will be personally building Senseis until we get more sewers up-to-speed on the manufacturing process. Price on the Sensei: $1,995. $650 deposit. The orders are first-come, first-served. The list is already forming. I can't tell you how quickly these will be delivered, just that we will build them as quickly as is humanly possible. Sizes on the Sensei: That's a Brian question. What I can tell you is that Brian's exit weight is around 190 and he prefers the 91. Why? Not sure, but his swoops and shutdowns are amazing. Why is 71 the smallest size? Because 71.4 sounded too snooty and too technical. Scott C: (Hi, by the way! Wing-loading: Not as much as the standard x-brace. Brian is getting the tremendous swoops he is getting at only 2.08:1. Not too shabby. Where the "sweet spot" is would be another Brian question. We should come up with an official term: "BQ" = Brian Question. "AQ" = Andy Question (not worth much, but he does have a desk at the Big Air shop, so he is an "insider.") In defense of Z-Hills' swoop pond: It's more like grass... water... grass... grass... grass... grass... etc. Ha! You know, there is GRASS out there. Actually, lately with all the rain we've had, you can swoop anywhere, I would guess. "Bad" Andy Frey monkeyKam Chucklehead [email protected] http://www.bigairsportz.com ph 813.788.4444 "I drank what?" --Sophocles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkeyKam 0 #14 July 19, 2003 Oh... Also, also... The picture page on the web site is coming. In all the whirlwind of building and designing, I kinda forgot it. I have to convert some code from another site I did last year for the photo gallery. Email me if you have questions or comments or ideas for the new web site: [email protected]. Please come to our tent at Rantoul. We'll answer all your questions there. "I drank what?" --Sophocles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
