stiletto or cobalt

[Ron 10]

I have jumped both...

I picked the Stiletto.

I heard all kinds of good things about the Cobalt..
I was looking to replace my Stiletto, so I put about 20-25 jumps on a 105 Cobalt.
It did fly very nice, but the openings slammed me. No matter what I did the openings slammed me. The manufactorer recomended I get a TINY pilot chute.....Ah no, not going to happen. Talk to any container maker....There is a reason that they give you the size pilot chute that they do.

So MY PERSONAL experiance is that the Stiletto is better.

Ron

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

[jumperconway 0]

I demo'd a 95 H-mod. After a few good openings, it started the slamming. They sent me a 20"pc and that helped some but still about every other jump would slam again! The sent me a standard 85 and it was 8 for 8 slammers! Bought a Crossfire 99 and never looked back!

[faulknerwn 38]

That's interesting that people are having hard openings on their Cobalts. I've got about 100 jumps on my regular 75 and haven't had a hard one yet. Must depend on the canopy.
W

[skydivegirl 0]

I have very dependable... super nice openings with my cobalt as well.

Pink Mafia Sis #26

[JumpHog 0]

I have owned 6 Cobalts and currently own 3(two H-mod 85's and one stock 105). Every one of them have provided consistantly soft, on-heading openings. I fly camera for a living, and making 1000+ camera jumps a year will take it's toll on the body unless you have a very dependable opening canopy. I plan on jumping Cobalts for as long as Atair continues making them, or until they come out with something better(Onyx?). If you were unfortuante enough to have a Cobalt with a problem, Atait is known for going out of their way to fix it.

Blue Skies,
Paul Eriksmoen

[Ron 10]

Quote

If you
were unfortuante enough to have a Cobalt with a problem, Atait is known for going out
of their way to fix it.

I don't know that, but I am sure they are, and have heard plenty of good things about the canopy, and the service.

However.....A smaller pilot chute is NOT a good answer for hard openings.

A container requires a certain amount of fource to open the container...A smaller pilot chute could cause problems with the snatch fource needed to open and pull the bag to line stretch. So, it's a bad idea. Go with the size PC that the CONTAINER maker says....Its part of the container...not the main.

I have also only had maybe 5 hard openings on my Stiletto....ever out of maybe 2000 jumps on them.
In fact I don't know anyone that has complained about a Stiletto opening hard.

So thats why I went Stiletto...I find PD products to be much more consistant than any other parachute maker out there. I have jumped other canopies...and will continue to due so, but everytime I am looking to BUY a canopy...PD has always won.

PD does tons of research, and testing....and it shows.

I am looking forward to Brians new canopy, and Aerodynes new line...

Ron

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

[PhreeZone 20]

Word on the street is RWS was testing making smaller PC's to go with thier smaller sized rigs to have the lighter bag come off the back at the same rate as the heavier bag on a larger rigs.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Ron 10]

Well until the gang at RWS tells me I can do it, I'm not going to do it. Once they say its OK, thats another story.

Its like when a manufacturer just gives you a pocket slider to fix hard openings.......A band aid to a design, or construction problem. But still its just messing with the canopy....not the rig.

But hey I'm not a rigger...what the hell do I know?

Ron

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

[ouroboros 0]

i fly the cobalt 170 (it's a non comp model, if you had to ask). in 30 jumps, i have had one lousy opening, due to pro packing inconsistancies. i had video of a typical cobalt opening (i am winged at 1.3) that shows just how light the opening is. it makes openings kinda fun, and because of that, i am more relaxed on the throw. tensing up has caused me more problems then i can count.

i have done 10 jumps on a stilletto 190, and like the cobalt 170 better. was a hard choice, but i voted for the cobalt. a lighter opening means less stress on my body, so i'd demo the cobalt first and then the stilletto and compare.

ouroboros