Crossfire 2

I recently got the Crossfire 2 after hearing many good things about it from other Crossfire 2 owners. They were right! I really love the soft, on-heading openings. The flight characteristics and landings are good also.

I have over 10 jumps now on my new crossfire 149 and I have to say the openings are amazing on my Vampire 4! I've had one line twist but it flew out before i could even unzip my arms! With the couple of twists the parachute didn't dive out of control or anything, it remained in a semi straight stable path of flight. Overall the best parachute I have jumped to this day out of the ten previous ones i have flown. So if you have to go elliptical with your WS, get one of these!

500-600 jumps on a couple of sizes 1.5-1.75 wingloading. Greats openings - always soft, more or less on heading, never a twist in sight. Generally a fun, low stress canopy to fly and responsive to harness inputs. Land it however you like, big turns / straight in, no wind / high wind, no worries.

I bought it after reading the reviews here. I love this canopy, the only think what to be aware is, that you should have a minimum of 1,4 wingload;
It doesn´t matter but, if you haven´t enought wingload at windy days it could be not so charmed like usually!

I would by it again!

Bought a used Xfire2 109 (loaded at 1.7) after having read the DZ.com reviews and having heard almost no complaints from other skydivers that have tried the canopy before.

I have over 700 jumps and have done the past 400 on a Stiletto 150. I loved the responsiveness of the canopy but hated the way the canopy would flatten out as soon as I'd let go of a riser even after 270s/360s. Openings were a bit heratic as well. But still a great canopy.

The Crossfire 2 109 I've been jumping since opens, flies, and lands like a dream.

Openings:
In the 20+ jumps I've done, I've had only one 90ø off heading opening. I've dumped it a couple times while tracking and openings were still fine.
The opening sequence might be a little longer than on other canopies, but the comfort is well worth it. My back is already thanking me.

Flight:
Since I'm used to stilettos, the xfire feels a lot less twitchy, but you can still accomplish very deep fast turns or slow flat turns when needed. In deep brakes, the canopy is still very responsive even in high winds. Coming home from long spots is quite comfortable as well since riser pressure is really light.

Landings:
Riser pressure starts really building up after 360 turns with no harness input. If combining riser + harness input, you can make it spiral forever. The canopy is quite ground hungry but still leaves a good margin to bail out. Toggles are very responsive and the canopy has tons of flare power before shutting down.

All in all, the greatest canopy I've tried yet. I'd recommend it to any person that has gear on his head and wants a consistent and fun canopy to perfect their swooping skills.

Thanks for reading,
Taï

A switched from a saffire 2 149 to a crossfire 2 129 with 1.52 loading and I have to say I really love this canopy now the plan is to get a 109 :D

I put around 350 jumps on it. I have a CF 2 129 loaded at 1.8. It flies great. Have no problem getting back from long spots. Opens on heading and soft. The landings are fun. Great swooping canopy but if you need to do a normal landing its response great also. I highly recommend this canopy.

Best canopy I have ever flown..... compared to the PD products I demo'd there is simply no better canopy in its class.

169 Crossfire 2 loaded at 1.5

This canopy is the best, I haven't jumped many canopy's but this kick's ass and opens soft on heading so far.
I don't push the nose in at all just flack, rap and in the bag. Pack size is a lot smaller then other canopy's that I have jumped. Super smooth flying and also flare's great, nice toggle presser. What more can I say. If you get the chance to jump one take it and have fun.
Be safe and Blue skies

Im loading mine at 1.7 and its really fun. Used to fly a safire 2 and the openings are just as good. I think all that crap about off heading openings that "some" people complain about dont know what they are talking about. I dont pack meticulously. I flake, quarter, wrap the tail around the nose and roll it a few times then lay that B^#$% on the ground and shove it into the bag. MOST of my openigs are great, everyonce in a while i have an off heading or line twist but it was probably due to positioning. You cant ask for too much, I mean a parachute isnt always goingto come out of the bag perfectly straight.Anyways, I highly reccomend it.

Couldn't be happier. The Openings are great, Toggle/Riser Pressure are manageable. After years on PD Products it is good to be here!

I fully agree with the above positive comments. I only ask myself, whether I do something wrong as the openings of my x-fire 119 loaded at 1.6 are no as good as descibed by others. Yes they are soft, with a long snivel - very much comparable to my previous Stiletto 135. After about 65 jumps now I still don't get constant on heading openings. During the long snivel it starts dancing left and right to end up randomly on one side after a final quick strike. About 40 of those jumps I let it be packed by very experienced packers. Some of those openings even resulted in line twists. My own packjs were generally better. Since I have it very much focus on my body position, making sure that it is not me causing this.

Haven't put many jumps on my crossfire 2 149 loaded at 1.5 yet, but compared to my previous canopy (crossfire 1) it's a world of difference. Compared to the crossfire 1: openings are the same, toggle turns are much more responsive and faster, riser pressure is lighter, flare is about the same. I'm loading it on the light side, but it's still a fun, responsive canopy to learn how to swoop on.

Opens really nice. Not 100% on heading but enough anyway. I have dumped it leading an atmo dive and I think I could dump it even headdown..

I love the way how the canopy feels really solid, much more rigid than most 9 cells, due to the partially closed nose.

I think this is an exellent canopy for learning to swoop and moving to xbraced.

Xfire2 also has really good bottomend lift that allows you to just step down at the end..

I load mine about 1.7, but I think the sweet spot would be a little higher..

The openings are superb, soft, slow motion like, swoop power is huge for a non cross-braced.

Feels much better in the 1.7 to 1.9 wing loadings.

It opens better than any other, it swoops, it dives, quick, The best all around canopy in my opinion.

I've had my crossfire for a year now. The openings are by far the best I have experenced! With other mains I dread the thwack!! It usually takes anywhere from 800-1000ft to open. I never really thought about the glide until last weekend when we did a tracking dive and we all ended up long. During the de-brief everyone was concerened about getting back to the landing area. (of course I had to track away from the DZ) I left my brakes stowed and actually had to loose some altidude. I was amazed that others were having trouble returning. The flare is simply amazing! The only thing is that I wish I would of loaded this canopy more, I feel there is more potential that I can't reach. I'm currently at a 1.5 If you buy this canopy I assure that you won't be dissapointed! I hope this helps

I put 70 jumps on my crossfire, I compare it to my other main which is my stilleto120 I use it as a second chute to get more jumps in a day. So here it is: The crossfire gets GREAT penetration against the wind and fantastic glide ratio, long spots, big head wind? No problem! Im only doing 180 swoops with this until I am more comfortable with it, there fun but Im waiting until the 270 and 360 turns thats why I spent the money on this chute! I cant get over the flare power on this canopy it still surprises me. openings=comfort.. Downside I like my hop and pops from 3 grand and after my quick 5 sec delay or so its 2 grand so it takes some altitude to open Ive been noticing betwen 600-800 ft. it seems to pack larger than i thought in my experience as big as my stilleto120!! so downsizing and getting that smaller container isnt going to happen. I love my stelleto as my older review states, but I have to say my new crossfire is more fun to play with and a safer canopy when familiar with it as well. please dont rush your way up to it unless you have enough experience though!!!!

I am updating my review as I have just bought a 119 crossfire 2 and sold my 129. I flew the demo for about 2 weeks and loved everything about the canopy, it flew awesome, dove amazingly and swooped really far for a non crossbraced canopy.

this canopy will most likely be the cnaopy that I fly for years to come, and when I had a small issue, the customer support was second to none in the industry.

I am truly pleased with the canopy, and with the company that I am dealing with , Thanks Icarus!

I have parachutes like some women have shoes, and I jump everything I can get my hands on whenever I get the chance, so I feel my input may be more valid than someone who has jumped only one type of canopy for a long time.
The Crossfire2 is a step up from the original Crossfire, which is also a fine canopy (I have three original Crossfires in different sizes, as well as a Crossfire2, a Sabre2, a Safire, a Spectre, a Velocity, a Falcon, a Triathlon and a Cruiselite, and I have jumped almost every other parachute that is out there on the market right now). Toggle pressure is remarkably light, as is riser pressure, while response to input is much greater than it was with the original Crossfire. Response is not as quick as a Stiletto, but the recovery arc is (much) longer and the flare power is in a different league altogether. There seems to be no end to a well timed dynamic flare, and a jumpers arms are not as long as the available flare. Done right, the landings come to a dead stop before lift is lost. The Crossfire2 is not as fast as a similar sized Velocity, but what is? I make mostly work jumps (Camera, AFF, Coaching, etc.) and I do not like having to pay more attention to flying my parachute than to watching students or traffic, and I find that me Crossfire2 affords me a good balance between high performance and predictibility. This parachute does not exactly fly itself, but it does not require as much attention as some of the other high performance 9-cells out there. One of the best things about the Crossfire2 is the consistant, on-heading, soft opening. It does take about 700 to 1000 feet from pitch to CCC (canopy control check; What? You don't do that anymore? Shame on you!), so you Sabre lovers will have quite a surprise, and should probably throw out a bit earlier than you are used to. For the experienced canopy pilot, this is a very good, well balanced, fun to fly parachute. Go Get one!

I have had my Crossfire2 for about 300 jumps now. It is an amazing canopy that will allow you to learn how to canopy pilot well with proper professional instruction. Its a great platform to learn on before moving into a x-braced.

It is a high performing canopy that does take some paying attention to with openings as it can spin up on you if you have bad body position. It is not nearly as sensitive as a x-braced on openings though. The recovery arc is nice and long for a non-x braced, and can develop some really good speed when loaded into the 1.8+ arena. It responds to riser input well, with not alot of pressure. The rears are very responsive. The canopy shuts down so well, that I have no problem downwinding it whenever I want.

Openings are the best in the industry, bar none. Long, soft and 80% on heading is how I would describe it. Pro, psycho, or trash pack...it all works.

Here is a link to what the canopy is capable of, good and bad.

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=guestpass&id=h37h5

First clip is due to a VERY hurried pack job, and the second clip is what happened to me 2 jumps later with a borrowed rig with my Crossfire in it. I had not a single bruise on me, and the opening was better than most other canopies when deployed slow and stable.

I can't recommend this canopy enough.

The Crossfire 2 is in my opinion the best allround canopy on the market!

I believe It has the best and most consistant openings of any eliptical canopy out there.

It has a fantastic amount of range and the partialy closed nose makes it feel like your cutting through the air as though your almost flying a cross braced wing.

It has Soft front risser pressure and is responsive but not twitchy on the toggles.

This canopy Also has a great speed building dive and a powerfull glide on rears, and a long flare on the toggles. In my opinion this wing should be the choice of pilots who want consistantly good openings, a high level of performance both in full flight and during swoop landings.

Icarus have created the most ballanced all round high perfomance wing on the market to date, with the Crossfire 2.

A pleasure to fly!

About me: 900 jumps in 4.5 years. Owned 2 Spectres (150,135), then a Sabre2 (120) before my Crossfire2 (99). I load it about 1.7. Have also flown: student Mantas, Paratec Quadra, PD 9 cell, PD Sabre, PD Stiletto, PD Vengeance, Atair Troll. 150+ jumps on my Crossfire2.

Openings: very consistent in the time/altitude they take to open, I'd say it takes 500 or 600 feet. 'Hunts' a little during inflation but not massively. Pretty sensitive to my terrible body position. If I really make the effort to concentrate on my body position during opening it's beautiful. I've had twists a handful of times and it's been very well behaved whilst I'll kick them out. I'm not really in to the whole 'steer your openings' thing, I think your likely to do more harm than good, so I just let it get on with it which it does just fine.

Flight: Have done some close flight with a Stiletto 150 (@ ~1.5) and found it pretty easy to fly next to one another, although I was deeper in to brakes as you might expect. Glide seems pretty comparable to most other canopies out there, maybe slightly better than average. I've certainly made it back from some spots where I thought I wouldn't. Toggle turns are a hoot and chew up altitude pretty quick. Seems very stable in flight. Recovered very well when my mate grabbed my bridle at 7k and folded the thing in half!

Landings: This is where it's at. I'm starting my carving 180 turns a little under 500 feet at the moment. I'm still a bit inconsistent but when I get it right this thing will generate a *lot* of speed and will let you swoop a fair old distance. The flare is a little different to the PD canopies I've owned but once you get used to it it's plenty powerful and it'll happily set you down gently on a nil wind day. My only complaint might be the front riser pressure which starts off nice enough but seems to build quite quickly. If I come out of my 180 too high it can be a real struggle to hold both front risers down for more than four or five seconds. I haven't really played with the rear risers on landing so can't comment on that.

Overall: Wonderful! A real joy to fly. I can't wait to move on to 270 approaches and unleash some of the real power of this canopy.

Gus

With over 500 jumps on my Crossfire 2 129, loaded at 1:4, It is a pleasure to swoop. Packs great, opens great ! Im ready to try a smaller one !!!

To summerise in short this canopy does exactly what Icurus claims it to do.
I've just put over 150jumps on my crossfire2 129ft2 loaded at 1.65 in the last two months whilst travelling around europe,jumping in verying conditions[wind,dropzone msl & turbulance]this canopy excelled.
It's got me back from v.deep spots due to its glide,it'll turn like a stilletto on toggles and is very responsive to harness input and boy this thing will swoop forever if like me thats your thing but straight in landings are also a breeze,this canopy can still generate "oudles"of lift even with low speed approaches.
I could go on,but if your in the market for a Hp elliptical do not hesitate to put this one at the top of your demo list,you
wont be disappointed.Money well spent IMHO

I tried out the Crossfire2 with the view to purchase one for board jumping. Since I am a fairly conservative canopy pilot I was advised to look at something else but tried it out in anycase.

I jumped both the 139 and 129 at loadings of 1.5 and 1.6 respectively. The canopies both opened really nice softly and exactly on heading.

Front riser pressure was light and the canopy remained stable at all times. The brake lines were adjusted to accomodate the use of risers without getting distortion from the tail but this had no impact on turning or flaring.

The canopy has a brilliant toggle/flaring range and lands beautifully even when the final approach is made at normal full drive without front risers.

At no time did the canopy feel scary or out of control thanks to good recovery arcs and a surprisingly flat descent angle.

However! Make no mistake this canopy can be flown to extremes and can swoop with the best.

I was so impressed I ordered a 126 on the spot and the delivery time was quoted as four to six weeks.