Different characteristics between xbrace canopies

[Brumby 0]

So I've just started flying a cross brace canopy that being a velo 103 and everyone has their own opinions and personal choices but I'm interested in people's comments on the characteristics of the canopies on today's market. My velocity review is the openings are so unpredictable but once it's open has a lovely steep flight angle and powerful flare. Are their any canopies that have similar characteristics flight wise but have better openings??

[keithbar 1]

I know nothing about it but there's talk that Icarus is developing a cross braced canopy for wingsuiting it's supposed to be a 5 cell

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .

[dqpacker 7]

Brumby

So I've just started flying a cross brace canopy that being a velo 103 and everyone has their own opinions and personal choices but I'm interested in people's comments on the characteristics of the canopies on today's market. My velocity review is the openings are so unpredictable but once it's open has a lovely steep flight angle and powerful flare. Are their any canopies that have similar characteristics flight wise but have better openings??

not really until you step up to a Petra or Peregrine.
velocity openings aren't that bad once you learn to fly the openings. if you are looking for a swoop canopy go velocity, comp velo, leia, #notavelo(new pd leia match), petra or peregrine. if you want a xbraced canopy for after freefall time go jfx or jvx or even a xaos. but with those three you will not have the speed or power of the others. in my opinion.

also the 5cell xbraced canopy is already out there and it's the matrix2 by nzaero. it was made for crw but there is talk of one for wingsuiting.

[Pablo.Moreno 0]

The difference I found on opening between the Velo 111 2.0 is searchy, wants to go somewhere NOW but it doesn't know where. With the JVX 94 2.5 has a more stable opening (less twitchy) but when it surge you better be ready to go with it or is going to win.

With that said I have over 300 jumps on crossbraced and only one reserve ride, which I cause (WAY to much rear riser input)

[danielcroft 2]

Xaos has super nice openings, very low drama. Not as high performance as other cross braced canopies but a very stable platform which also makes it great for freestyle swooping.

As far as flight characteristics go, the VE and VC are both more fun than the Xaos-27 to fly (IMO) and also have a longer recovery arc.

I have only flown VE-90, VC-84, Xaos27-91, Xaos27-84 and a Neos-94 (if that even counts) so I'm no expert it comes to cross braced canopies. You may want to check out the JFX as well if you're concerned about opening performance.

As far as the 5 cell cross braced canopy goes, there is the Matrix from Icarus but it's a competition CRW canopy so maybe not what you're looking for.

[andym148 2]

I had a few jumps on a Velo 103, then hurt my knee and upsized to a Velo 111. The difference in openings was quite vast, the 111 searched around like i don't know what. They were soft thats for sure, and looooooooooong. I had my 111 loaded at around 1.8, and i think that was the problem. The 103 opened much better with out searching, loaded at 1.9/2. I did how ever have a hard opening/spanker instant canopy on one jump (packers present), the openings were better i think due to WL.
Ive now got a JFX 109, the openings are nice, firmer than the Velo's and XF's. The openings are not as searching as the Velos, and i prefer them.

At long last the light at the end of the tunell isnt an on coming train!!!

[hodges 4]

I recently started jumping a VE103 @ 1.98 and didn't like the openings compared to my KA120. They either searched all over the place or spanked open, it seemed.

I stuck a PD RDS (slider only) on it last weekend and the openings are _considerably_ nicer from both sub-terminal and terminal.