JeffGordon 0 #1 November 27, 2002 I love my Stiletto. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 November 27, 2002 Not to be an ass, but are you sure you have your legstraps even and you're semetrcal when you deploy? I'm guessing yes, since you have 500+ jumps, but I wanted to make sure. Also, is the Stiletto new/how old is the lineset?--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JeffGordon 0 #3 November 27, 2002 I am reasonably sure this is not a body position or leg strap problem because I have made a number of jumps just to watch the canopy open and watch what is going on. I think this is more of a packing issue. The canopy only has 200 or so jumps. My wing loading is ~ 1.4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BikerBabe 0 #4 November 27, 2002 Dude, it's a stilleto. It's notorious for off-heading openings. Many high performance canopies are... I'd say learn how to steer your opening with rear risers, because it probably isn't going to go away.Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #5 November 27, 2002 QuoteI am reasonably sure this is not a body position or leg strap problem because I have made a number of jumps just to watch the canopy open and watch what is going on. I think this is more of a packing issue. The canopy only has 200 or so jumps. My wing loading is ~ 1.4 if it consistently one direction, check the length of your break lines from the toggle stow point to the cascade... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobsoutar 0 #6 November 27, 2002 Might be time to change the brake lines. My old Stilletto started to do the same thing after about 250 jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HookSky 0 #7 November 27, 2002 Also do you untwist your brake lines once in awhile - if you don't then the twists in the brake lines can really shorten them and more than likely they won't be even - my left line always get twists in it alot more than my right. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cobaltdan 0 #8 November 27, 2002 film you deployment and watch in slow motion. you will find it is the nature of the design. the center cell catches air first and instantly pressurizes the canopy via the crossports. the canopy expands and with the slider up the leading edge canot expand straight and snakes until the slider is about 1/3 to 1/2 way down. it is this violent snaking of the leading edge that causes off heading deployments. sincerely, dan<><>Daniel Preston <><> atairaerodynamics.com (sport) atairaerospace.com (military) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChileRelleno 0 #9 November 28, 2002 Quote I love my Stiletto. , it opens great and flys great but the openings are almost always off heading. Since Dave won't be a ass I will Jeff, if it opens "OFF" heading "Then the opening wasn't great"... ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414 Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #10 November 28, 2002 QuoteSince Dave won't be a ass I will Jeff, if it opens "OFF" heading "Then the opening wasn't great"... Yeah, it is. I don't mind the mildly off-heading nature of my Stileto openings. I consistently tell people that I think it opens great, considering what it is. What is it? A high performance canopy. People who love the Stileto love it because it "turns on a dime". People that hate it hate it because it's "twitchy". Same thing. It's a high performance canopy. It is very sensitive to brake line length, symetrical deployment, and symetrical body position through the entire deployment. It's so sensitive to these issues, that it's nearly impossible to completely control all the parameters required for a perfectly on-heading opening. This is the nature of the beast. As long as it's with +-45degrees of my original heading, I consider the direction 'good enough' to keep me out of impending canopy colisions. If it's consistently more then 45 degrees, then check your brake lines for twists, and be watch for any body movement during opening. ANY body movement will affect the canopy. A good trick I learned was not to watch the canopy or the links during opening, but watch the horizon. Watching the horizon will help keep your body straight in the harness. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmsmith 1 #11 November 28, 2002 QuoteThe canopy will start to turn just as the slider is coming down. I can almost always stop the turn with just body input, I seldom have to grab a riser. Not complaining but does anyone have experience with this? What causes the left side to open first? You should call PD for a line length chart and have those lines measured. Spectra lines can shrink from the slider grommet friction especially those outer most lines! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AlanRussell 0 #12 November 28, 2002 If you want to try and get more on heading openings, try to pack more evenly and symmetrically. I would recommend against stuffing the nose "way back into the tail". This is unlikely to aid a good opening but makes it easier for brake and d-lines to get in front of the nose. A better procedure is to fold the outer 4 cells, as a group, in toward the centre cell once. This is unlikely to have a significant effect on opening speed but increases the chance of an on-heading opening. The slider should be "cloverleafed", evenly, in the middle of the pack-job. This is advice, as given to me by Scott Miller of PD. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #13 November 29, 2002 Welcome to the world of the Stiletto. The way the canopy flies is worth it tho... -jp- PS you could try to carry a little bit of foward motion in your deployment......(used to work for me)---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,026 #14 November 29, 2002 Quote The slider should be "cloverleafed", evenly, in the middle of the pack-job. This is advice, as given to me by Scott Miller of PD. That's not what the written instructions say. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #15 November 29, 2002 you have written instructions? my guess it's the one with the guy flying the original sabre on the front of it... That's the one I got with my velocity, I kind of cracked up. To their credit, they did send a supplemental appendix for the Velocity specifically. They do need to update their manuals though. And quartering the slider is recommended. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #16 November 29, 2002 Updated manuals are on the way accourding to thier website. I'm looking forward to the new reserve manual and having permission to propack right in the manual and not a supplement....Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,026 #17 November 30, 2002 Quoteyou have written instructions? my guess it's the one with the guy flying the original sabre on the front of it... That's the one I got with my velocity, I kind of cracked up. To their credit, they did send a supplemental appendix for the Velocity specifically. They do need to update their manuals though. And quartering the slider is recommended. Was in a supplement for the Stiletto. Said to pull the slider out over the nose. BTW, I had hard openings on my Stiletto (bought new) for some 800 jumps. Eventually I sent in in to PD to have it looked at, and it came back with a bigger slider... opens fine now.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,026 #18 November 30, 2002 Quote Updated manuals are on the way accourding to thier website. They told me that too - about 4 years ago.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #19 December 2, 2002 For what it's worth, give this a try. I have the same type of opening you mentioned on my 135. While at the CSS turkey boogie I talked with woman jumping a stilleto and she said she rolls the nose 4 and 4. I watched her do it and then did it myself. the opening was noticebly better. So after flaking the nose roll 4 ,leave the 5th alone and then roll the last 4. My opening was about as on heading as I've had from my stilleto to date. Hope it works for you."It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #20 December 2, 2002 I've done that on occasion on my Stiletto and it did seem to make a bit of a difference, but mine opens on heading 99% of the time already. When you roll 4+4 don't roll it tight. Just a couple of loose rolls and pull the center cell out a bit to make sure that it catches air first. KrisSky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mayday1 0 #21 December 3, 2002 You know what they say.. "High Performance Canopies have High Performance Openings" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #22 December 4, 2002 Get a trim chart!!! Mine was doing the same sort of stuff and I checked the trim. The brakes had shrunk almost 5 inches in 400 jumps. WAY out of trim. Sent for a line set on Monday... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
