Transitioning from F-111 to ZP

[mnskydiver688 0]

I am interested in getting some viewpoints. I have been jumping a PD-210 F-111 canopy for about 15 jumps. My exit weight is about 185lbs maybe a bit less.

The equipment i am most likely going to get is a Sabre 170. I have jumped it and a Monarch 170 a few times. I definately noticed a difference in the speed but I also discovered the flare is much more powerful. What my question is when downsizing from a F-111 canopy is the change in wingloading as drastic as going from a ZP canopy to another smaller ZP canopy due to the different nature of F-111 and ZP?

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[phoenixlpr 0]

Quote

What my question is when downsizing from a F-111 canopy is the change in wingloading as drastic as going from a ZP canopy to another smaller ZP canopy due to the different nature of F-111 and ZP?

Canopies do not really plane out on flare under WL 1.0.
If you use the same technique that you used with F111 you might pop 2-4m meters up and fall down or even stall on flare.

It is hard to accept that flaring to around shoulder level would be enough to make your ZP canopy plane out.

I had about 80 jumps on F111 canopies and about 60-80 on PD Navigators(hybrid) 280-260-220.

It was a leap of faith to jump a Merit170. I can remember my first jump. There were some nice wind and It went so fast I just got on the ground on my feet. On the next jump I was on my face because I put my feet down to early..

Don't worry too much, just choose the conditions wisely. I'd rather try a smaller canopy in a nice windy day than a no-wind or a day with turbulent winds. I did try a Vison 132 on a turbulent day when some experienced RW jumpers were watching the test dummies landings. I got a grass stain only.

[AdamLanes 1]

I see people swooping canopies all the time loaded less than 1:1

[dharma1976 0]

man I need to borrow a sabre2 210 and see what I can do with it...

Dave

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[velvetjo 0]

Ask some of your local instructors to show you a staged flare. I used it to transition to ZP from a PD230, and it worked well for me.

We use Sabres for student canopies, and a 4-stage flare seems to work well for them. The canopies are a little de-tuned, but moving to head/chest/belly/crotch in deliberate stages with hands together seems to do the trick. Hands together will keep you from making uneven control inputs, which will be even more pronounced than you'd expect with F111.

You'll want to be much more controlled than the "give it everything right now" flare technique that a not-so-new F111 canopy might demand. Your goal is to gently bring your sink rate to zero just above the ground, so start flaring earlier and give the canopy a little time to react after each stage of the flare. If there's not much change in your sink rate, keep going farther into the flare. If you balloon a little or level off early, just hold the toggles and then continue flaring once you begin to sink again.

Hope this is helpful, but in any case get some hands-on advice from instructors you trust to make sure you're on the right track. ZP is way more fun to fly!

Lance

[billvon 2,998]

>What my question is when downsizing from a F-111 canopy is the
>change in wingloading as drastic as going from a ZP canopy to another
>smaller ZP canopy due to the different nature of F-111 and ZP?

Downsizing from a new F111 210 sq ft to a new F111 170 sq ft will be similar to the transition from going from a ZP 210 to an F111 170. Worn out F111 is another story.

The Sabre 170 is similar to the Monarch 170. Both are ZP.