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kawisixer01

Canopy selection help?

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Hey folks, I am having a hell of a time narrowing down canopies due to lack of knowledge of various canopies and jumping at a small DZ, and I think have only managed to make it harder. I've been jumping stiletto 150 for a few years and several hundred jumps. I'm looking to go down to a 135 and something s lot more swoopy with slower recovery arc, as I feel I'm riding my fronts way too low. I'm doing 90-180 front turns, and don't plan on going crazy on swooping but certainly love to have quick swooped out landings. I've been jumping a Katana 135 a whole bunch. I like how the canopy flies and lands, but HATE the openings. It seems like a roll of the dice whether you get a hard diving turn on opening that wants to spin up. The brand new one I demo'd was better than the one I've been borrowing, but still seems pretty sporty come opening time.
I also jumped a Aerodyne Zulu 150, didn't get a chance to get on the 132. It's openings seemed OK, but the canopy seemed to have a bit faster recovery arc and a little weaker flare than the Katana.
What other canopies should be in my wheelhouse? Crossfire 2? Safire? Sabre 2? The descriptions on the mfr websites seem about worthless in narrowing down what I'm looking for. I'm 170 lbs+gear. I should mention that most of the time I'm flying a tandem rig. lol

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Tesla from Fluidwings and the X-Fire by Icarus Spain are the new cool toys for somebody looking for katanalike dives with better openings.

IMHO don't bother with the Crossfire 3 from NZAerosports as its recovery arc is just little longer than the Stilettolike Crossfire 2.
Other might say that it's the next best thing since the invention of sliced bread but in all objectivity it's still just a slightly better version of the Crossfire 2.

I jumped Katanas with removable sliders from Lookma for about 600 jumps. Still sometimes go back and watch the awesome openings those things had compared to my VCs. 800ft Onheading snivel every. single. time.

Just demoed a 120 Sabre2 at 1.8 for my Girlfriend and was sursprised, what a swooping maschine it actually is. If I had to choose a canopy in your place and didn't want to buy the shiny new toys from FW and Icarus I'd probably be looking for one of those on the used market.

I didn't like the Zulu (122, 112, 102) because of the shortish recovery arch and comparably lousy flare from the chest down.
It does behave quite nimble with harness inputs, though.

Canopies like Safire, Crossfire, Pilot ect can be left out as their flying characteristics aren't what you said you want out of a new wing.
-------------------------------------------------------

To absent friends

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Thank you very much for the input. I haven't really looked at the fw tesla but judging by how they describe it's characteristics it is exactly what I'm looking for. I'd probably get a katana but from the folks I've talked to it seems like it's a roll of the dice whether you get one that opens decent or not.
Also would like to have a convo with Icarus, especially since I saw they are now doing an instructor discount.

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I'll point out that the Tesla has high performance openings. They're definitely not like a Crossfire where you can basically throw your pilot chute and ignore the rest. The Tesla will very quickly point out any asymmetry you have on opening. Still a good canopy though and fun to fly.

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Quote

recovery arc is just little longer than the Stilettolike Crossfire 2.



You obviously do not know what you are talking about if you think a crossfire 2 has a similar recovery arc to a stilletto. And then you go on to recommend a sabre 2?!? Of those three canopies, the stilletto has the shortest recovery arc, and then the sabre, and then the crossfire.

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I did about 4000+ jumps on a katana120. Yes the openings can be interesting. Yes there are nicer opening canopies. But if you learn to fly your openings then you'll get used to the way it opens and it wont bother you so much. Plus its great practice if you ever jump a velocity one day (great canopy, worst openings ever).

Great canopy for someone with your jumps and coming off a stiletto. I did the same many years ago. What a great canopy it was to learn how to swoop properly before going on to a velo and now a valkyrie.

I still take it for a jump every now and then and swoop the sh1t out of it!
Ready...Set...Go..!

SkydiveSwakop

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