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GeordieSkydiver

Wingsuit and swooping.

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Can the wingsuit (the legwing really) have a negative effect if you are swooping?

I did a few jumps this weekend, with 270 FR landings, initiated at the same height each time. The last one I almost creamed myself in, and there was only 2 things different,

1. I was wearing a WS, on which the leg wing popped out behind me on the final fastest part of the turn.

2. I initiated the turn a little quicker than normal.

I accept that whatever the cause it was fully my fault, and I was lucky to get away with some bruises and whiplash. B|My knee impacted 1 second after the canopy leveled off.

I'm not looking for excuses, just to understand what happened.
Lee _______________________________

In a world full of people, only some want to fly, is that not crazy?
http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

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Hope you heal up soon..

As for a wingsuit affecting your swoop.
If anything, Id say it could ad some drag. But that would (at most) make you end up a bit higher then usual, as your diving-speed (due to drag) would be less fast?

No experience in that area...to affraid of f*cking up my wingsuit on normal landings already..let alone try and swoop when flying one..B|

Hope you feel better soon, and maybe make your way down to .nl again!

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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If anything, Id say it could ad some drag. But that would (at most) make you end up a bit higher then usual, as your diving-speed (due to drag) would be less fast?



Or the extra drag may lengthen the recovery arc, by slightly increasing the time it takes the jumper to swing back under the canopy?
Do you want to have an ideagasm?

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If you look at the amount of screwed up landings even seasoned swooping-pro's like the PD guys have, then Id much sooner just chalk this up to sh*t (sadly) happens, then search for turbulence/drag-reasons caused by a wingsuit?

But you where there, and felt what happened....
Did you feel any weird drag or pulling on the legwing during your swoop?
JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

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The only time I don't bang a big turn (either 270 or 360) is when there is simply too much traffic. That's very, very rare in a wingsuit, so I generally do get to swoop. In my wingsuit I just make sure all of my wings are completely unzipped and that my legwing is stowed in the upper leg vent hole or snapped up. I keep tightly balled up during my turn to reduce drag. Having the suit on does not affect me at all.

I jump a Sabre2 97 loaded at 1.87 for wingsuiting.

Chuck

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I've never had an unzipped suit effect me, but I definitely feel a difference when flying a Prodigy. Having the leg wing open will make your recovery arc longer for sure.

That said, if you're turning so low and so hard that the extra drag from a wingsuit caused you to pound in, you need to start higher, turn slower and recover much smoother. You're leaving yourself no room for error with your current turn.

Ted
Like a giddy school girl.

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Or the extra drag may lengthen the recovery arc, by slightly increasing the time it takes the jumper to swing back under the canopy?



This is the correct answer. With the increased drag on your lower body, there is a "mini downplane" effect that keeps the canopy in a dive/lengthens the recovery arc.

This is one of the tools in a competitive swoopers toolbox. When you're low, ball up and pendulum out faster. If you're high, extend fully to lenthen the recovery arc and keep the canopy diving.

To the OP.

When you're swooping your body position should be knees together.
That will prevent the wing from inflating - even if you're still wearing it.

(I jump a Safire loaded to 1.85 at a DZ 5000ft AMSL and do a 270 front riser approach. To those anti 270 in the pattern junkies - I'm down about 2 min after the other canopies have landed.)
It's the year of the Pig.

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But you where there, and felt what happened....
Did you feel any weird drag or pulling on the legwing during your swoop?



I take it that was aimed at me Jarno??

I felt the legwing pop back between my legs, almost at the point my body was parallel to the ground, the canopy continued on its recovery and leveled off, I was thinking "this is going to be a fucking long fast one" (nil winds) when I just seemed to 'lurch' half a foot lower. I had my knees bent and the right knee hit the lawn, cue big bounce and final landing 20 metres away.

I'm kinda sore today but ok.B|

Edited to add: My new Blade is fine, just one slight grass stain!:)
Lee _______________________________

In a world full of people, only some want to fly, is that not crazy?
http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

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This weekend I noticed, as I was flying and horsing around under canopy that the legwing of my blade did somewhat inflate at one point, with the nice airlock & all... I think you might have had a similar something happen, and that it created extra drag?
Costyn van Dongen - http://www.flylikebrick.com/ - World Wide Wingsuit News

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This weekend I noticed, as I was flying and horsing around under canopy that the legwing of my blade did somewhat inflate at one point, with the nice airlock & all... I think you might have had a similar something happen, and that it created extra drag?



This is what I was thinking, but with me also changing the rate I initiate the turn i couldn't be sure.

Unfortunately nobody had video, so we'll never know for sure.:S

Its certainly something to keep in mind though, I guess I'll keep my high speed landing for non-WS jumps (what the hell are they?:P)
Lee _______________________________

In a world full of people, only some want to fly, is that not crazy?
http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

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