garymccutchen 0 #1 June 29, 2007 I just bought my first rig and need a new canopy. I am a bigger guy. 6' 230lbs. I am looking for a minnimum on a 230 or larger. Any suggestions would be appreciated. The rig is a wings W-25. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 5 #2 June 29, 2007 I'm a Pilot fan, but they don't seem to make them that big. Another good choice for a canopy is PD's Sabre2 which comes in 230 and a 260 sizes. PD also makes the Spectre up to a 230. The Icarus Safire 2 comes up to a 229. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
druvaughn 0 #3 June 29, 2007 I put around 300 jumps on my Spectre 230 (I am 6'1" and 300 out the door). Loved the soft, long openings, and the strong flare. A great canopy. You can't go wrong with the above mentioned canopies. I recently demoed the pilot, safire and sabre and purchased a safire 2 209. Aerodyne and PD will both send you demos, try em out. Icarus is a little tougher but worth looking into. Have fun with it. Good Luck, Best, Dru- - "Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3331 137 #4 June 29, 2007 http://www.jumpshack.com/firebolt.htmI Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisL 2 #5 June 29, 2007 Quotehttp://www.jumpshack.com/firebolt.htm Are you recommending a fully elliptical main for a guy that has 19 jumps? Biggest one thats not a tandem main recommends a 272 sq ft for a novice with an exit weight of 195. This guy is about 65 lbs over that. I'm not a super expert or anything, but this doesn't look like a very good option to me.__ My mighty steed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glitch 0 #6 June 29, 2007 I'd certainly recommend that you buy used and put a few hundred jumps on it before buying new. Fashion and color be damned! Your proficiency, and likely your desires with respect to skydiving, will change alot by then. YMMV. As far as an actual canopy model goes... Sabre 2 hasn't been mentioned yet, and that's what I have in my container. edited to add the Sabre 2 comment... that and I'm apparently not sharp enough to carry a train of thought more than a minute or two... Randomly f'n thingies up since before I was born... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adobelover 0 #7 July 1, 2007 Buy a USED canopy first, get good at flying that one. Then you can make a better informed decision as to where you'll spend all that $$$$$ _________________________________________ Old age ain't no place for sissies! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
garymccutchen 0 #8 July 1, 2007 Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #9 July 2, 2007 QuoteAre you recommending a fully elliptical main for a guy that has 19 jumps? Do you think, that planform describe everything about a canopy? Do you know that even the PD Navigator is not a square canopy? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DougH 270 #10 July 2, 2007 Quote Quote Are you recommending a fully elliptical main for a guy that has 19 jumps? Do you think, that planform describe everything about a canopy? Do you know that even the PD Navigator is not a square canopy? Do you think jump shack has certain max recommended loadings that correspond to experience for a reason? Do you have experience flying a similar size fire bolt at a similar loading? Do you have anything to add to this conversation or is it just business as usual? ... The bigger sizes at lower loadings might be completely acceptable for students and novice jumpers but Chris has a legitimate question and it is coming from information taken right from jumpshack. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowflake 0 #11 July 2, 2007 Quote Quote Quote Are you recommending a fully elliptical main for a guy that has 19 jumps? Do you think, that planform describe everything about a canopy? Do you know that even the PD Navigator is not a square canopy? Do you think jump shack has certain max recommended loadings that correspond to experience for a reason? Do you have experience flying a similar size fire bolt at a similar loading? Do you have anything to add to this conversation or is it just business as usual? ... The bigger sizes at lower loadings might be completely acceptable for students and novice jumpers but Chris has a legitimate question and it is coming from information taken right from jumpshack. In all actuality he will be over the mfg. recommended wing loadings of every canopy mentioned in this thread(unless he gets a special order canopy). I've jumped a Sabre2 and it was faster and turned quicker than my cobalt ("fully elliptical") at the same wing loading. Always remember that flight characteristics will change with size. A 150 sabre 2 will fly faster and turn quicker then a sabre 2 260 at the same wing loading everything else being equal. That being said. The instructors at his DZ and other "big people" are probably his best source of advice. In my opinion the mfg wing loading charts are recommendations, and are probably set a little conservative on the higher end of the weight scale. As I stated before wingloading is not the only variable. http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/choosing1.pdf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #12 July 2, 2007 QuoteIn my opinion the mfg wing loading charts are recommendations, and are probably set a little conservative on the higher end of the weight scale. As I stated before wingloading is not the only variable. http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/choosing1.pdf Canopy sizing from bigairsportz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites