canopy choice

[Yoshi 0]

I currently jump a crossfire 149 and I am looking to downsize to the 120 range. I am still looking for my next canopy though. Any suggestions on a compareable high performance canopy that is non-crossbraced?..I wasn't too fond of the cobalt...perhaps it was the particular canopy, but the flight characteristics wre undesireable compared to my crossfire.


Jump barefoot...swoop long...swoop hard...leave a bloody trail

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[PhreeZone 20]

Samauri.....Vengence, Nitron...

Whats the wingloading going to be like on the next canopy?

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[freeflycracker 0]

crossfire 2. I dont think your going to find a higher performing non x-braced canopy

[JJohnson 0]

I am curious what you did not like on the Cobalt. Compared to the Crossfire I love it in every way. If the Crossfire 2 is what they say it is I look forward to trying that and I'd love to try a Competition Cobalt.

As of now I do not think I am ready to bite into a x-braced, did not see any overwhelming advantage to the airlocked and nothing else seemed to aompare to the Cobalt.

JJ

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[Jimbo 0]

Quote

I wasn't too fond of the cobalt...perhaps it was the particular canopy, but the flight characteristics wre undesireable compared to my crossfire.

I'm currently in the market for a new canopy, so humor me and tell me what it is that you like about the Crossfire and what you don't like about the Cobalt. I'm all ears.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[hobbes4star 0]

has anyone noticed the cobalt is a weird canopy. either you love it or you hate it. not to many people are saying that it's just an ok canopy. i personaly loved it.

if fun were easy it wouldn't be worth having, right?

[AggieDave 6]

I have noticed that...I have one coming to me this week for a demo, so I'm excited to see how it really is.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Yoshi 0]

I jumped the samuri and liked it, but I didn't get enough jumps on it to really make a good impression. I guess I need to demo some more stuff before I decide, but going to the 119 at a wing loading of 1.85 the crossfire 2 is one of the few canopies that it is still within its max limits as reccomended by the manufacturer.
the cobalt (for those of you who ask): I liked the openings...on heading mostly, but not really that slow. my crossfire snivels like a greased pig on a slip-n-slide. the openings on the cobalt were kind of like a stiff bump at first (which slowed me down significantly) then the second stage came in and finished off the rest of the speed. It wasnt a really hard opening, but definately stiffer than the crossfire..it didnt really snivel, but rather just slowed down in the two stages so you don't get the blast all at once. once open (under the 120 cobalt) the front riser pressure was a dream. I could hold 360's all day long and then go the opposite direction. but the 119 crossfire dove much better, and although the front riser pressure is stiffer on the crossfire (the 1 not the 2) it was still light enough to get full input. it is noticeably stiffer than the cobalts, but not that bad. the crossfire turned a little slower (but the dive made up for it) the crossfire had a little longer toggle stroke (which I like because its a little more forgiving) but seemed much much faster. the biggest decision factor was the flare though. the crossfire I am pretty tuned into and can get it to plane out pretty well with little toggle input. I only have about 25 jumps on the cobalt, but I needed to use more toggle to get it to plane out. and the flare on the cobalt couldnt hod a cows left nut to the crossfires. with the cobalt I couldnt surf as far, and at the end of the surf it had no pop. Someone said it may be because I was not loading it enough, but thats fine with me because I load my 149 crossfire alot lighter and it still pops. ohh well apples and oranges though.. like someone else said you either love it or hate it. and I guess I am a hater

yoshi

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[Kirils 1]

"As of now I do not think I am ready to bite into a x-braced"

I'm curious about your reasoning... Thanks!

"Slow down! You are too young
to be moving that fast!"

Old Man Crawfish

[JJohnson 0]

Fair question. Due to my chaotic work schedule I don't get to jump anywhere near as often as I'd like to. I average 100 to 120 jumps a year. I started with RW, now I'm trying to develop Freefly skills, dabbling with a camera and trying out swooping. My canopy progression had been slow and cautious. At 38 years old I don't heal as well as I used to.
I know I can handle almost any canopy for a few jumps, but have no desire to find out my limitations the hard way. As I progress I plan on getting another rig specifically for swooping and may go X-braced, Comp Cobalt or airlocked. Jury is out on that until I cross that bridge.
The risks involved with the X-braced canopies didn't seem like something I needed to add on at this time. I can develop my skills on swooping on the Cobalt 120 and go from there. I'm digging that canopy alot right now. So I find it pretty cool that Yoshi prefered the Crossfire to the Cobalt, which is the opposite of how I felt on the same 2 canopies.
I wouldn't mind comparing the Crossfire 2 to the Comp. Cobalt. I really can't wait to start comparing Atair's Onyx to the VX, Velocity etc.
I have to also admit, that I like te idea of Spectra over HMA or Vectran. I don't like to have to worry about lines. I'd rather have shrinkage than snapage.
MHO.
JJ

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[PhreeZone 20]

On the toggle stroke did you lengthen the Crossfire from how it shipped?

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And tomorrow is a mystery

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[Yoshi 0]

no I didnt lengthen it. its just a little larger range (so i thought) for imput on the CF than the Cobalt.

1/2 of a line twist is good while spitting or pissing under canopy!

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[freeflyz 0]

What are you trying to do with a smaller canopy???? Longer surf??? Are you pulling off 270 hooks on your crossfire???

[freeflyswc 0]

I actually shortened the lenghth of the brake lines on my xfire and like it better with the shorter toggle stroke . it's just at the point when you pull a front riser down it takes all the slack out of the brake line but does not pull the tail down . I have yet to try a cobalt , but it better be one hell of a canopy to hold up to my crossfire , because i like the long dives and the amount of lift left at the last point of your flare . from what I hear the cobalt has a short recovery arc and a "mushy" flare

[skycat 0]

Quote

Someone said it may be because I was not loading it enough, but thats fine with me because I load my 149 crossfire alot lighter and it still pops

After Derek and I doing a jump together where I was on my X-fire 104 @1.2:1 and Derek was jumping a samauri 95 @ 2:1 I think the x-fire is a faster/more agressive canopy. Both of us were flying side by side doing nothing with our canopies, meaning Derek was not holding in brakes and at no point was he moving past me or loosing more altitude than me. We very easily could have docked on one another. Now I'm sure he was a little faster than me under the 104, but at that WL difference it should have been much faster. Needless to say both of us were very surprised.

Fly it like you stole it!