tso-d_chris

182 can be modified to have very fast climb rates, as well. I have seen 5 jumpers to 10K in 13.5 minutes in a 182, with a fresh (upgraded) engine and some other nice mods, as well as favorable weather conditions. For Great Deals on Gear

Very nice rig, Ankie!

Most any Pink Floyd (DSOTM is my favorite) Most any Bob Marley (Live at the Roxy is my fav) Most any Beethoven Most Mozart Refreshments- Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy Edie Brickell- Shooting Rubberbands at the Moon Queensryche - Operation:Mindcrime Most any BB King Most any Clapton Most any Stevie Ray Vaughn Ozzy- Blizzard, Diary, Tribute, NMT Most Offspring (except "Pretty Fly for a White Guy) Blues Traveller Sublime (self titled) NIN - Pretty Hate Machine The Cure- Disintegration That's all I can think of at the moment For Great Deals on Gear

I may defend BM suits, but I also don't offer disparaging remarks about the competition. I have seen a PF(C)I refuse to get rid of his S.3 because he feels it is too much fun to fly. For Great Deals on Gear

I've seen photos of the S.6, and have an S.3-S (and an S.3, plus others) here in the store. When I get an S.6 in, I will be able to make a more detailed comparison. For Great Deals on Gear

I've yet to see an S.6, so I cannot comment on any differences. For Great Deals on Gear

I guess my idea of a "radical change" require more significant changes than your idea of "radical change." No, I don't consider the minor changes you have listed to be radical, which is where our disagreement lies. For Great Deals on Gear

I usually move someplace completely different. It is always good for a change of pace. For Great Deals on Gear

What radical new design technology has been applied? Increased wing area is not a new design. It is an evolution of previous designs Robi and Jari worked on. For Great Deals on Gear

I've flown plenty of Sx variations and prototypes. None of the minor changes mentioned for S6 had any effect on L/D. In fact, none of those small changes over Skyflyer Sx lifespan had any measurable effect on L/D. It took creating an entirely new platform (Vampire generation) to squeeze a bit more glide. This is where it stands now. At this stage in perfomance suit development no small cosmetic changes will have any effect. Adding more glide requires a major effort. And first of all, it requires a talented designer... that's the biggest and foremost problem: Original BirdMan had a great designer and a great marketer. The split created two companies, one with a great marketer, and another with a great designer. Currently BirdMan knows how to sell suits very well, but cannot design anything really new. Phoenix designs awesome new toys, but lags behind in advertising and marketing them. bsbd! Yuri. I'm sure you are aware that the V1 is not an "entirely new platform." It is not any closer to being a brand new design than the S.6 is. There are no radical departures from previous designs. I am well aware of the history of Robi, Jari and Bird-Man. I also am well aware that Bird-Man is not lacking a talented designer, as you claim. In fact, I doubt you know much about Bird-Man's current R&D, let alone who all is involved with it, or what projects are in the works. Chris For Great Deals on Gear

TELL US MORE!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!! For Great Deals on Gear

It would be naive to think that none of Robi's ideas have manifested in the S.3 or S.6, just as it would be naive to believe none of Jari's ideas have manifested in the V1 design. This isn't a pissing contest. It is the pursuit of human flight. We build on what we already know. The fact is, Robi and Jari used to work together, and what they learned together they now each apply to their respective new suits. For Great Deals on Gear

On the other hand though, without competition there is probably less incentive to spend money on [producing] the prototypes for general release - especially on mega super high performance suits that may not be bought in high numbers. But this is all just vague speculation on my part Or perhaps a significant increase in flight performance requires a radically new design that requires substantial testing to work out all the bugs of a brand new design? My "guess" is that in several years, wingsuit pilots will look back at wingsuits designed thus far in much the same way skydivers look back at the Cruiselite. It was a fast canopy when it was new. Now there are faster canopies marketed as conservative. For Great Deals on Gear

You've a bunch of flights on each, I assume? For Great Deals on Gear

12.4 GB on my laptop, another 100 GB or so on an external drive, plus a few dozen more GB on a network drive at home, plus various CDs and DVDs that are awaiting additional hard drive space. How many songs? Good question. For Great Deals on Gear

I think they mean actual saves, as opposed to an AAD activation during a snivelly main deployment or as the jumper reaches for the silver handle, etc. In such instances, the AAD fire is not considered a save, since the jumper is actively trying to save their own life. For Great Deals on Gear

At one time I was jumping an Icarus Omega 115 and an Icarus Omega 170. As long as I kept the slider against the stops, I could not make the 170 open in less than 1000 feet. I had to actively pack the 115 for an opening soft enough for camera jumps. This sample is obviously too small to draw any conclusions from, but the results were consistent. For Great Deals on Gear

No worries.

Which means it is not a good deal for you. Trying to find a suitable used container is like that a lot. Thee are many things that have to match up. For Great Deals on Gear

Some instructors teach students to have one hand on each handle. There are pros/cons to either method. For Great Deals on Gear

In the event of a total malfuction or a pilot chute in tow, your reserve should still deploy, even with the main still in the main container. To find out why, talk to your instructors! (or a rigger) For Great Deals on Gear

The difference is that your parasitic drag includes the drag from the lines, jumper and canopy, while I am considering the drag due to lines and jumper to be different from the drag from the canopy skin. In parachute applications, I think it is more convenient to separate them, even is it is not "proper." I think you're still confused. Parasitic drag is made up of form drag and skin-friction drag. The jumper, lines, and canopy all have skin-friction drag as well as form(profile) drag. It is basic aerodynamics. Since we are connected to the canopy, the drag we make is affecting the flight of the canopy. You could seperate the 2, but that wouldn't make any sense. I could also include Interference drag in the equation of parasitic drag. This is caused by the wake of one part affecting the drag of another. This value is usually only a big deal when dealing with larger aircraft or aircraft travelling at high speed. Form (Profile) Drag is a Parasitic Drag Skin-Friction Drag is a Parasitic Drag Interference Drag is a Parasitic Drag Add them up and you get total Parasitic Drag Add Parasitic Drag to Induced Drag and you get Total Drag. If you don't believe me, just google it. Did you read where I conceded you were correct? There is no confusion. I simply pointed out that it is useful with parachute applications to separate profile drag from the broader classification of parasitic drag. It may not be proper, but it is very useful. Check here to help understand why. It deals with helicopters, but it is very easy to see the similarities with parachutes. For Great Deals on Gear

The difference is that your parasitic drag includes the drag from the lines, jumper and canopy, while I am considering the drag due to lines and jumper to be different from the drag from the canopy skin. In parachute applications, I think it is more convenient to separate them, even is it is not "proper." For Great Deals on Gear

Would this be similar to the technology used in laptops to lock down the HDD and shut off the screen in the event it senses it is falling? For Great Deals on Gear

That's my point.