If xbraces didn't exist..

[swooper81 0]

...what would you be flying? (swooping is the objective)

[Pendragon 1]

I voted for a Mamba - it's easily got the most powerful flare of any non x-braced canopy out there.

(I actually own a Xfire2, which I love - it opens beautifully and also allows me to get back from the odd long spot too... ) but since the question was regarding swooping...

I bet the Katana wins the vote though - too many people out there think PD and nothing else

--
BASE #1182
Muff #3573
PFI #52; UK WSI #13

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

I bet the Katana wins the vote though - too many people out there think PD and nothing else Unsure

Then there's folks like me. I've jumped a XF2 for a couple of years, I've put a number of jumps under a Mamba of the same size as well as the Katana of the same size.

For overall performance, flare power, speed and dive the Katana wins hands down. For a canopy that performs "ok" and opens "ok" then I'd go with a Mamba. Its definately not as high performance as a Katana or a XF2. More of a canopy in between a XF2 and a Stilleto. Atleast that's my experience with those canopies.

The only PD canopy I've ever owned so far is a PDr, I've owned PISA, Icarus and have jumped just about everything out there.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[dploi 0]

The Katana is like a Velocity with better openings and 2/3 the bottom end. It's probably one of the best canopies out there, crossbraced or not, for sheer fun in the air. It has my vote.

[diablopilot 2]

The Blade by HiPer.


Second choice would be a Stiletto me thinks.....

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Guinness_fr 0]

You left out the Sabre2 which is a much better swooping canopy than the stiletto.

[rwieder 0]

Give me that X-Fire2!!

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[hparrish 0]

I do jump a Cross Braced but have jumped many of these canopies. The Poll is a good tool for opinions but I'd recommend jumping these canopiies and deciding for youself.

The Katana and Crossfire II are simply the most popular right now. So most people will select one of them.

The Alpha, Cobalt, and Samurai are hard to come by. So unless the folks responding to your poll have actually jumped most of thse canopies their choice really isn't objective.

I have jumped all of these canopies with the exception of the Katana, Alpha, and Cobalt. My choice would be the Samurai.

I guess what I'm saying is demo what you can and decide for yourself, what you like.

[Sabre1Lucke 0]

I would go for the demon competition from Performance Variable (Now Firebird).
It's diving very nice and you can make long swoops with it.

unfortunately not in the list