ZLX lines from Aerodyne

[maxhogg 0]

Apologies if there is already info on this - I've searched but can't find anything.

Does anyone have experience of these lines? Do they stretch like Dacron or are they more like Spectra? Any idea how long they last (I realise they're new so hard to answer). Do they show obvious signs of wear, or are they likely to break with little warning?

I'm a B licence, with 75 jumps, for background, and I'm trying to choose between Dacron (600), ZLX (700) and Spectra (725). I know quite a bit about the relative merits of Dacron and Spectra, but all I know about ZLX is that they pack small!

[maxhogg 0]

Oh and just to add - I recognise and respect the many reasons not to buy new on these jump numbers, but have a very good deal available

[skytribe 17]

Have you asked aerodyne ?

[maxhogg 0]

Yes, but haven't heard back from them yet (I only asked yesterday).

If possible I'm interested to combine their response with other people's views based on real-world experience.

[pnuwin 0]

At about 80 jumps I'm seeing wear on the lines near the attachment points inside the canopy that I never noticed with 700HMA or spectra. If you are flying at low wing loadings, I'd go spectra. Those lines seem to last forever and you don't notice the trim change at low wing loadings.

ZLX seems to hold its trim well. Super thin and easy to pack.

[pchapman 279]

As background material, here's some basic info that Aerodyne gives about their new ZLX, on their Zulu page:

Quote

, we have developed an all-new premium line type, a highly ordered structured thermoplastic polymer, the new ZLX.

You will be impressed by the soft and supple feel of the line, which is not as brittle and abrasive as other high performance lines. It has shown us remarkable strength and endurance in a year of jump testing. It maintains the feel of the line over hundreds of jumps without pilling like some lines can show over time. It provides no shrinkage and a longer life than lines currently available in the market. The ZULU will come standard with the new ZLX 700 lines.

[maxhogg 0]

pnuwin

At about 80 jumps I'm seeing wear on the lines near the attachment points inside the canopy that I never noticed with 700HMA or spectra. If you are flying at low wing loadings, I'd go spectra. Those lines seem to last forever and you don't notice the trim change at low wing loadings.

ZLX seems to hold its trim well. Super thin and easy to pack.

That's exactly the kind of info I'm looking for pnuwin - thanks.

[maxhogg 0]

pchapman

As background material, here's some basic info that Aerodyne gives about their new ZLX, on their Zulu page:

Quote

, we have developed an all-new premium line type, a highly ordered structured thermoplastic polymer, the new ZLX.

You will be impressed by the soft and supple feel of the line, which is not as brittle and abrasive as other high performance lines. It has shown us remarkable strength and endurance in a year of jump testing. It maintains the feel of the line over hundreds of jumps without pilling like some lines can show over time. It provides no shrinkage and a longer life than lines currently available in the market. The ZULU will come standard with the new ZLX 700 lines.

Thanks pchapman - useful info.

[Deimian 43]

pnuwin

[...]At about 80 jumps I'm seeing wear on the lines near the attachment points inside the canopy that I never noticed with 700HMA or spectra.[...]

pchapman

As background material, here's some basic info that Aerodyne gives about their new ZLX, on their Zulu page:

Quote

[...]
It maintains the feel of the line over hundreds of jumps without pilling like some lines can show over time. It provides no shrinkage and a longer life than lines currently available in the market
[...]

These two quotes seem contradictory. One off or overenthusiastic marketing? We need more input to know for sure. That's why "ask the manufacturer" is not that helpful in these kind of questions.

[maxhogg 0]

Deimian

These two quotes seem contradictory. One off or overenthusiastic marketing? We need more input to know for sure. That's why "ask the manufacturer" is not that helpful in these kind of questions.

+1.

I also asked my rigger and the chief packer at my DZ. Neither had noticed these lines in the real world (that's not to say they haven't ever packed these lines, just that the particular material hasn't been drawn to their attention for any reason).

My instinct is that there is too little info to choose them over Spectra right now. Keen to hear if anyone else out there is using them at the moment?

[BKS60 0]

Deimian

***[...]At about 80 jumps I'm seeing wear on the lines near the attachment points inside the canopy that I never noticed with 700HMA or spectra.[...]

pchapman

As background material, here's some basic info that Aerodyne gives about their new ZLX, on their Zulu page:

Quote

[...]
It maintains the feel of the line over hundreds of jumps without pilling like some lines can show over time. It provides no shrinkage and a longer life than lines currently available in the market
[...]

These two quotes seem contradictory. One off or overenthusiastic marketing? We need more input to know for sure. That's why "ask the manufacturer" is not that helpful in these kind of questions.

Interesting, I have a little over two hundred jumps on a canopy with these lines at a little over 1.7 loading. I have noticed a little wear from the guide rings on the lower steering lines but none else where. I'll try to check the trim soon.

"You don't get many warnings in this sport before you get damaged"

[DougH 270]

pnuwin

At about 80 jumps I'm seeing wear on the lines near the attachment points inside the canopy that I never noticed with 700HMA or spectra. If you are flying at low wing loadings, I'd go spectra. Those lines seem to last forever and you don't notice the trim change at low wing loadings.

ZLX seems to hold its trim well. Super thin and easy to pack.

Can you take pictures of the line attachment points, and the wear?

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[maxhogg 0]

Thanks everyone for the info and comments. I had to make a decision so have gone with Spectra (tried and tested, albeit definitely not perfect!)

Keep the comments coming though, it sounds like not many of us know much about these lines yet, but would like to.

[pnuwin 0]

Quote

Can you take pictures of the line attachment points, and the wear?

Attached is a picture of my C lines about 6 inches from the attachment point at the canopy. Where the slider grommets sit during packing. Slider grommets are smooth and clean.

[koppel 4]

have you forwarded your feed back to the manufacturer?

its in field stuff that is always good for them to hear

I like my canopy...


...it lets me down.

[caldor78 0]

I put just above 300 jumps on a brand new zulu with the ZLX lines and didn't notice any wear out of the ordinary, except on my lower steering lines, but that was my own fault (on how I stowed the excess lines).
Compared to the line wear on my previous xf2 and my current mamba that both use/d vectran 500, I'd say that ZLX and vectran are equally in wear and keeping line trim.

[skow 6]

Hey, I need to reline my Pilot and though to ask about the lines.

So I'm thinking to choose between 700 HMA or 700 ZLX lines.

HMA is known and tested and works well. Anybody has some more information about ZLX lines? Basically if in any aspect they are better than HMA? - i.e if last longer, better to pack etc?

[reactor 1]

I had my pilot zpx 117 re line from hma to zlx.
The opening became brutal.
Sent canopy back to Aerodyne, checked line trim has no problem, still waiting for further investigation.

[vvaz 0]

On 12/3/2017 at 1:27 AM, reactor said:

I had my pilot zpx 117 re line from hma to zlx.
The opening became brutal.
Sent canopy back to Aerodyne, checked line trim has no problem, still waiting for further investigation.

Hi, could you said me  what about this at the end?  

Many thanks !

 

[reactor 1]

On 8/5/2021 at 1:46 AM, vvaz said:

Hi, could you said me  what about this at the end?  

Many thanks !

 

Aerodyne said the line trim were off by a lot. The rigger who done the reline said he did everything by the manufacture's marking.

At end, I spend my own money to change line set again to HMAn.

[Westerly 61]

ZLX is just Aerodyne's marketing name for Vectran. They are Vectran lines.