Sabre 2 opening

[koune 0]

Hi All,

I know some people jumping a Sabre2.
Some of them complain about having severe/uncontrolled openings. And that the canopy consequently dives to the left or the right side after deployment (always to left, or always to right).

Do more jumpers have these kind of problems with Sabre2, or (better yet) does anybody know why this happens and what to do about it?

Thanks in advance,
koen

[gmac324 0]

I have a Sabre2 135 - loaded at 1.5. If I don't pay attention to staying level in the harness during opening it opens slightly faster on one side and consequently dives in a turn of less than 90 degrees. It will not spin up in line twists but with take 10 or so seconds to pull out of the dive completely.

It is not usually a problem if I pay attention to my body position on opening or steer the turn out and just wait for it to stop diving.

Graeme

[mr2mk1g 10]

hmmm thats interesting, i'll try paying attention to my body position under my opening sabre 1. I find I almost always get very bad end cell closure on one side of the canopy which causes it to dive off to that side slightly on opening. Maybe thats the cause of it.

[FeFe 0]

there seemed to be an issue with off-heading openings on few of first-production Sabre2.
Otherwise it's body position or a packing issue - don't push in the nose.

[usskydiver 0]

My wife (Colbrodie) has an early Sabre 2 (S/N less than #100) and has never had a "severe/uncontrolled opening." Please remember there are several factors that contribute to the opening of a canopy. Pilot chute size/construction, line stow size/tension, slider placement, body position, etc. The Sabre 2 is an excellent all around canopy but any parachute can open severely/uncontrollably if the basics are ignored.

Tim
Maggot

[gus 1]

I get the same thing on my Sabre2 120 (also loaded at 1.5), it seems much more sensitive to body position than the Spectres I jumped previously. But it's a good canopy: nice to fly, great fun to land.

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[skymama 35]

I have one of the early Sabre 2's made in late 2001. In the beginning, I did have a problem with it constantly diving to the right. Since I jump in Deland, I dropped it off at PD to have it tested, and they ended up giving me a new line set on it when it only had about 30 jumps on it.

Since then, my biggest complaint is end cell closure upon opening. Some people tell me that it's a good thing since it means I'm getting a nice opening. Yes, they are nice, but I don't like the surge downward that I start to get before I get the end cells opened up. It's been suggested to me that it could be due to the 1:0 loading that I have on it. It's not so much of a bother that I'd trade in the canopy because of it though.

The Sabre 2 is also very responsive to body position, and I just had a conversation about this with Scott Miller (test jumper for PD and canopy control instructor) last weekend. I had a few openings where I had a 180 twist after the canopy had opened. He said that sounded like a body position issue, and suggested that I make sure my feet are together once I'm sitting up in the saddle and waiting for the canopy to inflate. I tried it, and it worked like a charm. My opening was so sweet and on heading it was like a Spectre!

I love my Sabre 2 170, and when I downsize it will be to a Sabre 2 150.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[earthbound 0]

That is interesting to note - I also jump a Sabre 2 (150), which gives me a wing loading of about 1.0. I have end cell closures on just about every opening, and the canopy likes to turn on opening. Concentrating on body position has definitely helped - I might give the 'keeping feet together' trick a go next time. The canopy is great to fly though, and lands beautifully.

[falxori 0]

yeap,
i've had several minor unwanted turns on opening (usually to the right) and also end cell closure.

i've noticed (after implementing a tip someone here gave me) that if i look straight forward and not up while its inflating, it helps a lot.
i'm pretty sure its more of a packing and body position issue and less of a canopy bad design.
i'm staying with mine, anyway

O

"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."

[CrazyIvan 0]

That's a vey good tip: "Keeping legs together", I have a Sabre2 150 WL 1:1 and I usually get an end cell closure, I though it was because I'm a light jumper, I had a line twist to the right after the canopy was inflated, very interesting tip, thanks.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[skymama 35]

Quote

That's a vey good tip: "Keeping legs together",

Yeah, imagine my embarrassment when Scott asked, "what are you doing with your feet?", and I looked at him quizzically and blurted out, "my feet? You mean I have to think about what my feet are doing now too?"

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[matttrudeau 0]

I've been getting similar openings. Usually, it starts inflating fine and then once it opens fully it will surge one way or the other. I'm pretty sure my legs are apart and i'm causing it. I have had a couple that gave me one hell of a ride, about two 360's. I think I just need to leave the canopy alone while it opens and keep my feet together.

[slotperfect 7]

Mine was diving on opening now and then. I was using mini rubber bands for all stows on a three-stow d-bag.

I got a tip to change my locking stows to standard rubber bands and use mini rubber bands for the regular stows.

It hasn't dived on me since!!

I have closed end cells now and again, but as soon as I grab my rear risers in the process of collapsing my slider and pulling it down behind my head they inflate just fine.

I LOVE the way my Sabre2 opens!!!

Arrive Safely

John

[usskydiver 0]

Hmm..I'll have to try the feet together thing on my Velocity because it definitely goes wherever it wants to on opening. Sometimes I think I'm jst along for the ride while it's "seeking" it's heading.

Tim
Maggot

[skymama 35]

It would be worth a try. Scott told me that he does that himself when he jumps a Stiletto.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Shark 0]

I was about to mention that Stilettos have a similar type deployment/inflation. My Sabre2 is still pretty new and every other jump opens in a 360, so technically it is an on heading opening. The openings, however, is as smooth as a Spectre, but with less snivel. During the first 5 jumps or so, it was diving with line twists and closed end cells. I was having it packed at the time since it was new, but since then I have been able to get it in the bag. I curious to see how the "new" PD canopy is going to fly.

[b1jercat 0]

HI, I jump a saber 2 loaded at 1.35 its my first canopy. I've jumped several different canopys and nothing opens softer than a saber 2. As far as diveing off it all depends on the relative wind when the canopy opens or so it seems to me.

blue skies

jerry



edit for spelling

[koune 0]

Thanks for all the answers.
The keep-the-legs-together-solution is sure worth a try.

koen

[ypelchat 0]

Hi all;

I also have a Sabre2 190, serial 0001720, and I'm having the same problem. I have done 50 jumps with it so far, and i've got like 47 hard, off-heading openings, with the canopy turning to the right, in a dive.

I will probably send it back to PD so they can check it.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

I have over 300 jumps on a Sabre2 and have experienced nice soft openings as well as harder ones including one slammer which was particularily bad (rushed pack job on my part). My canopy usually snivels on heading before diving to the right (usually, but not always). Because of this, my hands reach for my rear risers on each opening to control the dive.

It's possible that you have an anomoly, as PD's quality control is quite good. If you're consistently getting slammed, one would have to guess that it's either your packing or your body position come deployment time. But who knows, maybe you got a lemon in a field of oranges.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[Blahr 0]

Has anyone that said they will try the feet together thing gone on and tried it yet? and if so, what were your results?

[CrazyIvan 0]

Quote

Has anyone that said they will try the feet together thing gone on and tried it yet? and if so, what were your results?

I did try....IT WORKS, just make sure your legs are straight DOWN.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[ypelchat 0]

There are a couple more things i'll try this week end, before I make a decision on wether I should return the canopy to PD to have it checked. I'll let you all know.



Yves.

[ypelchat 0]

Let alone the opening problems, the canopy flies and lands like a dream

Yves.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

My only complaint concerning the Sabre2 is that it has a quick recovery arc. And because of this, soon I will start flying a Crossfire2 canopy. But the Sabre2 is an awesome canopy and has taught me a lot about canopy control (plus I have video of myself out swooping someone on a similarly loaded Samurai).

It's funny that people talk of the Sabre2 diving on opening. I've wondered if my diving openings were related to my often sloppy pack jobs, or if it is indeed a characteristic of the canopy itself (which I'm beginning to think is the case). But I rarely have line twists (maybe 2 or 3 in 300+ jumps) and the diving openings can be controlled with the rear risers.

The Sabre2 is an awesome canopy for intermediate canopy pilots.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over