opening at terminal

[masher 1]

What makes CReW canopies open hard at terminal?

I'll make a specific reference to the Triathalon here. They make a RW, hybrid and CReW canopies. The first two, you can open at terminal, the last you can't. What is the difference between them all?


Just wondering...

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Arching is overrated - Marlies

[indyz 1]

CRW canopies open hard at terminal because they are designed to open fast. The Comp CRW Triathlon has a mesh slider and is free packed, while the Hybrid and RW models have solid (sail) sliders and are deployed from bags.

[andy2 0]

probably the differences in trim affect opening speeds also. arn't the 3 models of the tri trimmed differently?

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[relyon 0]

The primary difference between the Triathlon models that affects the deployment speeds is the size and shape of the cell opening. The RW and Hybrid employ a droop nose (top skin extends partially down the cell opening) where the Competition version is wide open. The more open nose inflates and deploys faster resulting in higher opening shock. You definitely want to avoid those kinds of openings - it's very hard on the body and the parachute (it can pop bartacks and blow ribs at the crossports).

As indyz pointed out, mesh sliders and freepacking also speed things up, but you don't want to dump a competition Tri at terminal even with a solid slider and bag as it will still slam you. The line length and trim on all three canopies is the same, though the line material is not (Spectra on the RW, Dacron on the Hybrid and Comp)

[masher 1]

Thanks for that. You just answered my next question re bags and sliders on a comp Tri.

Cheers.

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[Squeak 17]

you looking at becoming a Dawg Matt?

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
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How's yours doing?

[remko 0]

Also the brake setting matters. I have a lightning with a deep brake setting that opens considerably softer/slower than one with a standard brake setting.

Greetings,
Remko

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[relyon 0]

Quote

Also the brake setting matters.

True enough. Roger McClelland routinely packs his Lightning with the brakes unstowed. He says the openings slow down quite a bit, but not enough for terminal (though he has tried).

OT: so what color is your reserve, Remko? Does it have red A lines?

Bob

[masher 1]

Quote

you looking at becoming a Dawg Matt?

That I am.

I just need to get my D, and hope that the APF doesn't change it's AAD rules...

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[rjf98 0]

I realize I'm not talking about a "modern" CRW Triathalon here...

I used to own a Fury 210. It was a CRW canopy with the red lines and all. It was my only canopy for about 100 jumps. I know it was F-111 and all, and I definetly learned to roll the nose and clover leaf the slider.

My point is, I always took it to terminal and never hurt myself or the canopy.

[PhreeZone 20]

Did your Fury have a mesh slider like a lot of the CRW canopies have?

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[rjf98 0]

Nope, and I don't think I would try it with a mesh slider either.

[DJL 235]

Reminds me of a story Doug Strand told me about his old Express or maybe Prodigy. I don't know much about those, maybe one of you old farts can figure out what it was. Anyway, he thought he was getting a good Hybrid canopy but after a few too many jumps getting slammed he went to the manufacturer to ask about it and they said they'd cut his and a few others for a CRW team to be dedicated CRW canopies.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher