FlyinBob

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Gear Reviews posted by FlyinBob


  1. Introduced last fall, I've been wanting to try one of these for a while. According to the rep, about 100 or so have been made so far. Most sales have been in Europe, but few have posted about it.

    I finally got a demo in June 2006, so took it for a few test jumps. One was captured on the belly cam and can be viewed in the Miscellaneous section of Skydivingmovies.com (http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=4026).

    In all, three test jumpers (with 1200, 1500, and 4000 jumps) pushed it to see what it could do. Each loaded it between 1.6 and 1.8. Here are some of the comments:

    - Faster opening than the Crossfire2
    - WooHoo!
    - Toggles are 2-4" too short – they brake while flying with just harness input. Slows front riser turns.
    - Definitely sensitive to harness input!
    - More sensitive than Velocity to harness input
    - Due to sensitivity, there is potential for spins on deployment depending on body position
    - You have the ability to really start steering in the saddle before touching anything at opening – can start to avoid potential freefall collisions during deployment, before grabbing the risers
    - I LIKE it!
    - Lots of fun to fly
    - A little rocky on approach – feels like sitting on a ball, you must be careful how you shift your weight
    - Good swoop potential – with mastery, you could go really, really long
    - Good flare!
    - Was able to slow it down to a walk after about 25 yards on a 98 degree no-wind day in Texas, with a few more inches of toggle flare left to go.

    The toggle line length is a minor issue and is easily rectified. Overall, it’s a super canopy. More quickness than the Crossfire2, Velocity, or Heatwave we've tried.

    At this point, it’s the one I’d buy. Howwever, I'm going to try the Katana next the same way.