Sabre2

I upsized to this canopy from a Pilot 150 and on my first landing noticed that I get a lot more turf surf out of the canopy loading at about 1.3 I found that for the first 50 jumps it tended to pull a 180 on opening but that knocking out 50 jumps in 2 weeks took care of that.

Much easier to pack than the Pilot.

and an all around great canopy.

Note...I have also flown a 210 Sabre2 and a 190 Sabre2 which also were great canopies loaded a little more conservatively.

i bought a Sabre2 170 as my first canopy (loading 1.2), it needed breaking in!! The openings were FUN FUN FUN at first as the thing had a mind of it's own on opening and dragged me all over the sky -(I was learning to pack at the time though!). End cell closures occurred on every jump to begin with but these became less frequent in time. Nice soft openings each time and a beauty to fly and land. I would definately recommend it for an intermediate skydiver.

Now have 30+ jumps on my Sabre2 170 loaded @ 1.17 and can just say WOW. Opening are great with a moderate snivel 500-600 ft. Have endcell closure on every jump, but no big deal if you are aware they are coming....Once flying this thing really is fun, very responsive..You can hang around in deep brakes or yank a toogle and go for a ride..It does it all...Will flatten the glide well with rear risers to get you back from long spots...
Now landing is where the Sabre really shines, even on my conservative straight in approches it seems to want to keep flying forever right up to a soft tippie toe landing ( if you fly it all the way to the ground)...
My option is this is one great main made by one great company...You can't go wrong with this....

Oh yeah, started jumping this sabre with 92 jumps and feel safer with it than any other gaer I have ever jumped.......

I flew a demo sabre2 190 this weekend. Awesome, awesome, awesome! I compared it to an Aerdoyne Pilot and was impressed by the sabre2's flight characteristics much more. I'm sold on one as soon as I fly a Spectre; the PD rep recommended flying both before deciding.

I jumped my first 99 jumps on rental gear, primarily being a 170 Spectre.

My first 4 jumps so far on my Sabre2 170 have all involved the following...
1. Long, long snivel
2. Mega-soft transition from freefall to under canopy
3. Slider not coming down quickly.
4. End cell closure.

My wing-loading on this canopy is right at 1.088 so I don't know if I am not heavy enough to stop the end cell closure problem; but regardless, a little tug on the toggles and my slider is above my head and the end cells are fixed. The thing that has bugged me the most so far is on my last jump after opening and doing my control check I initiated a strong front riser turn and when I came out of it I realized that the canopy wanted to continue to spin downward. Upon looking up at the canopy I realized the end cell on the side I was turning into had collapsed again. :( Not cool. Toggle tugs brought it back again, but that leaves me worrying about what if it does this close to the ground??

Overall I like the canopy so far, just need to see after another 100 jumps.

I've had a 170 Sabre2 for 27 jumps now, loaded at about 1.25. Control is predictable and progressive, landings are perfectly straightforward and don't require perfect timing. It seems to retain enough energy to recover from an over-enthusiastic initial flare, allowing you to just hold the brakes and finish the flare later.

You can stooge about conservatively or fling it around like a madman. It seems to be very stable and will return to the S+L without positive input.

There are suggestions about systematic off-heading openings, but I've had none that I wouldn't put down to bad packing/poor body position.

I'm glad I bought one!

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Now had this canopy a little over 100 jumps. It's my low-timer view that consistent packing and deployment are rewarded by consistent openings. Once it's open, it flies like a dream. At full throttle it moves fast; in deep brakes you can hang around for ages. Stall is signalled well in advance, and recovers quickly when you return to half-ish brakes.

Front riser pressure builds very quickly in turns, to the point where you're doing one-arm pull ups. All that positive pitch pressure means it returns to the straight and level very quickly once you let go. It's always proved very easy to land, even when the pattern sets up downwind! I don't have a lot of experience of skydiving canopies of this sort, but it seems fairly insensitive to harness (as opposed to brake) input, requiring a significant effort to steer 'no hands' (by comparison with a paragliding canopy).

Certainly no regrets 100 jumps in.

I got a brand new Sabre2 135 loaded at 1.07. It has given me nice soft openings every time. I have had a few that were a little off heading, but I'm sure that my body position was part of it.

IMO the Sabre2 is a responsive and fun canopy - but still conservative and forgiving at lower wing loadings. It's a great intermediate canopy that I think I will learn a lot on.

I bought a Sabre2 150 after about 200 jumps, and have done 150 jumps on it since then (wing loading around 1.2).

It's the most fun I've had under canopy. (Other 150s I've jumped are the Spectre and Sabre). Depending upon my mood, I can fly it conservatively or give myself a thrill by throwing it around the sky.

I didn't mind the consistent right turn on opening - until I started doing big-ways. After a couple of scares (eg turning towards somebody in twists), I've started to think seriously about looking for something more predictable.

I have also had an absolute cruncher of an opening, which put me in physio for 3 months. There are however a number of theories as to why this happened. The most likely is that I hadn't fully come out of my track. Lesson learnt!!

I have been flying Saber2 170 (loaded at
1.08) currently I own Sabre2 150 loaded at 1.23.

Packing: I do a regular PRO pack.

Openings: very soft and comfortable always on heading. End sells most of the time are closed, but it is not bothering me at all. At this wing loading, when I finished stowing my slider they already inflated, or I just pump the brakes once.

Flight: Very predictable, all kind of toggle turns are sharp and precise.
Front riser pressure is comfortably light.
I am 5'9" and at factory brakes settings I was not able to stall my canopy.

When I started to learn my dual front riser approach, and 90 deg. front riser turns for landing, I found that toggle factory settings are too short. Canopy becomes bumpy, especially in windy conditions.

Flare and landing: I was not really consistent with my landings on 170. On my 150 I have my toggle brakes set 2 inches longer. I almost always pull the front risers to gain more speed and flare is nice and powerful.

I have been flying my Sabre2 150 for like 15 jumps now.
Got some huge problems with off heading openings.
Some people told me it's probably my body position or bad packing.
With other parachutes I did not have this problem, and now I read the reviews here...I'm afraid it's not my fault...

Background:
-3800 jumps
-nearly 2000 on canopies under 100 sq ft.
-over 350 wingsuit flights
-about 250 jumps on this Sabre2 97 @1.83

I have owned a lot of parachutes in my day, but this ranks as my favorite "all around" parachute. It is the perfect wingsuit canopy for people wanting more performance than that afforded by seven cell varieties. It opens great, flies great, and lands great. It affords me a lot of piece of mind when I am flying my wingsuit, even loaded at my heavier-than-recommended wingload.

Packing: I pack one of two ways; either a standard PRO pack with no "tricks", or an old-school stack pack. I find that stack packing provides me the best openings for wingsuit flight, but your mileage may vary. I have never had any "spinners" using either method.

Openings: soft, but not "snivelly", predictable and on heading within about 45 degrees everytime.

Performance in flight: very stable in straight flight. Low front riser pressure and a steep dive at my wingload. Good deep brake stability.

Landings: powerful flare with long control range. Rear risers nicely. Nice distance in a properly executed swoop.

I am out the door at about 175 pounds and have a Sabre2 170. I consistently have severe closed end cells upon opening which then turn into radical turns. Customer service at PD says "body position, so I adjusted my body position - no joy. Then they said pack it differently, so we did that - no joy. What I have found is that you need to significantly load the canopy ( a 210-230 out the door weight on a 170) to get good openings.

SO, I either have to gain weight or get a different canopy. So long Sabre2.

About me: 700 jumps in 3.5 years. 200 on my Sabre2 120 @ 1.5. Spectre 135 and 150 before that.

Openings: This is my only real quibble. The openings on my Sabre2 have ranged from absolutely text book, soft, on heading to the occasional one which dives and turns hard enough to put a twist in. Having said that I've never chopped it and I've been happy enough to jump it with my wingsuit.

Flight: Toggle turns are quick with little oversteer. Hanging on the rear risers flattens the glide noticeable. Flying around in deep brakes, bumping end cells with friends is easy and the canopy feels very solid. Front riser pressure is the lowest of any canopy I've jumped. Low speed stalls are gentle and predictable but the recovery can be quite violent.

Landings: Compared to my Spectres this canopy is an absolute dream to land! It has so much flare that even after a nice front riser approach and a little swoop it puts you down gently. It's rare that I have to run out a landing. Front riser input will dive the canopy more than I expected and you can generate quite a lot of speed, even with just a nice 90 degree turn. Pull off a well timed 180 and you'll go as far as many people on their Stilettos. Gentle carves during landing are quite possible, through leaning in the harness or steering with the toggles.

Conclusion: I've just ordered a Crossfire2 to quench my need for speed but my Sabre2 has been great. It was a definate step up in performance from my Spectre 135 but it was tens times more fun!

Gus

This is my first owned canopy, but I demoed a few things before buying it. The minute I was under it, I knew that was it. I just felt very safe under it, for whatever reason.

The thing I noticed very early is an unbelievable lift in landing compared to other beginner/intermediate models I'd tried. It's as responsive but as inagressive as I want it to be.
If I were to recommend a canopy to a novice with mostly good landings, that would be it.

This canopy did not dive or turn or open hard. I had comfortable openings and on heading. The reviews that refer to these things as being characteristics of this canopy cant be correct because they didnt happen to me at all. This would tend to exonerate the canopy and place the blame for those things on body position.

Nice opening, great responsiveness, soft landings.

I'm keeping it :-)

i just got a sabre2 170. I love how it flys and how it lands but ive tried packing every way possiable and i get anywhere from an 90 to a 180 right turn on opening i dont know but its getting dangerous

Put over 70 jumps on my Sabre2 120 loaded at 1.6 .... this canopy rocks!! I have taken a step back from years on Xbraces to try something new and this was a canopy that came recommended ...Packs up nice and opens better if you leave the nose exposed with 3 rolls on the tail.It will open off heading sometimes but just be ready to steer it on the rear risers..

I was quite confident that on one packjob I deliberatly put twists in...and it opened with the twists ( obviously ) but stayed flat with no dives..Not a recommended procedure to try but I wanted to test this canopy to a reasonable limit and she passed with flying colours.Also I had no slammers during this period....So if your looking for a no hassle 9 cell that flys great at higher wing loadings then this is it!! I know that I will be on this one for a while..

A FIRST JUMP IMPRESSION

Type of Canopy: Sabre2 210-sqft., a semi-elliptical nine cell zero porosity main canopy by Performance Designs.

Wing Loading: I’m loading it at 1.19-lbs/sqft out the door, which comes under the "expert" category according for this canopy wing loading table.

Atmospheric Conditions: Pressure 30.06-inches, Temperature 81-degrees (F), Dew Point 57-degrees (F), Field Elevation 1,100-feet, Wind 0-3 knots variable.

Packing Style: I used the pro-pack method with the nose left open and split evenly, the slider quartered, and the tail wrapped around the front and rolled.

The Opening: I performed a 10-second delay from 5,500-ft before deploying my 28-inch zero porosity pilot chute. The snatch force was low, the canopy sniveled briefly, and then the slider quickly hit the risers. The canopy opened fast surging forward and diving slightly to the right, which was easily corrected with a quick tug on the left rear riser. I wasn’t surprised as this is just typical behavior for an elliptical class nine-cell canopy. The Spectre definitely offers a more predictable and pleasant opening experience.

Traffic Maneuver: The USPA-SIM recommends that each party steer to the right in a traffic avoidance situation. With the brakes still set and the slider still open I initiated a deep right rear riser turn, which resulted in a swift 180-degree turn, and a slight tug on the left rear riser quickly neutralized the turn. The rear riser tension was moderate like the Spectre, but the turning response was much faster.

Slider and Brakes: The slider was flapping as expected but not excessively indicating a deep brake deployment setting, so it was easy to grab the draw strings and collapse the slider with a firm tug. When the toggles were released the canopy quickly surged forward to full flight speed unlike the Spectre, which is more forgiving and subdued.

Front Riser Maneuvers: I made several left and right 180-degree front riser turns, which were easy given that the front riser tension was surprisingly moderate unlike the Spectre, which has a very high front riser tension. This canopy also has a medium to large radius recovery arc, so it continues to dive requiring gentle toggle input to return to level flight. The Spectre has a short recovery arc that quickly returns to level flight without toggle input.

Rear Riser Maneuvers: Simulating a long spot I tried achieving a flatter glide using the rear risers, but found that my arms became tired. However, pulling both of the steering toggles to ear level resulted in a similar glide, and required minimal effort. The rear riser tension was moderate like the Spectre.

Steering Toggle Maneuvers: This canopy has a light steering toggle tension, even in a long stroke, which I found refreshing. First, I slowed the canopy down until it began to shake as it entered a stall. Then I let up on the steering toggles, but I must have done so unevenly and too fast because the canopy quickly surged forward and began a left diving turn. I tried it again, and I let up more slowly on the steering toggles this time, and the stall recovery was predictable and smooth. This canopy does have some over-steer when executing turns from a full glide, which means that you have to use some opposite toggle input to assume a specific heading. Braked turns were crisp and responsive, and there was no indication of being near the stall. Like the Spectre it would be easy to fly this canopy into a tight landing spot.

The Landing: There were zero-wind conditions as I set up for landing, and I hate sliding to a stop on damp grass or having to "run to a stop", so I set up for a comfortable low energy landing. On final approach I eased the toggles down about 6-8-inches to bleed off some speed and slowly flared to chest level during the last several feet gently landing and having only to take a few short steps to stop. I was pleased with the powerful flare coupled with the short toggle stroke.

Conclusion: My first jump under the Sabre2 gave me a soft opening, yet it was diving in a slight right turn. This was easily neutralized with a quick tug on the left rear riser, and then the canopy maintained an "on-heading" flight indicating good suspension line trim, so I have to pay more attention to body position when I toss the pilot chute. The riser and toggle inputs have a lower tension and require a much shorter stroke than the Spectre seven-cell canopy. Over the years I have owned many canopies from rounds, squares, and both semi and highly elliptical canopies. My first impression of the Sabre2 is that it might not be forgiving enough for the 75-jump skydivers, and the younger 500-jump skydivers would probably be bored under it, but a sober-minded skydiver who still likes to play will really enjoy it. I’m keeping mine!

Have jumped a couple of these recently for friends who do not like them. I normally jump a Spectre 150 which I love and thought a Sabre 2 150 wouldn't be too different. The turns are more radical and it lands great but the openings have seriously put me off. In different containers and packed differently they open like cr*p. It was a case of choose an angle between 90 and 360 and wait to see what happens. Not very impressed and have heard from other people that this seems to be fairly frequent.

I'm new to skydiving although I have quite a few military static line jumps. As a student, I have jumped Raven 3's and 4's and a PD 235. I did my research and ordered a Sabre 2 demo canopy from Performance Designs. I made the call on a Monday and received it on Thursday. Customer service was excellent. I made five jumps with it last weekend and hope to make as many this weekend before I have to return it. The demo came with soft links and collapsible slider, which may be standard, I'm not sure. I put it in a Javelin. Opening was fast and smooth. The canopy was a lot faster than I'm used to, but was very responsive and controllable. The landings were great once I learned to flare it properly. I'm definitely getting one. If you're canopy shopping, spend the thirty bucks and try a demo, you won't be sorry.

I recently bought a Sabre2 150 with about 250 jumps on it. The openings are soft and consitent. The toggle pressure is soft and very responsive. If you want an easy ride you got it. If you want a fast and aggresive ride you got it. What an all-around canopy.

I had a Spectre 170 and didn't like the snibble, so I got the sabre 2 150. Yall have outdone yourselves again. Everything the others have said is true. The opening is great and unstressful now,with a really fun ride and tiptoe landing. Thanks! I will highly recomend it. UPdate...I got rid of it because of hard right turn on openings. The last one was line twists upside down......mfg says its "body position" Whatever.......

I jumped my Sabre 2 135 for the first time.........I was jumping a 150 Sabre before.I can tell a big difference in the opening..they are nice and smooth.I would recommend this canopy for a jumper that likes alot of glide in their on final approach and with at least 60 to 70 jumps if their comming from a larger size canopy.
It is a wonderful canopy.

Used to fly a Sabre, and the openings where so bad I had no intentions of ever buying another one -- until I jumped a Sabre II. There is no comparison between the two. I love my new Sabre II.

Canopy: Sabre-2 170, loaded at about 1.26, demo'd for 15 jumps.
Excellent first canopy, even as heavier loaded second canopy - so good, the only draw back would be trying to find one used. Basically, take a Stilletto, get rid of all
the bad parts, and you have a Sabre2.

Packing: Since I had a demo, I am sure it went through many packings long before I got it, a simple PRO-Pack with the nose pulled out (not pushed in - I'll get to this in a
bit), the slider quartered, but not pulled out - resulted in very soft and smooth opennings. At first I did a standard PRO pack with the nose left hanging and the slide both
quartered and drawn out, and was getting opennings in the 1,000 foot range - twice I deployed at 3K and had my Pro-Track flatline at 2K, just as the slider was starting
to come down. Once I made sure the nose was outside the canopy and the slider simply quartered (and left inside the packjob), opennings would stay in the 600 to 800 foot
range.

Opennings:
Slow and smooth. Not once did I have line twists - every second openning on my Safire results in 1 or two line twists, at least. If the canopy was going to open offheading, it would let you know at the end of the snivel by harness pressure, but it will wait until the slider starts coming down before actually taking off into the turn.
Tried openning at the end of a track without flaring -> brisk, but not uncomfortable at all.

Glide: The glide was amazing, you could hear the wind noise pick up when you let off the brakes. It helped me make it back from some long spots downwind.

Landings: Piece of cake, especially if you are accustomed to the deeper flare stroke of the Safire. Getting it to swing you forward and plane out was intuitive - with the Safire, you have to dig and dig and dig to get it to stay level. Landed in both no winds and high winds with thermals and turbulence (it was a hot, sunny day over plowed fields AND we had a storm front just about to come in) - no problems at all, never biffed it once, always a stand up landing with no more than 3 steps. It got through turbulence fine as well.

Turns:
Slow until the 'red-zone' (hip level), then you're going for a ride, toggle pressures builds up quickly after about a 720 spiral, a 1440 is a serious workout - you have to
pretty much lean on the toggle to get it to stay down. I could do a yellow zone (chest level) 360 and lose barely 400 feet - the canopy just doesn't want to dive much when you
turn - I got comfortable enough to be able to whip off a hard toggle 360 at 1,000 feet then start into the downwind leg of my approach before 600. Braked turns are
slow and controlled, just the way you want them when someone cuts you off on final. Rear riser turns take a good pull on the riser to get the canopy to start turning
though - not very responsive. Also, pulling the risers before the slider comes down, unless you are perfectly even in applying said pressure, assures a wild off-heading openning.
Turning via harness input required a huge amount of leaning to get a turn to start, great for folk still working on landings, not so great if you want to fly in brakes and
use weight shifts to steer while you futz with the slider, or on a long spot upwind and want to minimize drag by keeping your arms down close to you and flying in brakes.

Front risers:
Getting it to dive in front risers was relatively easy, not that much pressure (try front risering a Manta - that's a workout) until the dive loops are pulled to about a foot down. Even with the dive loops pulled, the canopy really didn't want to dive fast - it picks up some speed, but not a huge amount and planes out the moment you let off. Tried
front riser turns as well, but figured I wanted to play with the toggles more (I don't do high performance landings, so the front risers have limited use for me).

Customer Service:
What can I say other than, wow! I emailed on a Wednesday about possible getting a demo, on Thursday - it's sitting in my office. Every question or comment email was replied to the same day, often times with a few hours. In my dealings with other canopy manufactures - they could take a lesson from PD.