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lazyfrog

what canopy do you use for wingsuitflying ?

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Spectre loaded at 1.0. I've had line twists on opening twice (totally pilot induced, I've never been all that good at "closing my legs" ;):D); didn't even have to unzip my arms to get out of them and the canopy flew straight throughout the twisting and untwisting.

I may be downsizing in the future but I'll be keeping my Spectre for wingsuit jumps because it is so stable and predictable on opening.

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Definately use the Sabre1 150 over the Saphire2 139, at least for your first jumps. Small problems with your body position can become amplified with a wingsuit on and you need something that's going to be as forgiving as possible.

I started on a Spectre 135 (loaded at about 1.3) which was great. I'm now on a Sabre2 120 (1.5) which is ok but noticeably more twitchy on opening.

Gus
OutpatientsOnline.com

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My Samurai (loaded at 1.4) has been good to me, but there were a lot of cautions from the other BM on the DZ...:o

It all depends on what you are comfortable with: I've had line twists all the way up that I could kick out of (:Smost of the time it just keeps flying straight). Every now and then it will dive in a slow spin, but I'm ready for it - so, it's OK as long as I'm not trying to open below 3000'...

But, echoing everyone else - go with the more docile on your first jumps...you have enough to worry about with all the new housekeeping after opening;).
Z-Flock 8
Discotec Rodriguez

Too bad weapons grade stupidity doesn't lead to sterility.

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but it is a 7cell, nobody voted for that...



I do jump a 7 cells (lightning 176) and i find it extremely reliable... I had line twist only once and it was more because of my pulling sequence than because of the canopy.


I jump, I live, I love. Ourson #1 Ordre des Ours Polaires Volants

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When I started flying wingsuit a GTI, I started with a Falcon 195. I did about 60 jumps on it before I switched to my Crossfire. I put together another rig so I could leave one on my wingsuit and I thougt it would be easier to have two mains that flew very similar than to have two that flew different. My main in my none wingsuit rig is a Crossfire 2 130. While there are some differances between my Crossfire 1 and Crossfire 2, they are fairly similar.
When starting out I would definitly recommend jumping a non eliptcal canopy till you are comfortable with the pull sequence
Kirk

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Vengence 150 loaded at 1.56:1. I have almost 50 GTI flights with this setup, have had severe line twist a couple of times, and all but once the canopy flew straight through the twists. I love the way the canopy flies, but I don't feel its the 'ideal' set up for Birdman jumps. Unfortunately, I have to do alot more tandem videos than I get to fly my wingsuit, so I love to swoop the Vengence, but I trade it out right for a Saber2 or Saffire2 in the 170ish range.
I'm not qualified to offer instruction or advice, but I'd tend to agree with the other folks comments regarding which canopy for your first flights. Open high, have fun.
Later
Blair

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Sabre1 150! I have two canopies - a Saphire 119 and a Silhouette 170. The Silhouette gives better openings, it doesn't care about body position, it gives you more time to unzip and stow, and it lets me float while the tandems land (a problem on bigger loads.)

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You use a Lightning on Wingsuit jumps? What are you doing to get a longer bridle instead of the retractible one on the Lightning? What are you using to slow the openings down so they are liveable?



I use the standard bridle and it always open very nicely. I don't plan to change it for a longer one. And about the openings, the lightning is exactly the thing to use when opening at those slower airspeed since it is intended for CRW. I should add thought that i pack it with a pod not with a tailpocket. I might add that in my area we are a few Bird-Man addict jumping with Lightnings.


I jump, I live, I love. Ourson #1 Ordre des Ours Polaires Volants

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I use my everyday skydiving canopy (Xaos 88 or 93) because it's what I am comfortable, and current on.

The canopies you have listed as available for you to use, both seem to be appropriate, as long as you are current on them. Why not be safer for the first couple and use the bigger canopy.

Edit caus werked on phoniks didn't!:ph34r:
----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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I use my Sabre1 135 strictly for BM flights because it opens square and is stable even if it has line twists. I will eventually replace it with a Sabre2 97 or 107 when it wears out.
"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

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Finally flew my Sabre2 107 (loaded at ~1.7) this last weekend. I put it to the test by inducing line twists intentionally (not with the wingsuit), and once by accident (with the wingsuit... oops). Flew straight on both occassions. I love this canopy. It drops ~600 feet across a 5-6 second powerband, has an endless flare, and doesn't spiral in line twists. It's relatively unresponsive to harness input, which is excellent for flying a wingsuit, but not really for HP canopy flying (mainly when doing minor corrections while swooping... riser or toggle input works better for this one). Highly recommended.
"¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯"

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but not really for HP canopy flying



I agree with you on everything but the above. I have seen Sky:ph34r:one swoop the piss out of his Sabre2 97 on many occassions. It's an all around excellent canopy IMO no matter what you like to do. Of course, your mileage may vary;)
"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

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I could have phrased that better. I was speaking specifically about harness input, and nothing else. You can definitely get a hell of a swoop out of this canopy. Comparing this to (just a little) experience on a Crossfire 109, my Sabre 2 has FAR lighter riser pressure, a longer powerband, a longer recovery arc, responds better to toggle/rear riser input, and has about the same amount of flare. The Crossfire was far more responsive to hip input, which is great for (amongst many other things) moving about after you've planed out without exhausting any flare. But this turning into a canopy thread.

Didn't mean to make it sound like the Sabre2 was docile at all. It has a HUGE performance envelope, heading all the way up to the high performance arena. I'm just saying that one should expect to win a PST with one anytime soon (though you probably wouldn't get last, either).
"¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯"

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