diveout 0 #1 January 16, 2003 Who's actually flown with a vladiball? Anybody with original spaceball experience who now owns a vladiball or had the opportunity to play with one? How was catching it in freefall as compared to an original spaceball? Thoughts? Anybody dropped one on purpose under canopy over a safe area to watch it work? Somebody out there has to have purchased one of these things and had some fun playing with it -just curious Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivegirl 0 #2 January 17, 2003 BASE698 just ordered one... he should get it any day now. Pink Mafia Sis #26 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cheneyneel 0 #3 January 17, 2003 Man I have been reading about the ball.. and when I was in Eloy I sat and spoke with Omar about the ball.. The ball is very fragile it seems. Gripping it too hard while in freefall it seems that it would come open. If you dont grab it just in the right spot then it releases the filler right then.. That is what it acted like on the ground.. I have not jumped with one though.. They are supposed to fly really well though. I think that it looks pretty cool.. Plus being able to change its speed rather easily is nice.. Omar said that they have let a few go off that it does work(but man made) and the filler dosent hurt anyone..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indyz 1 #4 January 19, 2003 Some people at Archway Skydiving jumped one a while back. I don't have any experience with a ball, but they said that it moved around a lot and was hard to catch. That is all hearsay, though. If you want to PM me, I might be able to put you in contact with somebody who was on the load. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gemini 0 #5 January 19, 2003 Trent and Steveie and Jed have one at Spaceland. They also said it moves around a lot, but think it may be controlled by the type of shot used and the length of the tail. Still experimenting at this time. They had one of the pilots take it to altitude empty and it did pop open on the descent as advertised. Getting the shot in the tiny hole is a pain in the butt though! Don't know why the hole isn't bigger with a rubber snap plug. Blue skies, Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trent 0 #6 January 22, 2003 What are you doing on the Freefly forum dad?? Getting bored with belly? Good. Anyway, the ball did move quite a bit. Definitely use the 8 9 or 10 steelshot since lead puts the ball at 170mph. The tail length that came with our ball was too long and seemed to really cause the ball to wobble and move. We're still working on getting it right. I'll post all the good stuff later. Remember though, if you shouldn't be jumping a Spaceball, you still shouldn't jump the Vladiball. It may be a little safer if you lose it, but it definitely takes more attention while stowing it after a jump. BE CAREFUL!Oh, hello again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diveout 0 #7 January 23, 2003 Thanks, I haven't dropped either of my home-made spaceballs (will Olav come after me if I use that term- do I have to say skyballs?)...yet. We have a lovely area to spot them (I've done 18 or so two -or bigger- ways with them) I've never tried flying with both of them at the same time -as in the AD C& D tests. I did make one that flew about 185 one time when I was getting the recipe figured out, that made me a little nervous but I still caught the thing in plenty of time. The folks at surf-flite tell me that Vladi will be coming out with a version 2.0 ball if and when the ones that are currently in stock are sold. I think $60 is a good deal -at least for now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflycracker 0 #8 February 11, 2003 It was in the initial developement stages when It was jumped at Archway. It definitely worked. It was wobbly. But like I say they were still developing it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
konradptr 0 #9 February 11, 2003 Thats very funny that this post should come up, since I just jumped my Vladiball with a couple friends this Friday. The shell of the Vladiball is so fragile that I can imagine it cracking/squishing/bending with normal use, leaking pellets during ground handling, if nothing else. We did one jump, and it was lost. We tamped it, followed every direction, and gave it to our designated ballmaster (1800+ freefly jumps, lots of skyball experience, etc) to take a test jump to get a feel for it, and tell us how it fell. My buddy jumped out and took video, and as soon as it was released, it was sliding and tracking in every direction but down. And it didn't fall at freefly speeds- it was much, much faster. (And you can't adjust the fall rate, since it has to be entirely full of shot.) But it doesn't fall anywhere near straight. I'll take a little clip of the video to show how unstable it was, and how fast it fell. Simply, this thing didn't impress anyone. It is an incredible idea, but I spent $60 for the Vladiball, $18 for shot, and all I have left now is about 24 pounds of shot, and an empty box that the ball came in. It doesn't seem to be very well made and/or thought out, since when the two halves come together, there is no lip, so you can squeeze it lightly and stuff comes out. (Think of those Easter egg things that you put prizes in for kinds. If it didn't have that interlocking lip between the halves, you could have a rubber band on it, and still shake out skittles if you pushed on the two halves lightly. Now think of yourself at 175mph grabbing it...) The fill hole is super-small. And there is a rubber band that is supposed to hold the whole thing together, after you open, but there is no way that I could imagine a rubber band holding it shut, and if it was a strong rubber band, it would distort the plastic roundness, and you would have a pocket full of shot. (We were planning on using a strip of duct tape along the bottom, but were still expecting shot to fall out in a jumpsuit pocket, requiring refills. I think it is a great idea, from a safety and training standpoint, but all optimism that I imagined that this thing could bring to the sport was quickly lost once I recieved it, and later jumped it. It is a great idea, but far from ready for production. And, the above is just my observation and opinion... ------------------------------------------ Getting banned isn't that bad...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallingILweenie 0 #10 February 11, 2003 hey Kevin..... READDDDDDDDDDYYYYY SEEEEEEET GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivegirl 0 #11 February 11, 2003 Hmmmm... this story sounds almost exactly like what happened at my home dz last weekend. Only in our version, we found the vladiball shell.... well half of it anyway . Pink Mafia Sis #26 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SurfFlite 0 #12 February 11, 2003 The ball with the pin engaged is not as fragile to squeezing as when the pin is not engaged and just the rubberband is around it. Give it a try. If you watch the locking holes in the ball as you squeeze it without the pin engaged you will see the holes misalign. When the pin is in the holes engaged the ball becomes very rigid, more than you would think. The supplied rubberband will hold the full ball closed. There is already a new beefier model in the works. It's all part of the ongoing product developement. Your right, it is a new product. I'm not sure how much testing should be required before going into production but Vladimir felt that 25-30 test jumps was good. Obviously there will be negative feedback but we think this thing is a good idea and will only improve over time. The main issue is it does not present the opportunity to kill or mame people or property. The theory is great!! The owners manual does recommend not flying the ball beyond your capabilities. But that very first jump who knows what will happen, even Omar was leary that the ball would fall too fast. Look what happens of you are off timing on an exit, the other guys/girls leave you behind and you can never catch them. The ball was tested, many times, (with video) but it was Omar who tested it so maybe his flying skills prevented him from ever loosing the ball intentionally. He liked it and the occilation issue was not present on his jumps except when we tried long tails. I beleive this problem is related to the tail length and the tail not coming out of the cone cap straight, we did notice more movement with longer tails over 8". The pullup cord tail must come out of the cone shaped cap straight. If you dangle an emprty ball by its tail you can tell if it is out straight, if not the ball will hang canted slightly. Be sure it hangs straight. Nowhere, does the manufacturer claim the the ball with withstand opening and falling to the ground entact. The most reuses we were able to accomplish in testing was 3 but we did have a couple that only withstood 1 opening and the hinge broke.The plastic ball is light for safety reasons. They could have made it out of metal but that would have defeated the purpose. A beefier hinge area is in the works also. It is ok the fill the ball with the shot and also to mix in some sand or other filler to lighten the ball to slow it down. But the ball will move a lot more if you do not completely fill the sphere. See tips section of owners manual. The filler hole in the ball is small for a reason, so you don't try to stuff large objects in the ball for weight. Lastly, I reiterate, I am not the designer or manufacturer, but I am interested in assisting Vladimir in making this thing work. I am sure that this ball will evolve and there will be definate improvements. Your feedback, negative or positive, is a great help in achieving these goals. Thanks. NEWSFLASH!!!!! I sold Surf Flite last week. There should be a big announcement coming up in a future magazine issue. The new owner is James Browning from Tampa, FL. I will still be the guy who phyisically builds the boards but James will be the new man with the plan. This move will only help the skysurfing community, look for lots of new and exciting news from Surf Flite in the near future!!! The Vladiball website has been relocated to www.vladiball.comKerry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base698 14 #13 February 11, 2003 So if you have filler will it wobble? If the leaded weight is say 0.4 lbs lighter? I'm thinking 1.4 lbs total weight and a 4 - 5 inch tail. I'll post results. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
konradptr 0 #14 February 13, 2003 If there is anyone that wants to see my ill-fated Vladiball jump, send an email to konradptr@yahoo.com, and I'll reply with the video attached.... ------------------------------------------ Getting banned isn't that bad...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #15 February 18, 2003 I just bought two to play around with as well. I'll be taking them out this weekend so I'll let everyone know how things go. One thing about the documentation that I found a bit disappointing was no info regarding optimal tail widths/lengths (though it sounds form reading here that maybe 7" is a good starting point). Assuming the thing falls straight for me I may try different shot weights & tail lengths/widths to come up with a fallrate/performance chart of sorts. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base698 14 #16 February 18, 2003 Here is some info: Filled with number 9 leadshot and an 8 inch tail = 185 mph avg. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #17 February 18, 2003 QuoteFilled with number 9 leadshot Others have had a similar problem. I believe you're supposed to use steel shot, which weighs less. This is another thing which should be documented better. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SurfFlite 0 #18 February 19, 2003 Here is some info, straight out of the owners manual. ***TIPS Number 8, 9 or 10 steel shot (bird shot used for reloading shotgun shells) with a 3-8" tail has been proven to work well with most freefly work. Trying to place weighted objects in Vladiball that exceed .100 in diameter will defeat the purpose of this product. Decreasing the mass of the ball by changing its payload may also slow the fall rate of the ball. Vladiball flys best when completely full of the weight media used. A half full ball will fly unstable. Sand is too light of density even for belly flying. However mixing lead and steel shot or shot and other weighted "ground safe" fillers call slow down the fall rate. If Vladiball weighs less than 0.97 lbs. it will be too slow to jump. The freefly Vladiball weighs 1.8 lbs. Most well supplied sportsman gunshops carry shot in 25lb. bags for around $16. (about 64 cents worth will fill the ball) Or search online under Steel Shot" Vladimir is also creating some "attachments" that will go where the cone cap that holds the pull up cord tail is now. They will serve 2 purposes, 1 to slow the ball down and 2, to make the ball less likley to move around. I should be getting those for testing in a week or so.Kerry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #19 February 19, 2003 Thanks Kerry... Any chance that some of us existing owners can get "betas" of those new tops for field testing? I'll be more than happy to pay for the final one when he gets the bugs worked out but I'd like to help field test as well. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
78RATS 0 #20 February 20, 2003 Here is a contact for #8 steel shot. They sent it to me in three days. Five pounds for 12.99. Ballistic Products 1-888-273-5623 Now if I can just figure out how to herd them buggers into the little hole... PS: Zennie, I dont think these are meant for antenna jumps. Rat for Life - Fly till I die When them stupid ass bitches ask why Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SurfFlite 0 #21 February 20, 2003 This place has 25 pound bags for $17.25 They also claim the record for the longest web address http://www.ballisticproducts.com/a1BPHome/t2-prodcatagories/Prod_components/t3components/Prod_Shot/t4-shot/lead/leadshot.htm As for filling the ball, a small dixie cup works well. Just squeeze it on the sides and pour it in the hole. You'll lose a few but if you put a towel down the stuff doesn't get all overKerry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #22 March 2, 2003 Since you are having Omar jumping these to test them out, perhaps you should have some other people jump them. Omar is obviously great to see how they move in the air and what speeds they'll go and so on.. however if you use other people to test them and see how hard they are to retrieve and keep up with and things like that, you'll probably get a better idea of how the "real jumper" will do with it since that's who will be using it. Just a thought.http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Levin 0 #23 March 3, 2003 Quote you'll probably get a better idea of how the "real jumper" will do with it since that's who will be using it. imo, the "real jumper" still has no business jumping them unless they have the skills to stay with and retrieve it. the same skills omar possesses. levin vSCS#3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #24 March 3, 2003 Quote Quote you'll probably get a better idea of how the "real jumper" will do with it since that's who will be using it. imo, the "real jumper" still has no business jumping them unless they have the skills to stay with and retrieve it. the same skills omar possesses. levin vSCS#3 Levin: I guess what I meant was those people who have a thousand jumps or so and WILL BE jumping them. I am not saying they should or have the skill (I know I dont, for sure), but since they WILL be jumped by people who may not quite be ready, I think it would be smart for some people who aren't world champions to test them IN ADDITION to Omar and people of that caliber. Do you see what I'm saying ? I think you are totally right, however people like Omar are definetely not the only people jumping with them (as you can see in this thread). Don't you think out of safety concern they should be tested by a broader range of people so they can get feedback on how they work with them as well ? Just my .02. Thanks for the reply, Levin. http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Levin 0 #25 March 4, 2003 Quotebut since they WILL be jumped by people who may not quite be ready, I think it would be smart for some people who aren't world champions to test them IN ADDITION to Omar and people of that caliber. i'm not sure if i'm following your logic here. are you saying that since the vladiball is going to be jumped by people who may not be ready, then people who are not ready should test jump it to see how people who aren't ready are going to do with it?? QuoteDo you see what I'm saying ? I think you are totally right, however people like Omar are definetely not the only people jumping with them (as you can see in this thread). Don't you think out of safety concern they should be tested by a broader range of people so they can get feedback on how they work with them as well ? i think anybody jumping with one, who does not posess the skills to stay with and retrieve it everytime, is a safety concern. you either do or do not have the skills to ballmaster. if you don't then you don't have any business doin it. simple as that. just because the ball is designed to bust open at a certain altitude does not make it a guaranteed fix to the problem. there is always a chance it might not work. couple of weekends ago one of these "real jumpers" came out and took the ball on a test jump. and just like a regular "real jumper" he did not get any advice on spotting or anything. he asked me to ballmaster for him. (i have 30+ ball jumps). with all the bad weather down here we haven't been able to jump much. i told him i didn't feel current enough to take a chance jumping with one (i don't take any chances with skyballs). i recommended he get bryan to go, but he was busy videoing. since it couldn't wait until the next day. up in the plane he went. i knew before i asked him that the ball was lost in some field. i think to have the attitude that the vladiball is safe is reckless. and i'm afraid that is the attitude of the average so called "real jumper". before if you didn't have the skills to jump with a ball then you developed them first. now all you have to do is get a vladiball. just keep this in mind. if the vladiball malfunctions and kills somebody, the pilot will lose his license, the dzo will get sued. you will go to prison for involuntary manslaughter and the faa will ban the use of skyballs forever. i know everyone wants to jump with a skyball but if you don't have the skills yet then there are better things you can do, such as 2-ways with coach, to develop those skills. then once you have the skills to safely jump one go do it. since you will be able to retrive it you will no longer be hazard to people on the ground. and it's much more fun to jump with one when you have the skills to do cool stuff next to it. levin vSCS#3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
