sabre 1 hard opening fix

[councilman24 37]

What you perceive as hard fast openings may very well be normal opening for the Sabre. There's probably nothing to 'fix'. Newer canopies are designed with longer snivels for softer openings. What I call malfunctions that decide to clear. I grew up with and prefer a canopy that opens in 300' instead of 800 to a 1000 feet. So I have sabres and triathlons.

That's not to say you can't have a truely hard opening on any canopy as Mike Truffer unfortunately had.

For my sabres I usually roll four from each side and roll the tail. I'm more than happy.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[skydiverek 63]

My Spectre 190 with Dacron lines and larger (custom 26x31 inch) slider opens full 7 seconds (confirmed and timed by outside video: time from line stretch to slider on risers is 7 seconds). Pure delight!

[masterrigger1 2]

Quote

What you perceive as hard fast openings may very well be normal opening for the Sabre. There's probably nothing to 'fix'.

Terry,
I myself compressed 5 vertebrae and blew 3 cells out of my Sabre 1-210 in 1990 and am surprised I did not break my neck several times after that.
Danny Smith of Skydive Carolina shattered his C5 and was lucky that he did not end up like Mike Truffer.

There are numerous other incidents out there that required hospitalization or a coroner.

A opening issue with these canopies absolutely exists and is widely known though out the industry. Telling a younger jumper the opposite is like telling him/her that a sharp knife won't cut you.

If you play with it long enough it will!

MEL

Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC
www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

[jumpinjackflsh 0]

http://www.pcprg.com/hardop.htm

I have a ZPO 190. It opened hella hard (it liked to took my head off, compressed C1-C3, ripped out lines...). Ted bult me a pocket slider. End of story, opens well.

Read Gary Peeks research, link above. Sabre's can be fixed with a change in slider size.

Take a look, review with your rigger, execute. Problem solved.


[Edited to Add]

No amount of rolling the nose, changing packing technique, nothing solved my problem. The pocket slider did. I'd recommend one for your sabre however Gary's research shows (imho) that simply a larger slider will do the trick. So, there you have it.

[hypoxic_fool 0]

well after much consideration im going to have my rigger build a pocket on my existing slider. iv heard good things and its seems like the easiest fix. if this doesn't quite do the trick, i will think about changing my packing technique. i also want to say how appreciative i am of all the answers and advice i received on one of my first few posts, especially on a matter that has been previously discussed in these forums. i will update and let you guys know if this works for me, thanks guys!

[Andy9o8 2]

Quote

sabre 1 hard opening fix

My solution was to switch from a Sabre 1 to a Pilot. Worked like a charm.

[hypoxic_fool 0]

oh and i forgot, im also going to get in relined asap, as the canopy itself is in great flying condition.

[aussiechick 0]

Some Sabre 1's will just open hard no matter how you pack them.
I had a Sabre 150 that I bought new.
Every opening hurt. Everyone at my DZ had a solution and was convinced their way of packing would fix it.
No mattner who packed it or how it was packed it was the same.
This was back before the recommendation was just to get a different canopy!

Eventually I ended up with two compressed vertebrae and got rid of it!

[rustywardlow 0]

I've owned two Sabre-1's and put about 1,500 jumps on them. I used a pocket slider on both and had nice long sniveling openings. Mark Hewitt built my sliders.

[Eddles 0]

When I brought my current rig, it had a 1998 Sabre 170 that opens quite quickly. I got obsessed to get it to open better, tried hard to pack it better, even going as far as getting a rigger who owns a Sabre to teach me how to pack it. I eventually got good openings 80% of the time, but I wanted to start working filming tandems, so I decided to bite the bullet and get a Sabre 2 170 - sold my Sabre for £450 and got the Sabre 2 for £650. Well worth the upgrade, feels like I'm jumping a Spectre!

I even made a video here, risking my C spine in the process....

https://vimeo.com/47827559

[skydiverek 63]

And what are these "three small packing modifications"??? :-)

[Eddles 0]

I don't believe they make much difference to be honest, as the chances of nice openings increased only slightly. One was to roll the nose and push it down the middle of the pack job and not into the centre cell like I was doing, second was to not roll the tail so much, just roll it until the front of the wrapped canopy crinkled, and third was to fold the stabilisers in a specific way I've now forgotten.

Remember I'm not a packer or advocating this packing method - I am now of the belief Sabres open hard because they're designed that way and the only REAL way to avoid true hard openings (the ones that puts you in a hospital) is to ensure that the slider is fully down to the stabilisers. The above advice MAY or MAY NOT help. It could kill you, so take this with a pinch of salt.

[Quagmirian 40]

Eddles

One was to roll the nose and push it down the middle of the pack job and not into the centre cell like I was doing.

This is stated quite clearly in the packing manual.

[SeanYang2k 0]

With a 1:1 wingload on a SabreI 150, and rolling the nose during packing, my openings are not completely hard and uncomfortable. Definitely not as soft as a Pilot or Sabre2, but not terrible and causing whiplash. Maybe because of the 1:1 wingload... for those that are getting really hard openings, I'm curious as to what the wingloading is?

[Cmp0806 0]

I also have a 1:1 wing loading on a Sabre1 150 and I love this canopy. I have about 100 jumps on it and have not had a single bad opening yet. It definitely has quick openings, but that's how I like it.

The canopy itself has about 225 jumps on it (closet find), with what I believe is the original lineset.

It has a pocketslider, which I suspect is the main factor to it being a "nice" Sabre1.

I do not roll the nose, just tuck it nicely and make sure the tips of the pocket are pulled out a little and not rolled/tucked in.

I hope the pocket slider and re-line tames your wild Sabre!

[DERPY 0]

I have a Saber 1 210 that im loading at 1. I have had a pocket sewed in to the slider to try and tame the hard opening. And it works great for me. I am a shity packer I mean really shity packer. Like if it make it in to the dbag that a good pack job. I Dont roll the nose or shove it deep I found that aslong as the lines are nice and neat it will open just fine for me.

[hypoxic_fool 0]

thanks, hoping it will be done tomorrow so i can test it out :)

[crotalus01 0]

Good luck. I had a. Sabre 190 as my first canopy. I tried it all - even got an oversized slider from PD - my last jump on it it broke 9 lines on the left side, tore an attachment point off the bottom skin, and ripped 2 cells on the left side. I still have it rolled up in my closet. I just couldn't in good conscious repair it and sell it to someone else.
I loved the flight characteristics of the Sabre 1, but the brutal openings just weren't worth it for me. YMMV....

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[aussiechick 0]

My wing loading was 1:2

[hypoxic_fool 0]

just an update, got my pocket slider set up and did two jumps. both were 800, to 900 ft openings and were a night and day difference from before. i cant wait to do more jumps, unfortunately i didnt have the time this weekend.