Canopy that wants to turn

[mattb 0]

Background -

I own a Safire 189 loaded between 1.2/1 and 1.3/1. I have over 100 jumps on the canopy with no issues other than 1 malfuction (line twists).

This weekend on my 2nd jump the canopy opened up normal but immediately began to turn to the right. I unstowed both brakes, pumped the toggles, and the turn continued. I looked at the lines, canopy, etc. for something wrong but could not diagnose the problem. I decided I would be able to land the canopy and did uneventfully.

On the ground I assume the problem was uneven leg straps. One strap had come untucked and was flapping around during freefall.

Next jump - same problem. I'm flying in half brakes on one side in order to fly strait. I triple-checked the leg straps and know they aren't the problem. I look harder for the source of the problem and think that one of the steering lines is tangled at the point it connects to the canopy. I cautiously fly back and land uneventfully.

On the ground I find a rigger friend and we inspect the canopy. We measure line lengths, inspect the top skin, bottom skin, ribs, etc. Nothing looks wrong. We pay close attention to the steering line connection points. Can't find anything wrong. Talk to a master rigger - he's heard of Safire's developing a turn over time but nothing so sudden or dramatic.

Decided to do a hop-n-pop for a test jump. Canopy flies perfect. Exit at 9,000 (pilot forgot about the hop and pop for a while), deploy at 5k and play with front/rear risers, toggle turns, etc. No signs of the problem. Sunday no problems all day.

Anybody ever experience anything like this?

My guess is that a steering line was tangled at the connection point somehow and it came undone as we laid out the canopy for inspection. Interested if anybody has other ideas.

Matt

[wlie 0]

Only ideas I can think of could be uneven riser lengths or twists, the harness may have become asymetrical. But I'm no rigger.

Now being a programmer, I'd disassemble the canopy from the risers, and the risers from the harness, inspect them individually and reassemble them.

Let us know what you found. In the meantime be safe jumping that gear.

My other ride is the relative wind.

[JJohnson 0]

I had the same thing happen, though only for one jump. During flight when I look up, I can see one steering line with twists in it, which shortens that line. If you don't untwist them it'll give you a pressure knot. Now I get in the habit of every couple of jumps, I start at the top of the line and run my fingers down it to work out any twists in it.
JJ

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[Ducky 0]

Does sound familiar... while on student status I jumped a safire 169 that had similar issues. My instructor was yellin at me to get my hands up on final, but was unaware that if let my right hand up from half brakes the thing would turn to the left.

He had a hard time listenting to a guy with four jumps explain this until we found a packer that jumped the rig regularly and he cocurred that there was a turning issue.

I can't say what the final diagnosis was, but i do know the probelm was fixed eventually because i have umped the canopy since with no problems.

kwak

Sometimes your the bug, sometimes your the windshield. Sometimes your the hammer sometimes your the nail. Question is Hun, Do you wanna get hammered or do you wanna get nailed?????

[wlie 0]

Quote

Decided to do a hop-n-pop for a test jump. Canopy flies perfect. Exit at 9,000 (pilot forgot about the hop and pop for a while), deploy at 5k and play with front/rear risers, toggle turns, etc. No signs of the problem. Sunday no problems all day.
Matt

I wonder if the winds could have played a part. I've read somewhere that a heavier wingload has less tendency to drift on a crosswind due to the extra forward penetration.

[CBurket 0]

If you had twists in your brake lines they could have developed a tension knot that would have caused the turn. When you landed, the knot would have gone away because the tension was gone. Make sure to untwist your brake lines whenever they are twisted.

[billvon 2,997]

>I wonder if the winds could have played a part. I've read somewhere
> that a heavier wingload has less tendency to drift on a crosswind
> due to the extra forward penetration.

Wind can force a canopy to crab across the ground, but will not turn a canopy.

[cliffharris 0]

maybe your cinching your leg straps a little unevenly?

i will say that i had an icarus saffire 169 that had a built in turn. i had the lineset replaced and it still had a slight bank while in a full glide.

wondering if the DOM's of the ic. saf.'s w/ built in turns are close, if ya know what i mean...