Future of canopy piloting for people that aren't ready for a VK/Leia?

[danielcroft 2]

Well, given PD's MO, we'll see the new hotness when they're good and done testing!

I can't imagine they'd want to let NZA update the Safire2 and not do the same but IDK what their plans are. It'll be interesting to see how the Crossfire3(s) and Safire3 will be accepted in the market. I'd say they will be popular based on all the hype around the VK/Leia but there's more at play than that, of course.

[jacketsdb23 45]

Quote

Katana is the best non-xbraced canopy out there.

My personal opinion on this (worth what you paid for):

Openings: Worst, slightly ahead of mamba...but anytime you introduce the mamba into a discussion...I digress

Dive: for fucking miles. Point it at the ground it will go.

Landings: I always found the crossfire easier to shut down, didn't find a lot of flare power with the katana.

I personally enjoyed the crossfire 2 more, mostly because the openings on the Katana were so rough, and at that stage of my progression I was doing a lot of video. Bottom line is, anyone getting a new canopy should demo the different canopies available and choose what is right for them.

#swoop

Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

[Yanni 0]

^^^fixing your typo about the openings^^^ you accidentally typed in worst instead of best. It's OK though we all know what you really meant to say.

In my opinion I thought the transition from Saber 2 over to the Katana felt just about right for me at a 1.5 W/L. I borrowed my friends Saber 2 150 and hammered out a few 90s on that for a couple weeks as a little transition instead of dealing with the downsize and platform change at the same time. I felt like changing platforms without downsizing at the same time was key. The canopies extra range was the only thing I really needed to figure out once I got on it.

As far as something new I'm doubting we are going to see anything between the saber 2 and the katana just yet. I'd like for this new mystery thing to keep the katanas dive but be more sensitive to harness input.

Part of me wonders if we will start seeing more swoop capable canopies at lighter wing loadings. Not saying that big canopies cant be swooped or people won't be competing with small canopies but I kinda feel like performance without the W/L could be something we see in the future. This would of course make room for a KA2 and a velocity2 creating a smooth progression onto the VK. Thoughts???

Door! Green! Enjoy

[hokierower 0]

The "Velocity 2" already exists as the Comp Velocity (VC). The introduction of the VK in no way diminishes the effectiveness of the VC nor does it eliminate it's role in the development of future canopy pilots. The "future" is that the standard Velocity slowly becomes replaced by the Comp Velocity. My Comp 84 at a 2.6 WL is still a boatload of fun doing 270s and as I'm moving into 450s it's getting even better. My flysight data is showing me hitting mid-80mph in the peak of my dive and coming through the gates at 65-70mph. The VC is still a swoop machine, it's just unfortunate that people are starting to look past it.

As far as more "swoop capable" canopies at lighter wing loadings, have you ever swooped at a Sabre2 @ 1.8? At that WL it's a great canopy to learn to swoop. Yes, it's a little unnerving because you have to start lower (not that much though), but it's a great "training canopy" because it requires solid skills to actually get a solid swoop out of it vs. a velo where you can throw a shitty turn and still get a "swoop". The Sabre2 almost forces you to learn technique first so you can swoop it properly.

[Yanni 0]

Yeah I'm not saying they aren't capable or effective canopies. I do however believe that there will be other canopies in the future that will have slightly different flight characteristics more suited to whatever the modern techniques/ learning progressions will be at the time.

I'm not sure you stayed on the same page when I was talking about lighter wing loadings. In the grand scheme of Canopy Piloting a 1.8 inst very high but for the typical jumper who wants to learn how to swoop it can be a bit fast. The scariest swoopers I have seen where people who where learning around that same wing loading.

So far it seems like the Schumann style wings are quite sensitive to harness input. Now if this harness sensitivity carries over to the other non cross braced versions It could make for more swoop friendly larger canopies. Of course it wouldn't be as extreme as their crossed braced parents but I'm thinking it may still carry over to an extent.

Now hypothetically lets say they did carry over some of those traits and now people where following this new path of canopy progression on Schumann platform wings couldn't this possibly lead to another canopy along side the velocity that's more along the lines of a Schumann?

I have never swooped a saber 2 at 1.8 only up to a 1.5. I haven't flown any of the crossed braced canopies yet but I'm sure they are great. Just speculating throwing around ideas here.

Door! Green! Enjoy