newswooper 0 #1 May 8, 2007 Hi all I just demo my first xbraced canopy a velo 103 wl 2,3 I was really exited about it, but only until my first jump. Sure it’s great for swooping but to fly??? in my opinion it was boring just steep toggles like chewing gum and back risers are to soft for me the fronts are hard but good for transfer to the harness. I’m the only one who thinks like this? Please give me some answers thx English is not my language Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ORANGENBLUE 0 #2 May 8, 2007 Quote I’m the only one who thinks like this? yes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #3 May 8, 2007 Might be an idea to fill out your profile. Someone who has a username like yours who's 1st post is like yours is difficult to take seriously. tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygod7777 0 #4 May 8, 2007 i wouldn't say your the only one who thinks this...i've heard of people not liking it because it doesn't respond like their old stilleto...it's all about what you want from the parachute. do you want to a parachute with a long recovery arc or do you want one the will turn really fast with the toggle at your ear....because you can't have both... later Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
superstu 0 #5 May 8, 2007 i'm pretty sure you're not the only one who doesn't care for a Velocity, however, you are probably the first person to compare the toggle stroke of any canopy to chewing gum . the velocity, along with all other xbraced canopies, are definitely a different breed of parachute and like alcohol can be an acquired taste. try out some other canopies in similar sizes to compare your thoughts and go from there. glad you got to experience the velo...stu Slip Stream Air Sports Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newswooper 0 #6 May 8, 2007 I do some updates I’m not saying its a bad canopy but the mamba blade xfire2 katana... are in my opinion more fun to fly not for swooping Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #7 May 8, 2007 Quotethe mamba blade xfire2 katana... are in my opinion more fun to fly not for swooping x-braced canopies are engineered to be swooped. It's as simple as that. If someone isn't a swooper, why are they flying an x-braced canopy? Use the right tool for the right job. I was thoroughly impressed with the x-braced canopies when I first started jumping them. They lived up to and exceeded all expectations I ever had of them. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newswooper 0 #8 May 8, 2007 That’s the point I had talked and trained with many good people and all said that I will love it but I was disappointed. Ok it’s the best swooping canopy I have ever tried but that’s it. But everybody said the xbraced canopy is the best on the market in all aspects and it is not! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ORANGENBLUE 0 #9 May 8, 2007 Quote But everybody said the xbraced canopy is the best on the market in all aspects and it is not! uh... Try to remember that quantifying fight characteristics (good, better, best) is very subjective. Some people really enjoy how crossbraced canopys fly, some people really enjoy the way Stilettos fly. crossbraced canopys are not for everyone, and thats fine. At the end of the day it's just about what you prefer and what feels good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crazydiver 0 #10 May 8, 2007 QuoteHi all I just demo my first xbraced canopy a velo 103 wl 2,3 I was really exited about it, but only until my first jump. Sure it’s great for swooping but to fly??? in my opinion it was boring just steep toggles like chewing gum and back risers are to soft for me the fronts are hard but good for transfer to the harness. I’m the only one who thinks like this? Please give me some answers thx English is not my language I feel like the velocity is one of the most versatile canopies I've flown. Although it doesn't turn with as little input as a stiletto or something similar, it can turn just as quickly, you just have to give more input quicker. Cheers, Travis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #11 May 9, 2007 QuoteI was really exited about it, but only until my first jump Maybe it takes more than one jump to see what a canopy can do. Try it 400 or 500 more times, and see what you think then. I'm not kidding. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deadbug 0 #12 May 9, 2007 Try a Katana. Dives like a Velocity and turns like a Stiletto. I spent 2 years under a FX and never really liked it. The Katana dosen't swoop QUITE as far, but it's alot more fun to fly. By being very dialed into my canopy, I can out swoop all but the best crossbraced pilots under my Katana. Doug Quote i wouldn't say your the only one who thinks this...i've heard of people not liking it because it doesn't respond like their old stilleto...it's all about what you want from the parachute. do you want to a parachute with a long recovery arc or do you want one the will turn really fast with the toggle at your ear....because you can't have both... later Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #13 May 9, 2007 QuoteHi all I just demo my first xbraced canopy a velo 103 wl 2,3 I was really exited about it, but only until my first jump. Sure it’s great for swooping but to fly??? in my opinion it was boring just steep toggles like chewing gum and back risers are to soft for me the fronts are hard but good for transfer to the harness. I’m the only one who thinks like this? Please give me some answers thx English is not my language Cross-bracing is an enabling technology that lets you jump a smaller canopy than you could with a conventional design when shutdown speed is the limiting factor in canopy size. By the time you get to that point conventional canopies are getting a bit twitchy so it'd be nice to go 25% smaller without a significant change in control sensitivity. The wisdom of going 25% smaller is a separate issue where the answer for most skydivers is "NO" due to experience and/or currency and might steer one to a conventional design if the longest swoop does not top their list of priorities. People with real experience under cross-braced wings can comment on other advantages (flight range?) that may be useful in other circumstances. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #14 May 9, 2007 Quoteare in my opinion more fun to fly not for swooping Agreed completely. CB's are built almost ONLY to swoop. Their controls are designed to be as constant and predictable as possible to enable the user to do the same thing again, and again, and again. The other canopies you mentioned are great canopies too. They may come up a few yards short on a swoop, but they have many other benefits to offer in return. tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yardhippie 0 #15 May 9, 2007 Being very new to X-bracing I felt just the opposite. I jump a Velo 103 loaded a touch above 2.1. My previous canopy was a Nitro 120 loaded around 1.8. I found the Velo to be more responsive in the places I wanted: harness and rear risers. But in doing high alt hop n pops Ive found that the range of the Velo is considerably greater than my old Nitro. Maybe its because of my experience level, but I feel like this canopies charachteristics have been much easier to learn, and like Tonto said, consistant and predictable, but not just on the swoop front. Ive done braked approaches/landings, straight in landings, 90s 180s and 270s. The canopy contiunes to impress me not just in high speed landings, but also in slower conservative landings. Just my .02.Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newswooper 0 #16 May 15, 2007 Hi Tonto Thanks for your answer but I had last weekend my first friendly competition and we had hard wind conditions and all (xbraced) had problems with hitting the gates. When you say to be consistent with an xbraced way they all missed some gates when I hit them all and I have the lowest experience? Hi DrewEckhardt What you mean with 25% I jump at the moment a Blade 98 wl 2,38 so in your opinion I have to jump a 74,5 wl 3,15 Hi Yardhippie I jumped also a Nitro but it is a semi hp canopy try his big brother the Blade! And you know what I mean… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #17 May 15, 2007 The Blade is a nice flying canopy, but it's got a tremendously short recovery arc. The lines on that canopy need to be like two feet longer. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newswooper 0 #18 May 15, 2007 That’s true I talked with Hiper but they like the advantaged of the short lines and they don’t wont to make a "competition" Blade that’s sucks but is still a great canopy (first low profile canopy like the jvx but 5 years before) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #19 May 16, 2007 Quote Hi Tonto Thanks for your answer but I had last weekend my first friendly competition and we had hard wind conditions and all (xbraced) had problems with hitting the gates. Sigh... You're right of course. Terrible canopies. What is wrong with manufacturers today building canopies that can't hit the gates?Seriously - It's the person UNDER the canopy that deternines whether or not they make the gates. There are many, many really talented and experienced CP's who do awesome beerline swoops and who simply cannot consistantly pass through the gates or stay within the course confines having made the gate while in competition. That has nothing to do with the canopy. It's all about the pilot. tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
selwynj 0 #20 May 16, 2007 QuoteOk it’s the best swooping canopy I have ever tried but that’s it. 'Nough said.“It takes ten years to get ten years’ experience” Eric "tonto" Stephenson D515 PASA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TCMRigging 0 #21 May 18, 2007 If your bored with the velocity or other crossbraced then you just need a few new things to try in th air. I usually do some helicoptors. You can also get it into a spin and then do a toggle stall on just one side. That will give you some radical results. If you don't know what a helicoptor is then try pulling your rear risers to a stall point then pulling only one down further. You will deflate one side of your canopy and spin like a helicoptor. If your loaded over 2 to 1 you will most likely have to spread your risers very far apart and force a total rear riser stall to get out of the spin. It can get out of hand real fast so be ready for anything and before starting remove your toggles from your hands in case you need to chop. Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
selwynj 0 #22 May 21, 2007 Pretty sure you replied to the wrong post. I definitely do not find my velo/xaos boring.“It takes ten years to get ten years’ experience” Eric "tonto" Stephenson D515 PASA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TCMRigging 0 #23 May 21, 2007 I did'nt mean for it to sound like I was replying to your post specifically. I was just replying generally to the xbrace being boring. You can do some wild stuff with these canopies up high that I have not been able to do with any other canopy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
selwynj 0 #24 May 21, 2007 I agree with you. If you are not using this wing for its intended purpose, which is to fly really fast and swoop far then there is no pupose, except for packing extra material, to use these canopies.“It takes ten years to get ten years’ experience” Eric "tonto" Stephenson D515 PASA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
odendan 0 #25 May 22, 2007 That helicopter maneuver sounds like a lot of fun! How many rotations on average can you get away with and not need to chop? Just want an idea what to expect, however I am getting close to needing a reserve repack... hmmmm.... whips n' chains n' hand-grenades with a little ugly on the side. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
