gowlerk 2,190 #1 April 7, 2013 Ebay came through for me again! I bought a Vector II with a low mileage Sabre 190. The ad said the reserve was an "older ram air" It turns out to be a Gargano Hobbit, Serial #55 Sept 82. SCORE!! It's complete with a couple patches. No diaper, but it does have an attachment point. Last packed in '94 in Eloy. Needless to say I'm going to retire it as a reserve. But what can I expect if I try jumping it as a main? KenAlways remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #2 April 7, 2013 Hobbit ??? If you start out, 5 foot 9 you'll end Up, 4 foot 9 ..... like a Hobbit......mostly just joking....But OLD ram airs are mostly JUST that...OLD..How do you KNOW... the sabre 190 is "low mileage"??? what is IT'S date of man... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gowlerk 2,190 #3 April 7, 2013 The DOM of the Saber is Aug. 92. The canopy appears low mileage, no fading, you can still read the label even though it's old enough that PD was still hand writing the DOM, lines are white. The seller said it was a "Point Break rig" (as in watching the movie inspired him to take up jumping) He did some jumps and bought a rig during that era, but the rig has been living in a closet since. He claims 40 jumps, and it looks believable. It appears the container and main were new in Dec. '92 and last packed in Oct. '94. I guess he was saving some cash with the old reserve.Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #4 April 7, 2013 fair enough... good luck then... jmy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #5 April 7, 2013 Nice find! If you don't want it I know someone who does. The manual makes for amusing reading, boasting about amazing performance and soft landings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gowlerk 2,190 #6 April 7, 2013 I saw that manual. I love the part about only letting a Master Rigger hook it up. You don't want to be going really fast backwards on your reserve!Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dudeman17 339 #7 April 7, 2013 I've got a fair amount of jumps on Hobbits. I knew Bill and jumped with him a lot when he was is SoCal back in those days, and jumped a lot of his canopies. I used to have and got my BASE# on a Comet, jumped Hobbits, Spirits and a Lumen. That Lumen was an aggressive 7-cell with a high angle of attack and opened like a bounce. Made some BASE jumps on that thing, too. Even deployed a diapered Hobbit reserve out of a Handbury rig once, and I still have that canopy somewhere, serial #11. Anyway, the Hobbit, though nothing compared to today's cross-braced postage stamps, was for its time a small zippy high performance canopy. I believe it's about 185 square feet (from a time when the average 'smaller' sport canopy was about 220), and has the same airfoil as a Spirit, in that it has a curved lower surface. I actually liked the Comet better than the Spirit, and wished that the Hobbit had its airfoil. It's fun to fly if you're into nostalgia, but it can land hard if you're not good on the flare. One thing you want to consider, though, is that if that was a Point Break rig, there's a good chance that it's been wet from the water jumps they did into Lake Powell. And knowing a little about how film shoots can work, it may not have been dried out quickly or correctly, it may have been left soaked for a while. So I'd suggest that you have a thorough stress test done on all the materials with that in mind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gowlerk 2,190 #8 April 7, 2013 Thanks for that info on how those things fly. The oldest main canopy I've flown before is my first one, a bagged out Cruiselite. It had lots of jumps on it when I got it in '93 and I put about 250 more on. I think I remember how to flare them! It probably lands better than my Swift did. QuoteOne thing you want to consider, though, is that if that was a Point Break rig, there's a good chance that it's been wet from the water jumps they did into Lake Powell. Sorry but this is a misunderstanding. The seller saw the movie and decided to try jumping because of it. It wasn't used in the movie.Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #9 April 7, 2013 Quote OLD ram airs are mostly JUST that...OLD.. Old F-111? Eh, just soak the shit out of it with Scotchgard & yer good ta go. Call it a next-generation lopo. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ksaylor1 0 #10 April 8, 2013 Quote I've got a fair amount of jumps on Hobbits. Maybe a post for a different forum.Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muff528 3 #11 April 8, 2013 Quote Quote I've got a fair amount of jumps on Hobbits. Maybe a post for a different forum.Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dudeman17 339 #12 April 8, 2013 The Cruiselite was similar to the Comet (and the Pegasus, the Unit, the X-210...), so imagine a smaller/faster Cruiselite with a slightly mushier flare. And IIRC the Swift was a 5-cell with less aspect ratio, so yeah, the Hobbit probably lands better than that. I remember demo jumping a Swift reserve, and the slider had a square hole cutout in the center of it. During the latter part of the flare the front edge of that cutout would vibrate, essentially giving it a stall warning buzzer. And to Ken and Muff - hey, Hobbettes can be fun! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
