Icarus vs Aerodyne A2 Tandem Canopies

[Rover 11]

Does' anyone have any comments or experience on how these compare with each other?
Thanks in advance.

2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

[AggieDave 6]

I've put a number of jumps on an Icarus and an A2. Do you have any specific questions about the canopies?

The A2 opens well and flies very well. It is very responsive with just the flying toggles and has a strong flare. If you're a TI who likes to toggle hook your tandems, you probably won't like it due to the short recovery arc. If you prefer a safer tandem approach, it responds well to straight in flares as well as a gentle turn to landing.

The Icarus opens well, but responds poorly in linetwists, partially due to having no brake settings. The steering toggles aren't as responsive and the flare it strongest much lower than the toggle stroke on the A2. The recovery arc is a bit longer than the A2 and TI's who toggle whip their tandems seem to like the Icarus.

Both are decent canopies, I preferred jumping the A2. The toggle stroke isn't as light as it is on an Icarus, but you seem to get more for your effort.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[normiss 848]

What AD said.

Then add the collapsible slider on the A2 is noisy as hell!
Usually almost impossible to reach in order to collapse it too.

[dragon2 2]

As a videoflyer I didn't like the A2 all that much; they were always the last to land (with a large margin) they just don't seem to want to come down

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[diablopilot 2]

My experience it the A2 is the worst Tandem main I've jumped (7000 tandems aprox). Horrible flare, rough openings and 2 of the 5 I've jumped have damaged them selves to the point of major repair in less than 200 jumps.

On the other hand I've got thousands of jumps on the Icarus (and Precision) canopies and they are wonderful. Good openings, easy toggle pressure (especially when set up in the 2 and 6 config.) and smooth landings. Will straight in just as easily as with a turn to landing. The 330 seems to need some speed to land well, but the 365 has no bad traits.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[piisfish 140]

I prefer the Icarus for the lighter toggle pressure, as my regular job only requires me to type on a keyboard (and my hobbys do NOT include "pumping iron"). Also the "no half-brake settings" saves you a minute or 2 on packing, and the steep flying also gets you back on the ground faster without spiraling like a madman.

If you are on a "time budget", for example you are the TI AND the packer, the Icarus will save you a couple of minutes and some energy, so you have more time to give to your passengers (and time to eat/drink/go to the loo)

edited to add :
I have flown :
-Icarus 330 and 400
-Aerodyne A2
-PdF BT80
-Sigma 370

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[DoZ3r 0]

I would go for the Icarus!

The A2 flies like a steamboat... I would rather take a Sigma main than the A2... The openings (i had with the A2) was good..
The Icarus seems to be more aggresive, in my opinion at least... More responsive might be a better word for it.. But when it starts twisting, it sucks... It can be really fucking hard to get it out, if possible at all...

But hey... All chutes have pros and cons...

If everything seems under control.. You're just not going fast enough..!

[skydived19006 4]

Quote

I would go for the Icarus!

But when it starts twisting, it sucks... It can be really fucking hard to get it out, if possible at all...

But hey... All chutes have pros and cons...

I have a couple thousand jumps on Icarus mains. They aren't necessary prone to line twists, but it can take a different technique with the full flight airspeed, especially if you're heavy. You'll weather vane, so need to get your knees out of the breeze. Just "stand up" in the harness, and ask your student to do the same. You can also stick an arm/leg out in order to have the wind assist, but shouldn't really be necessary.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[DougH 270]

Mushy flare, trimmed super flat, and so so openings.

I love Aerodyne and I really want to love the A2, but I am just unimpressed.

I will grab that rig of the rack if I need too, but I won't fight over either!

If you want more hang time with your customer it is good for that, it feels like it is up there for ever!

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

[RoryJ 0]

What JP said.

I have a few, very few jumps on A2s. What little experience I have is that they have NOTHING on the bottom end of the flare. I jumped a 389 back in the day (I believe that is the size) and last season jumped the 340 (after we trimmed a bunch off the brake lines). I had a normal sized passenger and I am 165 lbs and we just flumped to the ground.

I have a few hundred on Precision tandems and several hundred on the Icarus ones. I never want to jump another tandem main than the Icarus ones. They have great versatility from fast to slow flight. The 2-6 set up is awesome for keeping you non-sore for a whole weekend of jumping. I can stand up nearly any passenger 200 lbs and under with no effort on the 365 canopy.

Side-ish note: The A2 I jumped last year was a demo from Aerodyne and someone there called us to ask how we liked it. We told them that the flare sucked and we were asked if we were hooking it in and were told that the instructors that were hooking them loved them. YMMV

Not again!