Stilletto opening hard

[markbaur 0]

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[O]nce the canopy is out of the bag you begin to decelerate. The longer you can keep the nose from catching air, the slower you will be going when inflation occurs.

You begin to decelerate with the resistance of the first bight of lines coming out of a stow, and you get a "snatch force" peak when you accelerate the pilot chute itself at line-and-canopy stretch. That is, you feel the snatch force shock when the pilot chute accelerates and you decelerate -- and we hope this occurs before opening/inflation shock.

If you want to go slower to reduce opening shock, use tighter rubber bands (experience shows not much effect here, though) and a bigger pilot chute. A bigger pilot chute results in higher snatch force but lower opening shock. Snatch force can exceed opening shock, so a bigger pilot chute can make for harder openings.

You are correct in implying that deceleration occurs after the canopy emerges from the bag. If you are an excellent tail-wrapper and the pointy end stays closed, the flat-plate area of the canopy is larger than the pilot chute. If there were no slider or other reefing system, then the description would end here. Since most of us jump slider-equipped canopies, what happens next is more complex.

Opening shock occurs when the canopy expands in size as the slider moves down the lines, with the most rapid rate of expansion occuring at the beginning. The rate is regulated by slider size and shape. In general, a smaller slider keeps the lines closer together (longer snatch-force deceleration before opening shock), but comes down faster (less sail area, higher opening shock). A larger slider can increase snatch force, and will generally come down slower, but may allow faster inflation at the beginning. Lipped sliders are an attempt to combine the closer-together grommets of a smaller slider with the sail area of a larger one.

The key here is that tail-rolling matters much less than what you do with the slider. For softer, more consistent openings, you have to get slider inflation before canopy inflation, and that slider inflation must happen with the slider at the top of the lines. Roll the tail all you want, but if the slider isn't on the stops when the canopy goes in the bag, the slider will have a head start on coming down the lines when the tail unrolls. If you can pack with the slider at the top of the lines, you don't have to roll the tail at all (unless you need to do so to control the canopy getting it into the bag). Leaving the tail unrolled actually makes it easier to ensure the slider is at the top of the lines.

Mark

[kallend 1,623]

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I do believe that a hard opening stiletto is canopy specific.

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That has been my experience. Unfortunately, mine was the one! It was cured with a slider change and $75. Other Stilettos I jumped were just fine.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[JeffGordon 0]

I never roll the nose but stick as far back in the tail as I can. Always quick, soft openings on my 150

[markbaur 0]

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I never roll the nose but stick as far back in the tail as I can.

After you lay your canopy down and squash the air out of it, is there much difference between your canopy and the guy's next to you who didn't stick the nose way back?

Mark

[twnsnd 1]

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I do believe that a hard opening stiletto is canopy specific.

True. And you stated it well that you just have to find the trick that works for yours. What I do know is that after I started keeping control of the tail, I never got slammed again ON MY CANOPY. Peace.

-We are the Swoophaters. We have travelled back in time to hate on your swoops.-

[twnsnd 1]

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The key here is that tail-rolling matters much less than what you do with the slider.

The only thing I would add is that the way PD does sliders on the Stilleto, sometimes looking into a larger slider is a good option.

-We are the Swoophaters. We have travelled back in time to hate on your swoops.-

[SLIDER 0]

I've been jumping a stiletto 150 for about 125 jumps and it always opens slow and snivels for 600 feet or so. I pack it very simple, flake it,check the lines, quarter the slider, wrap the tail around and roll the shit out of it. A perfect opening every time. Well, Almost every time, I think it cracked me once. At times its almost to slow. Just my two cents

"there's a fine line between hobby and mental illness"

[twnsnd 1]

Sounds like you have a good canopy and good technique.

-We are the Swoophaters. We have travelled back in time to hate on your swoops.-

[JohnMitchell 14]

My 150 and 135 usually open nicely, but I was getting an occasional hard opening. I started double stowing all the lines using standard stow bands, and haven't had a hard one since. It slows the bag down so that when the locking stows pull and the canopy comes out of the bag, the reaccelleration of it to your freefall speed isn't as violent. This keeps the slider from having as much of a bounce downwards off the hard stops. It's a new theory, at least, behind some hard openings, and it's worked for me.

[mrhoop 0]

I have a stilleto 150, with a larger than stock slider. I dont roll the nose, but roll the tail tight. I have few hard openings. I does open spin to the right about 90 degrees on most openings.

[Courteney 0]

I had a old 150 that would open almost everytime with a +-800 ft snivel, soft on heading openings. My 135 does the same but every now and then even if I pack it the same way I get whacked! Some packers pack it differently but basically it's shake it out, get your long lines, quarter the slider, wrapped tail round and roll a few times...and don't push in the nose. The guy who sold me his 135 bought another one and he gets shit openings as does a buddy of mine with a brand new 120. But I think the less you do to it the better it'll open.

...drags me down like some sweet gravity!!!

[skydiver_33460 0]

I HAVE A 170 AND WEIGH 230 WITHOUT GEAR. I CONSISTENTLY GET 1000 FT SNIVELS WITH ON HEADING OPENINGS. I HAVE ABOUT 400 JUMPS ON IT NOW.
I SPLIT THE TAIL 4X4 AND JUST FOLD IT OVER ON BOTH SIDES. VERY LITTLE ROLLING OF NOSE.
I WAS SHOWN BY ONE OF THE TEST JUMPERS AT PD IN DELAND ANOTHER INTERESTING TIDBIT: AFTER YOU LAY CANOPY DOWN AND GET AIR OUT OF IT, FOLD EACH HALF UP AND INTO CENTER, THEN PULL TOPSKIN OUT AND WRAP IT AROUND...THIS SEEMS TO REALLY HELP IN CONSISTENT ON HEADING, SOFT OPENINGS.

[lister55 0]

I have tried every thing that has been posted on this topic. Except a bigger slider. I have had MANY people try to pack this thing. I think I simply have the "lemon". So I am done with this canopy. I will be ordering a new one. I start demoing this weekend.

[xheadrasta 0]

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I have tried every thing that has been posted on this topic. Except a bigger slider. I have had MANY people try to pack this thing. I think I simply have the "lemon". So I am done with this canopy. I will be ordering a new one. I start demoing this weekend.

Mark,

I was in the same boat you are with the openings on my Stiletto. I just put the first 3 jumps on my new Crossfire2 119 on Saturday and I am simply amazed at the openings! They are 600ft or better AND it is brand new! It reminds me of the Stilettos of ol'. Demo everything you can get your hands on. It's a blast checking 'em all out.

Scott

I read somewhere to learn is to remember and I've learned we all forgot

[hookitt 0]

Did you try adding a pocket to your existing slider? It can really do wonders and it's cheap.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[lister55 0]

Did you try adding a pocket to your existing slider? It can really do wonders and it's cheap.

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I do not wish to simply mask the problem. Changing sliders, adding pockets, doing all this fancy packing is really only treating the symptoms. None of these solutions really solve the issue at hand. Therefore , and since I do videos, I will be simply purchasing something that is consistent.

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[kaerock 1]

Actually, all of these things can help solve the problem at hand. People have been doing mods like that and even more esoteric ones for many years.

-Rory

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Did you try adding a pocket to your existing slider? It can really do wonders and it's cheap.

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I do not wish to simply mask the problem. Changing sliders, adding pockets, doing all this fancy packing is really only treating the symptoms. None of these solutions really solve the issue at hand. Therefore , and since I do videos, I will be simply purchasing something that is consistent.

You be the king and I'll overthrow your government. --KRS-ONE

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