Jonsmann

I think it is a little pointless to argue if it is possible or not when I am currently jumping a canopy doing it just fine! That is ok I don't expect you to understand, but try reading Lisa's post. I don't like to swoop, whatever you like is your business! If you see that as being aggressive then so be it. Jacques

Thanks Dave that is a good and useful reply. That is a big part of it yes. I think you are right, I just wanted to get some pointer in the right direction. So far the Stiletto (too flat a glide) and the Vision (haven't jumped one yet) has been suggested. I am a little surprised nobody have suggested the Nitro. Any comments on the Nitro with this thread in mind? Jacques

I have jumped both Spectres and Triathlons, in fact I have most of my jumps on Triathlons. They are good canopies and they are very versatile. However, they are dogs compared to my Diablo. Have you ever jumped a Diablo? "It's not the canopy, it's the pilot" this is just a silly black/white comment. For most skydivers the flight performance is the combination of the pilots skill and the characteristics of the canopy. For competitive swoopers I am sure it is largely the pilot skills that determine performance, but for the rest of us it is a combination. Jacques

I think it is pointless to keep arguing this, lets just agree on disagreeing. Jacques

You generallize the swoopy canopy qualities and assume it is a law of nature, it is not! It all comes down to the development of the lift to drag ratio during the flare. A typical swoopy canopy has a high lift to drag ratio during the flare. It has been optimised for this property. It doesn't have to be that way. The canopy I am looking for has a lower L/D ratio than the typical swoopy canopy, not because the lift is lower but because the drag is higher (during the flare that is). Jacques

Generally you are right. However, my Diablo does a great job at killing that speed during the flare, not by planing out but by stopping. And why can't you have both? It seems to me the only reason why canopies of today are swoopy is because most people want them that way. Jacques

Triathlon, Spectre and Omni are "dogs", I am talking about an aggressive canopy! Jacques

"bad glide ratio" yes if that is what you choose to call it! Most people jumping Velocities and Extremes would call it an aggressive trim. "Bad flare" definitely not, when did I say that? Jacques

Anyone ever tried the Invisio? I have heard it work well, but I have never tried it. http://www.blue-spoon.com/ Jacques

Actually, you understood me just fine, a steep glide! I guess I am looking for a 7cell elliptical, but have come to terms with the fact that it does not exist anymore, so I can live with a 9 cell with 7 cell characteristics. About the language, english isn't as much of a problem as using the "swooping language" which I am certainly not familiar with. Jacques

Ok, here is the deal: I don't like to swoop, I never have and never will. I like a straight in landing, and I like the canopy to stop rather than plane out. Also, I like a steep glide and the aggressiveness of an elliptical canopy, and add a short recovery arc to that. My problem: All new HP canopies are made with swooping in mind. It seems all companies are optimising for canopy qualities I don't like. After Aerodyne discontinued the Diablo there haven't been a canopy for someone like me. Therefore I ask this; which elliptical canopy is the worst at swooping? I really don't like to ask the negative question, but it seems like the best place to start with the way things are developing. Jacques

Damn! Work brings me to Bedford quite often (from Denmark), and I had hoped to be able to get some tunnel time. Jacques

Just bring any woman to 25000 ft and she will turn blue, if you give her enough time! Jacques

Try altitude = 8000 meters * ln(Pground/Paltitude) That is a base e logarithm if you are in doubt. Accurate within say 50 m. Jacques

At your stage your main worry should be the mistakes you will make! Not the gear! Jacques

What country? -Jacques

I seem to remember that Airtec had made a system like the one you describe, when they designed the CYPRES. They decided to go with the simpler version though! - Jacques

I think the size changes of your helmet is from thermal expansion (contraction when it gets colder). Most things get larger when heated and smaller when cooled. This applies to your helmet too. Simple thermal contraction can account for maximum 0.5 mm in diameter change. However, when I look at my bonehead it is made up of 2 layers, the fiber closest to the head and the lacquer at the outside. If there is a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the two layers, temperature variations could make the entire helmet flex in unpredictable ways (it is a shell, and therefore hard to predict). Do a search on "thermal bimorph", for more info on this effect. No changes in the size of your head. Bone, water and tissue are considered incompressible, and certainly will be for the 0.4 bar pressure change to 4000 m. The head is at a constant temperature so no thermal expansion (or contraction there). The only thing that could change the outer size of the head, is expansion of the air in the middle ear. For most skydivers this should not be a problem as we generally have a permanent open eustachian tube. If you have a very narrow tube, or just had a cold it could be a possible explanation (but I don't think so). - Jacques

Look at the pictures from the link given by EdC. Between step 7 & 8, after you put the canopy on the floor, open up the canopy and you will see the air-intakes. Make sure they are symmetrical and open up the center cell and move it below the slider. And while you have the canopy open, make sure the control lines have not moved in front of the canopy (lineovers are nasty!). Using psycho packing it is possible to check this because you can easily see into the canopy on the floor. This is not possible when pro packing. - Jacques

I used to jump a Tri 160 at the same loading as you. If you pack by the Psycho packing "manual" you will on occasion get very long snivels followed by a hard opening and line twist! I have tried this on a few other canopies too, but the Tri has been the worst. However, the solution is very simple. Open up the center cell and pull it down to the slider (or all the way down to the slider rings as I do). During my first 30 psycho packed jumps, I got slammers like 5 times. With this modification to the packing method, I now got 300+ psycho packed jumps with only sweet openings. Regarding wear on the canopy. This rumor has been around for many years, but I can't see any wear on any of my canopies. On the Tri 160 its first 200 psycho packed jumps was without a bridle extension. Psycho packing without bridle extension is supposedly making the wear worse. Still, no wear is showing (other than what could be expected by normal use). - Jacques

Hi Chris, Would Precision then consider to offer its canopies with the Gelvenor fabric as an option? - Jacques

Below is the reply I got from Aerodyne's sales director Arnold Collenteur, when I voiced my disagreement with their decision to change the fabric. I love 7 cell canopies, and with the Gelvenor fabric my choice has so far been Tri's and Diablos. Without the Gelvenor fabric I don't see any reason why I should not consider one of the many other 7 cells on the market. I think Aerodyne has made a big mistake! - Jacques

I use a pair of neoprene gloves. Very warm and your hands don't get wet. They can be bought in most fishing/hunting stores. About 2 mm thick, so they are thinner than scuba gloves. Get the ones with neoprene in the palm. With that it is very easy to hold onto the plane. - Jacques

Sorry pal, not trying to beat on you! You happened to stumble onto one of my "issues". I used to train engineers for a living, and most of my students didn't understand the concepts of sensitivity, resolution etc. So I made it a habit to give a lecture at any given opportunity! - Jacques

Actually, you got it wrong too! What you call sensitivity is really the resolution. For an electronic altimeter it would be: The pressure sensor has a sensitivity of maybe 5 mV/mbar. Sensitivity describe how sensitive one parameter (voltage) is to a change in another (pressure). Take the smallest detectable change in voltage (electronic noise level or ADC resolution) and divide with the sensitivity (mV/mbar), and you get the pressure resolution. That is the smallest detectable change in pressure. After a little algebra you can convert the pressure resolution to an altitude resolution (smallest detectable altitude change). Now you have an altimeter showing the altitude typically +- the altitude resolution. However this tells you nothing about the accuracy. The accuracy is the maximum deviation between the true altitude and the altitude measured by your altimeter. The accuracy is worse than the resolution. So the sensitivity is only important from a design point of view, not important for a user. What is important for the user is the resolution (what is the smallest altitude change I can measure) and the accuracy (How much can I trust the displayed altitude). - Jacques