Taperd Canopies/Eliptical Canopies

[skydive4play 0]

This is a 2 part question:
#1 What is ment when they say that the Sabre2 is a "Taperd" canopy? And what are the benefits of this design?
#2 I have never quite understood the diff. between a eliptical and a square. I mean I know that the eliptical is more responsive and turns faster then a square of equal size, but what is the physical diff.? These two questions have hunted me for awhile now.
Thanks for any info..
Lead Follow Or Get The Hell Out Of The Way!!!...

[skymedic 0]

do you know what an Elipse is? take a square(really rectangular) canopy...put the elipse on it and that kinda takes out the edges a bit...making it eliptical....some are more extremem some like the sabre2/hornet are less....
marc
BSBD

[skydive4play 0]

What about a canopy being taperd??? What in the *&@@ is that??
Lead Follow Or Get The Hell Out Of The Way!!!...

[PhreeZone 20]

Tapered is the same as Semi-elliptical. The amount of taper is less then that of a fully elliptical canopy. Granted it is still technicaly a elliptical canopy, the proformance is less then that of a higher tapered canopy so it is labeled as a semi elliptical. Rule of thumb, semi-elliptical is usually safe at the proper loading for the beginner to expert. The fully elliptical (Stiletto, Crossfire, Cobalt, Heatwave, etc) are better designed for advanced to expert pilots only.
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend... ~3EB

[skydive4play 0]

So i guess a saber2 is a simi eliptical canopy since they advertise it as a slightly taperd canopy?
Lead Follow Or Get The Hell Out Of The Way!!!...

[PhreeZone 20]

Yes... And after jumping a Sabre2 this weekend I can verify, the turn rate is slower then my elliptical Cobalt, but over all its a fun canopy... Lots of speed at my loading. (1.4:1)
Other Semi-elliptical canopies include the Safire, the Spectre, the Navigator, the Hornet, the Indigo and a few others.
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend... ~3EB

[Hooknswoop 19]

A square (rectangular) wing is like an Twin Otter's wing. a tapered wing is like a Cessna 182's wing. An elliptical wing is like a Spitfire's wing of WWII fame. Skydiving canopys aren't truly elliptical. What is called semi-elliptical is actually tapered like the Cessna 182. What is called elliptical is actually tapered on the leading and trailing edges. I have seen canopys that have more than one taper, but I haven't ever seen a true elliptical. From what I can tell, even on "elliptical" canopys the center three cells are the same length (on 9 cells). I'm sure someone can explain this better than this. I think I confused myself:-)
Hook

[Jimbo 0]

Quote

I think I confused myself:-)

That's not difficult to do these days.
It seems that different manufacturers have different ideas about what is and what is _not_ elliptical. One manufacturer builds a canopy with a straight leading edge and a very tapered tail and calls that eliptical while another manufacturer builds a canopy with very slight taper on the leading edge and the tail and calls that semi-elliptical. Finally, almost every canopy manufactured these days is tapered a little bit, from the Stilletto to the Navigator, they've all got _some_ taper or 'ellipticalness'.
With almost every canopy built today being at least slightly elliptical it seems the word has lost its meaning, or at the very least it's more confusing than ever. I'd like to propse the following, that we drop the elliptical/semi-elliptical/tapered moniker and start calling these canopies what they really are. The current system is confusing, but everyone understands high performance, intermediate, beginner, and student.
My rant for the week....
-
Jim