Xaos27 versus Velocity versus VX

[LawnDart21 0]

Anyone have (canopies with a DOM 2003 or 2004 only please) experience & opinions on:
1: Openings, best opener based on consistency of good openings and secondly how sensative it is to a quicky pack job?
2: Optimal loading?
3: Wait time for delivery?
4: Overall rating, if you could only buy one, which would you buy and why?

Muchos Gracias Amigos

--
My other ride is a RESERVE.

[prost 0]

I just demoed a Xaos-27, and I have jumped other peoples' Velocities. Just for some background info, I normally jump an pair of FXs. Onw has the X-mod, and one doesn't and I have jumped all the major US marketed cross-braced canopies except for the VX. I have not demoed the VX because of what I have heard about the openings. I am a full time skydiver and video is one of my jobs. The bigest thing that I liked about the Xaos over the velocity was that you can load it higher and still get great swoops. This, in my opinion, makes it more fun. The velocity seems to drop a lot of swoop distance if you load it over 2 to 1. I jumped the Xaos 27 at 2.2 and thought it performed great. It would plane out with very little input and floated well. The velocity will do this but only at a lower wing loading simular to the FXs I currently have. The openings were not the best on the Xaos. They were soft but the nose searches even more than with other cross braced canopies I have jumped. Once I had an opening where the nose seemed to fold under. A tug on the rear risers fixed this. After jumping the Xaos27 for a bit I got used to how to control the openings and they settled down. I think I will demo a VX just so that I can see about the openings for myself. If I can get one for next week I will post on here.

[GeeeeeeFly 0]

I currently jump an FX 120 (wl 1.9-2.0) and use it to compare to other crossbraces.
I have demoed a velocity same size and found it to be terrible on openings. I put around 15 -20 jumps on it (#3 turned into a wrap and chop) and was scared of each opening.
I wasn't sure if it was going to be nice, flip me around, or bomb out of the bag. I am sure now the bag was too big for it, but I never had the inconsistency with my FX like the velo. Signature of cross braces, they both search on opening, but I usually grab my risers to control it some what.
Unfortunately Precision did not have something for me to demo in 111-109 range other wise I would try it out.
I am currently buying a VX because I have had really good results with my FX and want to try out the same thing but in a 9 cell version. Also I have had good customer service with Icarus despite all the past differences others have had.

Best thing I can say is demo, and ask experienced pilots about their impression. I am lucky in that regard I have two canopy teams close by and a bunch of swoop fanatics at my DZ.

G

"The edge ... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who know where it is are those that have gone over"

[skygod7777 0]

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1: Openings, best opener based on consistency of good openings and secondly how sensative it is to a quicky pack job?

vx, not a long snivel, but not a hard opening. quite nice in my opinion, out of the bag little bit of snivel and then starts to open. packing, somewhat sensative, make sure you have the slider in front of the nose.

velo, long snivel, tends to "hunt" for a heading, packing is pretty easy, and hard to screw up.

xaos 27, longer snivel than vx, shorter than velo, still hunts a bit, but not too much, packing is hard to screw up.

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2: Optimal loading?

all are around 2.1 2.2

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3: Wait time for delivery?

i have no clue what the currnet delivery times are.

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4: Overall rating, if you could only buy one, which would you buy and why?

they are all great canopies, and the only one i would never buy is the xaos, because i have a thing against precision, but they are still nice flying canopies.

i would have to say i'd buy the vx (since i have one), i just like the way it flys better than the velo, it's just a different feel under the canopies, a differnt shut down, just different. i say this, but my next canopy may be a velo just for something different, but i'm keeping my vx around still.


i have about 400 jumps on vx's (300 on my 85), 40 or so on a velo of differnt sizes (79, 84, and 96), and about 20 on a xaos 27 78.


hope that helps some.

later

[LawnDart21 0]

Muchos gracias my Xbraced amigos!

--
My other ride is a RESERVE.

[jumperconway 0]

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Anyone have (canopies with a DOM 2003 or 2004 only please) experience & opinions on:
1: Openings, best opener based on consistency of good openings and secondly how sensative it is to a quicky pack job?
2: Optimal loading?
3: Wait time for delivery?
4: Overall rating, if you could only buy one, which would you buy and why?

My personal opinion, demoed a couple of VX and an XVX with the precision mod and I hated the openings and the surge after opening but am not sure of the DOM on the canopies. I demoed a 79 Velo and the wandering openings left a lot to be desired. Since then I have 2 Xaos 21 cells, an older 85 and a newer 88. The 88 is the nicest opening canopy that I have ever jumped and I had a Crossfire 99 before that so that's saying alot! I bought a custom Xaos 27-79' a few months back and love it. The openings are better than the VX-XVX's that I jumped and no where near as twitchy a canopy and the stall point seems alot deeper on the Xaos. The Velocity flies nice once it's open but the openings always left me wondering if it would get chopped. My teamate has one that opens like crap and spanks him on occasion. The front riser pressure on the Xaos is extremely light as opposed to the Velo but the rears are heavier. You can talk to George or Beverly direct at Precision and should be able to get a custom canopy in a couple of weeks with outstanding customer service. Also if you question the HMA lines, they have replaced the steering lines with dacron. If I could only buy one, I bought it!Blues,
Conway

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