Aviatrr 0 #1 October 18, 2001 Ok, I know there are many posts regarding the Heatwave, and I looked through many of them, but haven't found exactly what I'm looking for.. I didn't look through all the posts since the server is running VERY slow right now, and I just don't have that much free time.. So here are a couple questions..How does the Heatwave pack? They claim very small pack volumes, as with the Hornet - but can anybody give me a comparison to a Stiletto or a Crossfire? I know the Hornet packs quite small - a Hornet 170 packed up a bit smaller than a Sabre 150.. How is the Heatwave in front risers? Short or long recovery arc? Does it continue to dive long after releasing the riser? I will be loading the canopy at 1.5 to 1.65, depending on size.. How does it fly in mid to deep brakes? Stable? I'm still trying to decide on a canopy, and will be looking for somebody with a Heatwave that I can jump to try it out - but I have yet to find any locally.. I'm also going to try the Samurai, hopefully this weekend.. Any other canopy recommendations?Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #2 October 19, 2001 Since I don't have a whole lot of jumps on mine yet, I'll give my limited impressions...I have a Heatwave 190 and my Mirage is an M4 size designed for a Sabre-170 main. I can easily fit it in there and just for kicks, I tried putting it into Mirage bag made for a 150. It was a bit of work but I was able to get it in there. So yes, it does pack really small depending on how well you pack.I'm only loading at just over 1.3:1 but the riser pressure is pretty nice compared to my old Sabre or the demo Stiletto I jumped. I do find it easier to front-riser if I give it a "bump" of opposite toggle before cranking on the riser. After that, I can hold the riser for about 270-degress of rotation before we start getting into an arm-wrestling match.The Heatwave seems to dive a bit longer than the Stiletto I tried (maybe 10-15% more) but planes out on its own. You don't have to bump the toggles to stop it from diving. Then again, that may change at the wing-loading you are thinking of. Roy over at Rigs n' Things has the best deal on them along with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don't like it. The only nag-point I really have on the canopy is that the oversteer takes a lot of getting used to. I now find myself planning my turns 2-3 seconds earlier in my mind than I had to before but it's all good.As for the deep brakes, the canopy gets a teensy bit washy but seems to stay pretty well pressurized and doesn't noticibly oscillate. I would feel safe making a braked approach with it as the lift on the thing is flat-out incredible, even compared to the Stilleto I tried. YMMV,Kris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirils 1 #3 October 22, 2001 I'm packing my HW 150 into a Mirage M-2. I have the new "blunt -nose" model (6-2000). I can fly stable in full brakes at a 1.35:1 loading. I seldom hook, but find excellent control and performance and speed on carving turns. Front riser recoveryarc seems shorter as compared to the long recovery needed for the earlier shark tooth HW's. As for overall control and stability, I feel much safer with the HW than a Stiletto. ( I have looped this canopy sucessfully!) I would recommend you talk to Roy at Rigs&Things for additional info about the HW. He has quite a bit experience with flying them and selling them.KirilsSkydiving is not a static excercise with discrete predictability... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
