rhino

I put a jump on my new Crossfire2, 97 loaded at 1.85 today. I'll keep this short and sweet.

Fastest turning,
Hardest, longest diving
Crisp, pure flight
Fast, Responsive, Light toggle pressure, light front riser pressure, pulls around the corner instantly.

Icarus hit a home run with this canopy. I can't wait to jump it more this weekend. It turns faster than an equally loaded Diablo. This canopy is bad!

O.K. I promised you an update so here it is. I purchased a Diablo110 a little while back. I am now loading it at 1.6. I definately have this thing dialed in baby!! Turn and burn!! I've put 40 or so jumps on it now and now that I have the true feel for the canopy I really am enjoying myself. Openings, I've had quiet a few openings that started in a dive. I have even double checked my body position on opening. Sometimes it happens. I have found that immediately upon opening steering out with the rear line groups ends the dive immediately. It's like once this canpoy decides to start in a dive it will stay until definate toggle pressure causes it to level out. At least at my wing loading. I just expect the diving opening now and correct as necessary. I can ALMOST get out of the dive by shifting weight in the harness, if I shift the weight early I can prevent it. Flight characteristics,, At 1.6 where I am if you are in a full turn with the rear risers cross steering is necessary, if in front risers it pretty much stops turning when you do flying straight down "almost :)" until you tell it not to. You have to be looking WAY ahead under this thing. It is fast. I have now learned to look much farther ahead in my flight path and am extremely comfortable under this canopy in relation to 20 jumps ago. I have pulled at altitude 90% of the time under this canopy to insure that I learned the flight envelope and didn't put anyone other than myself at risk. I still normally beat half the jumpers down and normally the plane. This is dumping at 13k!! It will dive baby!!! Try a front riser turn going inverted then bury that leg in the harness!! IT will stay in a slow corkscrew flying almost straight down with minimal effort. Landings,, at first I was uncomfortable now I feel much better and have utter confidence in the bottom end. I have stood up every landing under this canopy. Or any for that matter. I find myself coming with extra speed "in the sweet spot" without even thinking about it now. I just end up that way out of feel in the canopy. If you are the type that learns by feel like I do you will enjoy this canopy. Packing,, easy as can be.. I've had no problems.. Blue skies!! Rhino

I'll be honest with you I didn't like this canopy for the first 20 jumps I put on it. When I say I didn't like it I mean on landings. Up high turns were amazing, it dropped out of the air like a f16 going straight down in front riser turns, LOTS OF FUN!! The bottom end envelope on my canopy seems to be very thin, although I have stood up every landing on this thing. When they say the more airspeed you come in with = more lift under a "smaller" canopy they are very correct with the Diablo at this wing loading. I have this canopy dialed in now on landings. It does require extra air speed to get a decent flair on landing. Flying straight in is something that I won't do unless I absolutely have to under this thing. I've jumped other canopies at similar wing loadings "crossfire, extreme fx" that could be flown straight in with no additional air speed and have PLENTY of bottom end flair power compaired to this. Would I recommend this to someone else? Not above 1.5 I wouldn't.. I jumped the Diablo120, 20 times and needed much less airspeed for a "easy" landing. I'll update later as I put more jumps on this canopy..

At my wing loading I can beat the pilot to the ground poping at 13k.. What is that 4000ft+ a minute fall rate? I didn't say it wasn't fun :)

Rhino