Small Velo or JVX?

[Marc84 0]

I'm looking for some feed back on the velocity 75. Does any one compete with this wing? I’m flying an 84 VX with the JVX line set, but only loading it at 2.0 lbs/sqft with out weights. If I’m in a CPC completion I will put on up to 20 lbs changing my wing loading to 2.23 lbs/sqft. I fly camera at my DZ and can not always jump with weights on. Also the VX is not the greatest for camera openings. So, I would like a canopy that is good for camera flying and competitive swooping. Is a 75 velocity a competitive canopy? Being a small 7 cell does it does it loss its performance? Or is a JVX the better Canopy.
Any ideas?

Thanks

Marc

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I used to own a 75 Velo and it was a fun, very-fast canopy. MUCH faster than the 74 VX I owned previously. The little Velo also opened MUCH better than the VX. I loaded the Velo 75 at 2.38 without weights. At the same time, I also owned a Velo 79. The four additional feet added tons more distance (about 50 feet) to my runs. I found that surprising. I ended up upsizing one more time to an 84 and found it to be my favorite canopy in the Velo line, though I competed for two seasons under my 79.

There is a buddy of mine here at Z-hills now jumping a brand-new hybrid JVX 70. His other canopy was my old Velo 79 which he jumped about 20 pounds of lead with. He positively zooms under the newer, though smaller, JVX. His speed and distance have both increased dramatically. It's Jamie Knoop in case anyone is wondering. Apparently, his is the smallest JVX to be sewn and sold.

Chuck

[morris 0]

Am I wrong, having in mind, that it´s difficult to compare JVX/Velo seizes, cause in same seize the first one is way bigger??
(And in the case discribed by skymonkey the last one is in addition a much older canopy...)

[Marc84 0]

hey Chuck:

thanks for the info that's what i was looking for. that a velo 79 will out perform a 75 velo. even if the 79 is at a lesser wing loading. i would love to get a 70 JVX, if all my jump were swooping. but, 90% of my jumps are camera jumps. and i need the soft velo openings.

[rhys 0]

>i would love to get a 70 JVX, if all my jump were swooping. but, 90% of my jumps are camera jumps. and i need the soft velo openings.

um, are you not mistaken?.... you may be thinking of VX openings because all the reviews on the JVX openings are great. Also If you have a hybrid you don't get much more pack volume but the canopy lasts twice as long = good financially as a commercial skydiver.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[Marc84 0]

I have heard a that the JVX does open better than the VX but, not as well as a velo. I have a Javelin XRS so i do not know if a 70 JVX hybrid would pack all that small? could some one tell me? and the cost $3000. my friend just got an 87 all sail JVX and got 9th in the intermadiate PD challenge. the distance of his swoops are carzy now. his wing loading is 2.8 with out weights. but, the pack volume! and velo's are in stock, no waiting for the canopy.

[rhys 0]

The Hybrid packs much smaller than the all sail depending on the configuration you choose?

I chose sail on the top skin only and zp for the rest.

you get the benifits of the sail with out the bulk

a 70 hybrid(top skin) would pack like a ZP 85 9 cell x brace.

and ill keep its performance and resale value for 1000's of jumps.

just depends on what you want though?

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[Marc84 0]

>I chose sail on the top skin only and zp for the rest.

So, what size JVX do you Fly? What is your wing loading and exit weight? how many jumps? i have 1400 skydives. only in the last two years have real started swooping. my exit weight is 160 so on a 70 JVX i'm at 2.28 lbs/sqft. is that enought loading for the JVX?

[frost 1]

PM marks and proswooper - they were pretty cool about giving me good advice, feedback and info on most of the questions you asked.

[eUrNiCc 0]

We have the same exit weight and I fly a JVX 80 (ZP) @ 2.0. Most of my jumps are camera jumps & the canopy opens VERY well for an Xbrace. I think that 2.0 is a pretty good loading for general use. It does a great job of getting back from long spots and still gets good speed and distance, but I have to strap on 15+lbs of weight to really feel like I'm getting alot of power out of it. If I were to order another it would probably be a hybrid 70 or 72 @ ~2.25.

Egad, A BASE life defiles a bad age.

[rhys 0]

Hi Marc,

I have a JVX84 hybrid. I have 3000 jumps but only really started swooping when i had around a 1000 jumps. My first 800 were on a F111 mevric 200

I am only loading my JVX at 2.1 now because i have lost weight living on the equator. when i ordered i ordered to get a 2.3 wing load but i was living in norway and sitting on my ass the whole time eating hot dogs!

I am not the most current sport skydiver at the moment as i am the only Tandem instuctor at a small dropzone. i do however do training jumps in a small period of time eg. 60 jumps in 10 days etc.

I don't think the amount of time spent swooping matters as much as the quality and quantity of the jumps. as a commercial camera flyer you have the perfect opportunity to focus on high performance landings. I wish I had during my 2000 camera jumps.

I search information on here and the 'Other' swooping forum and talk to as many people as I can.

i'm only beginning my real swooping training focusing on competition in the next year or two.

I havn't recieved the JVX yet though.

For you as a camera flyer I was just thinking if you had a hybrid it won't lose its performance after 1000 jumps like traditional zp canopies do. and will reatain the resale value to keep up to date at minimum cost?

If you want to know more technical data there would be better people to talk to. Jim Slaton is great for this. you know where to go to find him. I don't think i am allowed (for some silly reason) to post the web adress. i think you know what i'm talking about though.

most importantly be safe and i hope we cross paths at some stage!

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[proswooper 2]

I jump camera and freefly with my JVX all the time. the openings are fine for this, in fact i prefer them to the velo because they seak less than a velo but still open soft.

[proswooper 2]

as far as cost goes.

to get a velo to perform similar distances to the JVX most people get an after market HMA line set (usually around $300). if you buy a JVX for 2500 bucks it comes with two sets.

if you buy a velo then put two HMA line sets on it the cost is about the same as buying a JVX without sail material.

[Marc84 0]

you can now order the velocity from the factory with the HMA line set, right? the biggest thing is going to come down to pack volume. i have a XRS. i hear the ZP JVX is not that much more performance than a VX or velo? so, it would be a hybrid for me.

people are talking re-sale value. what will happen to the JVX re-sale when the JSX comes out? or the next thing from PD?

if you break a line on a JVX who do you send it to? how long would it take to get your canopy back?

this would be the frist new canopy that i have bought... this is a hard desion for me... yes 1400 jumps and i have never jumped a new wing

[frost 1]

I wouldn't worry about the "next best thing", unless you're aiming for the top spots in the competition rankings. Buy what YOU think is the best wing for YOU. Otherwise it's just a trend - "follow the leader".

P.S. The closest I came to having a new wing is when i bought a used one with 7 jumps on it. I had about 2000 jumps.

SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

[proswooper 2]

Quote

you can now order the velocity from the factory with the HMA line set, right?if you break a line on a JVX who do you send it to? how long would it take to get your canopy back?

The HMA line set from PD is a larger one (I believe around 550lb), What i am talking about is a competition set of the 300lb range which PD will not put on there stock canopies.

If you break a line on the jvx you will have a spare line set sitting in your bag and you can hand the whole thing to your local rigger and have it back as soon as he is through with it. while you are on your second lineset you can order your new spare and have it ready for the next time you break a line.

the zp jvx gets way more performance than the stock velo or vx. I got mine and two weeks later got first place at the PST swoop fest and a month later came second at the world cup with it. I have both an all sail and an all zp and a hybrid. the distances are all the same but the speed and flying characteristics are a little better on the all sail.

as far as pack volume that is really about whether you want the decision to be made around what container you have or what is going to be the best canopy for you.

[morris 0]

What PD calls HMA 500 is - as far as I know (Mel posted something about those lines) - 440lb! I just put this type of lines on two of my three velos and I´m VERY happy with them! If seen many different types of lines and those are thin stuff for sure. If You go any thinner it´s very ineffective cause drag coefficient starts going up and eats up some of the advantage of less linesurfacearea (check for "Reynoldsnumber" - more turbulent airflow).

[proswooper 2]

I have gone thinner for many many jumps and i get more distance and speed as does everyone i have seen on the competition circuit.

i am glad you are happy with the stock HMA from PD they are a great comprimise between performance and safety on the seven cell.

[morris 0]

I`ll put even thinner ones on a brand new one. But first I have to put at least a hundred jumps on the lineset that came with the canopy (vectran500) cause I just can`t cut away those unused lines. Could You?

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Just a quick note here concerning the comparison I made between a Velo 79 and the JVX 70 (hybrid) that Jamie Knoop has here at Z-hills. The two canopies are EXACTLY the same size. They were both laid one on top of the other in the packing tent yesterday and, as I said, are identical in size. Nine square feet is a lot of "fudge factor" in measurments between companies as far as I am concerned. Odd, but positively true. That explains alot to me when I hear statements like "my JVX flys big".

Chuck

[marks 0]

thats interesting chuck.

I have an 84 velo and an 84 jvx, next weekend I will lay them out and measure the difference and post them.

and yes, my JVX does "feel" a little bigger. but I wouldn't expect to find a 10 square foot difference. I guess I will find out.

[Spizzzarko 0]

I have laid out a 96 velocity and a 96 jvx. The jvx had more span but a little less chord. I will compare an 89 jvx and a 90 velocity soon.

[marks 0]

thats what I figured I would find. more span, less chord.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

The span was identical on the two canopies we compared (we pulled both tight). The chord looked identical as well.