riggerrob 643 #1 July 15, 2008 What is the oldest sport reserve still in production? I know the answer, even visited the factory earlier this year ... just want to hear how well informed dz.commers are. Another hint: I jumped the second-oldest reserve design three weeks ago Tee! Hee! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #2 July 15, 2008 Ted's 26' lopo ? ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #3 July 15, 2008 Is it the Vector tandem reserve? Whatever that model is. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #4 July 15, 2008 Twardo wins! 26 foot diameter Lopos - made by Strong Enterprises were one of the first sport reserves TSOed. ... not sure of the exact date it was TSOed, but SE was founded in 1961 and Ted Strong started building 26 Lopos shortly afterwards. Most of the 26' Lopos built today promptly go into pilot emergency parachutes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #5 July 15, 2008 Of course he's went to lite, mid-lite, etc. Is that a change? Either the 26' (depending on midlite answer) or the glide path series. I must be missing something. If it's not FAA approved I may not know about it.I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #6 July 15, 2008 Close but no cigar. Maybe the oldest SQUARE reserve still in production. Pioneer made Hi-Lifter 370 reserves for the first few Vector tandems. I even jumped them as mains! When Pioneer ceased production of all sport equipment - in late 1985 - Vector switched to PD reserves. The PD-360/VTC-360/Vector 360 Reserve is probably the oldest square reserve still in production, because it was introduced in 1985. I also jumped PD 360s as main canopies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unstable 9 #7 July 15, 2008 I packed a couple of them just a week or so ago. Manufactured in 2004 - went straight into a Strong 304 seat.... Seemed like a really good, solid reserve...=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #8 July 15, 2008 Quote Twardo wins! 26 foot diameter Lopos - made by Strong Enterprises were one of the first sport reserves TSOed. ... not sure of the exact date it was TSOed, but SE was founded in 1961 and Ted Strong started building 26 Lopos shortly afterwards. Most of the 26' Lopos built today promptly go into pilot emergency parachutes. I still have a couple of 'old' ones...one's never been in a rig, one I jumped for about 5-6 years but never deployed. 150 jumps into the sport I streamered the main and unpacked a 23' tri-con at or about terminal...260-270 #'s out the door! Bill Hayes was judging the accuri meet.... after I 'thundered' in, he suggested next time I land the streamer, might be softer....I told him, when it 'opened' it kinda knocked me out for a minute...thought I HAD landed the main! Week later I bought a 26' Strong LoPo... ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkeenan 14 #9 July 15, 2008 Quote [...I streamered the main and unpacked a 23' tri-con at or about terminal...260-270 #'s out the door! Dude!! They're probably still filling in that hole._____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,402 #10 July 15, 2008 Quote a 23' tri-con at or about terminal...260-270 #'s out the door! Bill Hayes was judging the accuri meet.... after I 'thundered' in, he suggested next time I land the streamer, might be softer....I told him, when it 'opened' it kinda knocked me out for a minute...thought I HAD landed the main! So did you do a PLF or slide in on your butt. Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #11 July 15, 2008 Quote50 jumps into the sport I streamered the main and unpacked a 23' tri-con at or about terminal Whoa, that's a small reserve. On jump #57, I had a total and deployed a 24' flat at terminal. Yeah, it hurt. Then landed it with a 28' cheapo still in the container. Yeah, that hurt, too. And that was 30 years younger and 40 lbs lighter! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #12 July 15, 2008 Quote Quote [...I streamered the main and unpacked a 23' tri-con at or about terminal...260-270 #'s out the door! Dude!! They're probably still filling in that hole. ...they had to drop me a 30' rope ladder so I could get out of it! Edited to add: Funny part is...at the time I was jumping a heavy weight 252 foil that the 1st owner had 'rigged for better performance' accuracy wise. What he'd done basically was shorten the front riser line groups by 6-8 inches giving the canopy a radical nose down attitude...GREAT for hardcore disk stomping, as far as landing with any kind of flare...'not so much' So...Dave Verner repacks my reserve as I repack the main to continue the meet, next jump i'm in deep brakes---near vertical sink, comin' sailin' straight down on the disk like a whistling bag o' meat...Hayes and the other flishette poker bail out backwards as i crater in sprayin' pea gravel 20 feet. Gettin' up & brushin' off, Bill H. says to me~ If you wanna keep jumpin' for very long you either gotta get a better canopy, or start sellin' tickets to watch ya land...you're gonna NEED the $ for doctors. I actually WON the colligate meet, Verner said it was because no one wanted to be close enough to the disk when i landed to really SEE distance.... ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #13 July 15, 2008 Quote Quote 50 jumps into the sport I streamered the main and unpacked a 23' tri-con at or about terminal Whoa, that's a small reserve. On jump #57, I had a total and deployed a 24' flat at terminal. Yeah, it hurt. Then landed it with a 28' cheapo still in the container. Yeah, that hurt, too. And that was 30 years younger and 40 lbs lighter! I use to sometimes jump a buddys mini-system with a para-plane in the back and 24 flat, center pull up front...that canopy, and his 'new' cloud matched, so we'd do demos as a 'matched set'. Bent the top pin on exit once, tried for all I was worth but couldn't straighten that pin from the far end of the cable, so I rolled over ~ grabbed the center-pull and let 'er rip....I SWEAR TO G O D. . . it felt like my boot heels kissed the back of my Bell helmet. My buddy who was right across from me the whole time said he actually heard the nylon's extremely loud POP while he was still in freefall! Stripped a boot bracket & M-18 right off the Frenchy, never DID find it... & had a bit of a 'hitch in my git-a-long' for a month or so after. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phildthedildo 0 #14 July 15, 2008 i think ted first built them around 1972 .he designed and built his STYLEMASTER harness /containers before that,around 1968/69. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnjds 0 #15 July 15, 2008 Security parachute Co. Made a 26" conical sport reserve for the 1964 US Parachute team, that was in there security piggy back harness & container. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
javelin1 0 #16 July 15, 2008 Security may have well made the first sport reserve parachute,but the question was which one is still in production. security ceased production around 1984 or so,over 20 years ago! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
javelin1 0 #17 July 15, 2008 ahhh the good ol trick a nickle!surprised that it did not (at that weight and speed) a: blow up or b: invert itself and get destroyed as it turned itself right side out again.LOL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 279 #18 July 19, 2008 So how about the oldest sport reserve in production, excluding rounds, excluding tandem reserves? Flight Concepts still advertises the range of reserves that includes the Fury. Does Precision make the Raven any more? They don't advertise it. (One can argue whether the -M counts as the same parachute as a Raven or Super Raven but I guess the TSO is the same?) I'd guess one of those two groups of canopies would be the oldest solo, square sport reserve in production. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
