Gen-X 150

[billvon 3,116]

I put a few jumps on one of these canopies this weekend because I had never heard anything about it before. Anyone know who built it? The canopy was, I believe, from the old Genera one-size-fits-all system, the one that came with main, reserve and container. But I know RI doesn't make canopies.

Anyway, it's an odd canopy to pack. The stabilizers are such that the slider sits on the front stabilizer stops, but just hangs way down the rear lines. It looks all wrong. While narrowing the pack job, the tops of the center cells sort of stick out the top of the pack job, and the slider sits several inches away from the line attach points due to the stabilizer stops.

On deployment, you get a very hard standup, then a wiggly Sabre2 type opening. Not too hard, although it's the kind of opening that makes you worry about a slammer because of the hard initiation.

Under canopy it flies a lot like a Triathalon with a bit more glide. Front riser pressure is low, but they also don't seem to do much. Toggle turns were a bit sluggish. Overall not a bad Sabre-1 copy. Openings seem a little better.

Anyway, looks like I have a wingsuit canopy for a bit. The owner wants to sell it if I find a buyer, so I'll list it on classifieds and see if there are any nibbles.

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

Anyone know who built it?

Bill Gargano.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[riggerrob 643]

Gen X prototypes were built by Bill Gargano in Davis, California (circa 1997).
The plan was to market them in an inexpensive package deal so that junior jumpers could buy new rigs (R.I Genera H/C, Tempo reserve, Astra AAD and Gen X main) for not much more than the price of decent used gear.
Remember how in the mid-1990s we graduated so many AFF students that the used gear market got pretty tight?
Unfortunately, that market sector collapsed and only a handful of Gen X canopies were built.
While working for Rigging Innovations, I put a few jumps on the Gen X 150 prototype and reached the same conclusions as Bill Von.