Sabre 2 with lazy openings

[capfpg 0]

Hello everyone. I have a 170 feet sabre 2 canopy, bought new a couple of years ago, and I've noticed that it's becoming slower at the openings.

It has 323 jumps, and now it takes around 1300-1400 feet to open.

I've packed it in different ways and have it packed by dz packers without change in the openings.

What do you think? Pilot chute problem?

Thanks for the feedback.

[theonlyski 8]

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Hello everyone. I have a 170 feet sabre 2 canopy, bought new a couple of years ago, and I've noticed that it's becoming slower at the openings.

It has 323 jumps, and now it takes around 1300-1400 feet to open.

I've packed it in different ways and have it packed by dz packers without change in the openings.

What do you think? Pilot chute problem?

Thanks for the feedback.

Have a rigger check out your pilot chute and line trim.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[capfpg 0]

Thanks, I´m trying to contact my rigger.

It´s usual to replace the pilot chute or reline the canopy with 323 jumps?

Blue skies.

[theonlyski 8]

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Thanks, I´m trying to contact my rigger.

It´s usual to replace the pilot chute or reline the canopy with 323 jumps?

Blue skies.

Pilot chutes are life-limited items, depending on the materials used, it could be due for a replacement, it is also quite possible that the kill line is no longer allowing it to fully cock itself.

Line sets usually take longer to need replacement, but depending on the length of the brake lines, you could start having different openings. Usually the brake lines are due for a replacement before the rest of the line set.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[JohnSherman 1]

Have the bottom skin permeability checked.

[capfpg 0]

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Have the bottom skin permeability checked.

Really? After so few jumps?

[DocPop 1]

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Have the bottom skin permeability checked.

Could you explain the mechanism by which that would slow down the openings?

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[JohnSherman 1]

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Have the bottom skin permeability checked.

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Could you explain the mechanism by which that would slow down the openings?

No, I can't. I haven't quite figured out why. But I know that canopies which will still flair and land well but open very slowly have high permeability on the bottom skin. I have seen this on a variety of canopies both ZP & F-111. The canopy in question has very few jumps so it colud have been just a bad batch or color, all of which I have seen.

[DocPop 1]

Huh, interesting!

There must be other variables, because it doesn't happen with all hybrid canopies (e.g. Navigator, Pulse).

I would have thought that increasing the bottom skin porosity would cause a faster opening - but apparently not.

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[johnmatrix 21]

Interesting. Canopies open by inflation through the nose don't they?
If the bottom skin is porous could it be possible that air flowing into the nose has to fight with air being forced through the bottom skin before the canopy inflates?

[Mr_Polite 0]

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Thanks, I´m trying to contact my rigger.

It´s usual to replace the pilot chute or reline the canopy with 323 jumps?

Blue skies.

Your packing technique can wear a pilot chute out faster. I know of a jumper that destroyed one in about 150 jumps. The way she was packing it the bridle was rubbing across it bad and just wore it out. Put a bunch holes in it.

Is it off heading openings as well? I would start with the line trim.

[capfpg 0]

Thanks everybody for your help.

The only change I´ve noticed since I started jumping this canopy is about the speed of the opening.

It gives me slightly off heading openings very often, and completly off heading ones occasionally, but it´s been like that since the first day.

[CornishChris 5]

I had to do a double take on a thread with 'Sabre' and 'lazy opening' in. You know how many sabre owners out there would love to be able to say that?!

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[Southern_Man 0]

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I had to do a double take on a thread with 'Sabre' and 'lazy opening' in. You know how many sabre owners out there would love to be able to say that?!

Well, it's a Sabre II, not a Sabre...

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[capfpg 0]

After a gear upgrade, my openings have improved a lot, and the problem is solved. I changed the small F111 pilot chute to a medium zp one.

My rigger told me that the original one was too small for the canopy, but when it was new, it worked. With more than 300 jumps, it wasn´t able to pull the bag strong enough anymore.

Thanks everyone for the feedback, and blue skies.