Diablo insight needed

[TFFTM 1]

Jumped a Diablo 190 for the first time (Beer!!!)

I am used to Sabre2 150 and SharpChuter 245.
I was amazed at the different flight characteristics and would appreciate any insight.

Opening: Very long snivel even though flatpacked, 2 cells on each side not inflated(corrected very easily).

Turns: On simple toggle turns canopy would recover slowly and then continue turn to opposite side for about 30 to 45 degrees. Could counter turn with slight toggle pressure. Did not try riser turn.

Landing: Little/no wind. fairly fast approach, Canopy did not "Pick" me back up like a Sabre2 would.

I know that 1 jump isn't enough to understand a canopy and was hoping that some "Elliptical" pilots could give me some explanation and/or pointers since I plan to jump this puppy some more. - Thanks in advance.

BSBD
Home of the Alabama Gang

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I moved this to G&R for the obvious reason: it's about gear.

[TFFTM 1]

Thanks, I was debating that.

BSBD
Home of the Alabama Gang

[Remster 30]

The Diablo is an odd duck really. I enjoyed mine for a while, but in the end wanted a more typical elliptical behavior. I jumped a Sabre 170, then a Diablo 170, then a Stiletto 170, so I'll compare the Diablo top those (but its been a couple of years, so I may be fussy lol).

The 1 thing that sets it appart from most other canopies is that it turns real fast. Real real fast. I needed to counter the turn to end it too quite a bit.

In full flight, in sinks more, and there isnt as much flare as the others either.

Its a real fun canopy to fly. The landings arent as swoopy tho (and before people slam me: yes, you can even swoop a Navigator 270... I know )

Remster

[dgskydive 0]

One thing abou the Diablo, is that it is no longer in production.

It is a tricky canopy IMHO to control. I didn't like all the counter steering I had to do to keep it flying straight. Jumped one about 30 times to get the feel for it, then decided it was not my favorite canopy. Haven't jumped on since. Most people I have come across either really love it of really hate it.

Dom

[YISkyDive 0]

I would have to agree.

On my DZ everyone is a PD fanatic. If you don't jump PD, your canopy aint good. Thankfully, having parents in the sport has given me alternatives to the "mainstream" cool toys.. one of which is my Diablo.

My Diablo is a 170 loaded at like 1.25:1 to 1.3: 1 depending on the week. I have roughly 125 jumps on her, and I Love it!

It turns much faster than the Sabre2, but it also has a cost of "forgiving" flare power. I have found that with the Diablo it has tought me too flare much better than anyting else that I have jumped. When you hit the sweet spot it surfs very very nicely, when you miss the sweetspot- RUN!.

Turns on the Diablo are challenging to learn, but also can make you a well rounded canopy pilot. With the significant oversteer you can use your harness to stop a turn "on heading", use opposite toggle to stop the turn on heading, or let the canopy oversteer onto heading.

The turns them selves are pretty fast- I've heard people say some of the fastest on any canopy in the approprate size range. Even the Stiletto turns slower, I have heard. Flat turns are also something I made a point to learn right away, with the steeper trim, and diving turn, if you needed an emergency direction change, on this canpoy you CAN NOT perform an aggressive toggle turn. I have video of toggle turns that where question as riser turn, so learn the flat turns.

Its a fun canopy, and a good canopy to prepare yourself for highspeed, higher performance canopies because at a lighter wingloading it teaches you the basics of advanced canopy flight. Sure, you cant whip harness 360s on a dime, like say an X2, but at the same time, you should have enough harness to turn the canopy while you are stowing your slider.

Like the other gent said, you love it, or you hate it. I love mine, and when the tiem is correct, I am defentily considering a 150Diablo for when I hold the proper skills to fly it.

dave

[Garycal 0]

Iam flying a Diablo 190 loaded at 0.945 it has a long snivel the fist time i used it was scary as hell but the opening was soft i also found if iam not in a good stable belly to earth i get a lot of line twists turns are fast rear riser turns are a little slower there is a lot of pressure on the front risers but you can dive it if you brake it and then pull the front rises down landing approach is fast i found if i bring the toggles to chest level at around 15 feet then finish the flair i can stand up depending on wind sometimes i have to run a few steps i like the canopy it is just a matter of learning to fly it

[diablopilot 2]

I think you hit the nail on the head with your assesment of the Diablo. I loved mine.

One thing to remember is in the end it is a 7 cell and will land like one for the most part. That "pop-up" you get out of the Sabre 2 (a 9 cell) is going to be hard to duplicate with a 7 cell.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[BillyVance 34]

A Diablo jumper once told me it was basically a Triathlon with the corners chamfered off it. I have not jumped a Diablo but I believe the steep dives it makes. My Tri 120 really dives when I do a 180 front riser turn, makes for a heck of a fast and long swoop even at a 1.55 loading. The Diablo just turns faster and requires more control input to fly it the way you want.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[wmw999 2,444]

I really like my Diablo for all the reasons he said. I've only had one set of line twists, and I didn't pack that one. I can get it to open hard or soft, and I can use the steepness of the turn to help me drop more or less altitude on my turns onto base and final legs.

It does flare like a 7-cell, but, well, I'm used to that.

I love spiraling on the jumps when I can. It's my favorite part of the canopy ride. I had to ride it in in half or better brakes once (obstacles and a last-minute wind change), and while I pounded it, a good PLF had me on the next load after I packed.

Just don't let it freak you out and turn late and hard -- YIskydive has an excellent point htere.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[aepiper 0]

What method(s) do you use to get your Diablo to open harder (I'm actually interested in finding out how to make mine open a bit faster). One method that I've seen is to not stow the slider tight against the stops. Any others? Thanks!

[YISkyDive 0]

I have never done this-

But a rigger I jumped with last year propacked his diablo, but left the slider out, and then put the slider outside of the package- would i ever try it? hell no. He had resonable openings, and loved it, but that was a lightly loaded 150, loaded around 1.25:1.

I pack mine for a "positive" opening with the nose halfway out of the pack- and the slider flush not out. Although i stopped crying about the Diablos openings after i endured an instant canopy- my neptune claimed a 50ft opening from the time i pitched to the time I was under a fully flying canopy- I did not move for almost 1,000 feet in the harness, it was painful. I now politely take the 1k snivel.

[wmw999 2,444]

The best thing I did was to put a new kill line into my pilot chute. Now I can even pack it harder than I want it to open (which is pretty hard).

One thing I did was to go ahead and keep the slider where it belonged, but to fold the stiffened edges back (i.e. so the very first puff of air has less slider effectively blocking it). Also, folding the stabilizers well away from the nose (i.e. nose straight out, stabilizers folded back, then wrap it up). Those helped.

But the new kill line has me psycho packing it now
Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)