Stilleto or Cobalt???

[packerboy 3]

You know... I've heard the Stiletto called Spinetto blah blah blah..

In all honesty, I've seen hundreds possibly thousands of jumps on the Stilleto at my DZ resulting in one cutaway from line twists that I remember.

Checking out videos from www.skydivingmovies.com a tonne of the line twists you see are on Cobalts.

Better/Worse? What do you say. I didn't put it as a poll because I wanted detailed responses.

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[hookncrater 0]

I wouldn't jump either of them... but I know people that use both and are totally happy with them. To each his own.

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when in doubt... hook it!

[dixieskydiver 0]

I jump a cobalt 150, the couple of times I've had line twists I've had no problems. No radical spinning or needs to cut away. I was in a very slow turn and had no problems kicking out of the twists.

Dixie
HISPA #56 Facil Rodriguez
"Scientific research has shown that 60% of the time, it works every time."

[Brains 2]

I have jumped both. They are different canopies so i can't say which is better. The stilleto has a shorter recovery arc than the cobalt. I found it to be snappier on toggle turns though. The cobalt has more bottom end lift and more toggle stroke. I liked flying them both but i own a cobalt now. I never had line twists on the stilleto but i did once on my old cobalt 135. It still flew straight and was easy to kick out of. I have friends that still fly stilleto's for video work and i have seen them get twisted up and theirs flew straight too. Demo both and decide which one YOU like.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[kallend 2,146]

My one and only cutaway was from a spinning Stiletto.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[AndyMan 7]

I have 500 jumps on a highly loaded Stiletto and I have never had a spinning malfunction.

I have had a spinning malfunction on my lightly loaded Triathlon.

Be prepared for one under any canopy.

To answer your question, my personal belief is that Cobalt's suck. I've a handful of jumps on a 150 and hated it, additionally many of the people who I know who bought one have since sold it.

The biggest complaints I hear are of hard openings followed by "active" (read: spinning) openings. Just last weekend a relatively light jumpers landed and collapsed in pain after a hard opening under her Cobalt. I believe she now has a minor back injury to recover from.

I don't think the Stiletto is the greatest canopy on the market, either - although I am largely happy with my purchase, I just think there's better stuff out there now. One thing that's great about the Stiletto is that it's relatively easy to pick them up on the used market.

Given the choice between a Cobalt and a Stiletto, in my books the Stiletto wins hands down.

Be sure to also check out the Icarus Crossfire 2, and the Nitro from HiperUSA.

_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[Maxx 1]

Hi,

just wanted to say that it's not always the fault of the canopy to spin up on opening. packing, body position etc.. I think you already know what I mean.
I own a stiletto which I load at 1.6 and only had one linetwist on it and it keept flying straight. I made a few intentional linetwist up high to see if anything happens, but other than a slow turn I got nothing out of it. But I know things can easily go bad (i.e. spin) if you have a linetwist with uneven risers..

Max

[packerboy 3]

To clarify, I am not thinking about purchasing either one. I just wanted some clarification on the myth of the Spinetto. I doubt that there is any HP canopy out there that isn't conducive to radical spinning malfunctions.

If I was to buy now, I would buy a Katana. That being said, I am still having tonnes of fun playing w/ a Sabre. I am at least a year and 300 jumps away from a canopy performance change.

I have demoed a Katana though and the openings where like chucking a beautifull cloud off your back.

To those thinking of downsizing and canopy performance changing - it's amazing what you can do with a lightly loaded square parachute with a little coaching. Try it. I get some pretty awesome swoops off a 1:1 loaded Sabre 150. I get hosed on windy days, but I can live with that.

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[Ron 10]

I have jumped both....I bought 4 Stilettos and not one Cobalt.

The Cobalt was OK. The fact they wanted me to jump a smaller PC made me not like it much.

The PC is part of the container, not the canopy.

Also I am not a big fan of the marketing of the Cobalt.

Anywho jump both and make your own call....But jump them both at the same WL.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[Superfletch 1]

The Stiletto is a fine canopy... I've jumped one for a few years. I started on a 150 and I currently own a 135 and a 120. I suppose the reason it is called the spinetto is because if you open in line twists with uneven risers the canopy will dive into a spin just as if you were to release one toggle or pulled a toggle in full flight to induce a turn.

I would have to believe that any canopy will produce the same results. I haven't jumped many other canopies of different types but I would classify the Stiletto as twitchy. It doesn't take much toggle preasure to get it to dive and I guess that's why it doesn't take much uneveness of the risers to get it to spin up.

The problem is that once you are on your back in line twists spinning to the ground it is very hard due to the g-forces to kick out and that is where you get your cutaways. i don't believe the canopy has a tendency to spin up, you're already spun up when it dive into it's turn. Anyway, I hope that helps you. Like I said, it's a fine canopy, very responsive and VERY FUN!

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I jumped Cobalts for three years and only "spun up" one time. That was under a 75 that was very out of trim and me in a wingsuit. I never had problems of that sort with any of the four Cobalts, one Alpha, and one Viper I owned. Also, I jumped Stillettos for six years in sizes 107 and 97 and not once ever chopped a spinner.

Chuck