Sabre 2 - Too Slow opening!

[gmac324 0]

I have recently purchased a new sabre 2 120 (Loading 1.7) , done 10 jumps on it so far.

My canopy before that was a sabre2 135 (Loading 1.55) , also new, did about 250 jumps on that.

The 120 takes forever to open, I'm not too concerned about altitude loss, it just takes an incredibly long time to fully inflate.

It opens beautifully on heading and doesn't snivel too long, then it takes forever ( 30 seconds ) for the slider to come all the way down to the risers. It kinda sits about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up for a while. Even then, it almost always has closed end cells which I can pump out with a gentle tug on the back risers.

I am also having trouble reaching the slider, it sits a few inches above the top of my risers, and I have to shake it down to grab it, collapse it and stow it behind my head.

Anyone else have this problem?

I've tried to speed up the opening by spreading out the nose and not really rolling the tail. The slider just hangs in the middle, not really pulled in any direction.

Thanks,

Graeme

[cvfd1399 0]

Is the slider not wide enough, or too wide? I could see that if it was too small either it would really come down b/c the lines are pushing it, or it would hang b/c of too much friction making it stick. You say that it comes down, but not all the way. I think too that if it were too big on opening the lines would spread it enough to push it down that far, then as the angle of the lines decrease it stops shoving it down? I have litle experience, but this is how it would seem in a mechanical way to me.

[philly51 0]

I jump a Sabre 2 190 loaded about 1:1. I have slow openings also, but have not encountered the slider hang up. Couldn't begin to tell you what might be causing it. My openings have averaged 800-1000 ft, and I don't do any packing tricks to make it that slow. Just recently stopped rolling the tail and that does seem to help. Those end cell closures are a pain aren't they?

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, Shouting "...holy shit...what a ride!"

[masterrig 1]

I would try contacting PD and discuss this with them. You may be 'presenting' too much of the slider to the leading edge of the canopy. When 4-waying the slider during packing, try not pulling so much slider toward the leading edge. It may be the size of the slider!?

Chuck

[mr2mk1g 10]

Are they brass grommets on the slider or a lighter metal?

[FrogNog 1]

It might get better with a few more jumps. My Hornet scared was brand new when I got it and it scared me with "lazy slider / super-soft openings" for a few jumps, then it became "like normal canopies".

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

It might get better with a few more jumps. My Hornet scared was brand new when I got it and it scared me with "lazy slider / super-soft openings" for a few jumps, then it became "like normal canopies".

So what is "normal?"

I'm finding frequently now that I'm looking up and seeing the slider at the top and a small round oval of a parachute. A couple times I've pulled the toggles and pumped them down (once leading to a nice aggressive left turn), the other times it finishes coming down before I do anything - maybe 3-5 second delay? (time seems pretty relative to me)

These are manta 280, Fusion 270, Falcon 265. Most of the earlier jumps were with a PD300 and it was always square by the time I looked up. A more forceful opening too...perhaps I should be happy with less bruising on the legs/shoulders?

[gmac324 0]

Standard PD stainless steel grommets. Heavier than brass.

I'll leave it for 10-20 moe jumps, see if it changes as the canopy wears in a bit

• Quote

[ColdDuck 0]

Do you loosen your chest strap once you are open?

I had the same issues with the slider on a sabre2 120, and as soon as I loosened the chest strap it would come down the rest of the way like it should.

Give it a try.

"Insurance should called In case shit happens, if shit don't happen shouldn't I get my money back?"

[El_Steve 0]

I have a sabre2 135 loaded at about 1.4 and the same thing happens to me all the time. I just look around to make sure my airspace is clear and either do a quick spiral with a rear riser or flare with both. The centrifugal (?) force sends the slider the rest of the way down and then you can stow it. Works for me and is pretty easy.

[Bowie 0]

I have 1000 jumps in SABRE 2. 400 jumps in a 170, 400 in a 150, and 200 in a 135, and i have had the same problem on both my 150 and 135. But i just press my back risers together and the the slider is down quickly just learn to live with it it is a fine canopy
But not as fine as my new Katana 120

Bo Wienberg

vimeo.com/bowienberg

[Kolla 0]

The stainless steel grommets and the brass grommets on PD canopies are nearly identical in weight.
The brass grommets are slightly wider (about 2 mm) across.

blue ones,
Kolla Kolbeinsdottir,
Performance Designs, Inc.

Blue Skies Magazine

[FrogNog 1]

Quote

Quote

It might get better with a few more jumps. My Hornet scared was brand new when I got it and it scared me with "lazy slider / super-soft openings" for a few jumps, then it became "like normal canopies".

So what is "normal?"

I'm finding frequently now that I'm looking up and seeing the slider at the top and a small round oval of a parachute. A couple times I've pulled the toggles and pumped them down (once leading to a nice aggressive left turn), the other times it finishes coming down before I do anything - maybe 3-5 second delay? (time seems pretty relative to me)

These are manta 280, Fusion 270, Falcon 265. Most of the earlier jumps were with a PD300 and it was always square by the time I looked up. A more forceful opening too...perhaps I should be happy with less bruising on the legs/shoulders?

Well, your instructors will know better what your procedures should be, but a slider that comes down 3-5 seconds after deployment begins sounds pretty nice to me. (Not too fast, not too slow, probably pretty comfy. )

If the slider takes longer than that, the "problem" you may be looking at is you're still falling toward the ground kinda fast. Not as fast as freefall - maybe 1/2 or 1/3 as fast. At some point that must stop. You want it to stop (i.e. convert to a fully-open, controllable, landable, control-checked canopy) before your hard deck, or things get confusing and options get less safe.

So if I look up and the slider is still there after 6 seconds, I would need to know altitude and decide what I think it going on with the canopy. (Malfunction or super-duper-smooth opening I can wait out or encourage with rear risers? Enough altitude to wait or not?)

My current canopy is "normal" in that I pull and 99% of the time it's either 5 seconds (aaahhh...eep - dang turn!) or 2 seconds ("ungh!...aaaahhhh...).

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.