Casual CReW on Spectre

[fcajump 164]

Yes, I know its been discussed in years past because... Yes, I read past threads on the forum about Spectres. Thought that more people might have more experience/ information gained over the last few years. So around it goes again...

Currently jumping a Spectre 230 loaded ~1.1
in a Vector 2 container.

Not serious enough (yet) to even think about a dedicated CReW canopy/rig, but would like to try it out, maybe go to a beginner camp. But also don't want to be dumb about this...

The question:
My canopy is coming up for a reline and was thinking of going Dacron. Should I get CReW lines? Is it only the center lines that are non-cascade? Is this a safe enough canopy for casual/beginning CReW to even bother?

If so, I might be looking for a good coach/class in the Spring...
Jim

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[leapdog 0]

It's not worth it in my opinion to make a spectre a hybrid (freefall/ CRW) canopy. If you had a trathalon that needed a reline then I would say go for it, if you just wanted a casual CRW canopy. Either way I would attend a newbie camp either just to try it or for any other reason. then you can decide if best if you want a dedicated canopy of one for "casual CRW"

Gunnery Sergeant of Marines
"I would like it if I were challenged mentally at my job and not feel like I'm mentally challenged." - Co-worker

[BillyVance 34]

I learned to do CRW with my Triathlon in casual settings... I had a couple hundred CRW jumps on my Triathlons before I got introduced to jumping the Lightning...

If you're going to try it with your spectre, find someone with a similar canopy who has a lot of crw experience, otherwise you'd be better off attending a CRW camp with Lightnings provided...

Edited to add:

I do not know whether PD has a specific lineset for Spectres to make it more CRW-friendly.

Aerodyne does, or did have non-cascaded linesets normally used on their hybrid and CRW versions of the Triathlon. I had such a lineset installed on my regular triathlon when it was new. Only the two middle front lines were non-cascaded and of red dacron. Makes sliding down the lines when building a stack much easier.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[faulknerwn 38]

Its safe enough for casual CRW for sure. But definitely go dacron lines..

If you go to a CRW camp, they'll put you on a Lightning, but if you have a local experienced CRWdog, Spectres work great for doing CRW.

W

[gotwins 0]

Wendy, If memory serves you perfered a lightly loaded Triathlon matched with lightnings. Have you
matched with a Spectre with the dacron lines trimed by PD? How did they compare and are landings friendly on a spectre with dacron? I've recently been concidering swapping my SabreII to a dual purpose
Spectre I could borrow to friends.
Thanks, Mark

[faulknerwn 38]

I haven't done much with Spectres with Dacron, but "stock" Spectres at similar wing-loadings fly as well with Lightnings as Triathalons if not better. The landings really shouldn't change much dacron/microline. I know lots of camera guys out there jump Spectres with dacron...

W

[Croc 0]

Are you saying that a Spectre can be relined for CReW? What exactly do you ask for? Will it still be OK for terminal openings?

Just did my first 4 stack and can't afford a second canopy, so I'm thinking of getting a smaller Spectre. Should I get a Triathalon instead? I guess I'm in the same spot as the poster.

Thanks

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

[plastic 0]

One of the camera guys at our dz has a triathlon 120 hybrid which he uses mostly for freefall but also for video on crw.

He has a dacron lineset, in theory the openeings at terminal should be softer as dacron has more give than microline.

plastic

[dragon2 2]

I got one as well, and we have a few on our dz as demo jump canopies and to learn crw on. Pity no one seems to like them; I've had mine for sale for ages... Problem is, they pack big, so your rig has to allow for that. Mine doesn't really, hence the reason it's for sale.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[TMFSTX 0]

The demo team of Team Fastrax just recently had ten of our Spectre 170's configured for CRW and we are very happy with the performance. The openings are the same at terminal and the flight characteristics are similar to the lightning without the steep approach. Ask Donna at PD for the same CRW reline that the Fastrax Demo Team had performed on our Spectres.

Note: PD is developing a new CRW canopy that is less aggressive compared to the Lighting but it is in the test mode and no release date is available. Hope this helps.

[VectorBoy 0]

Please define "less aggressive" than the lightning?

I know there were tests done on some Crew canopies that you are able to load higher than the lightning, think HP Crew. But I'm curious what you are talking about.

[plastic 0]

Hi,

having jumped lightnings for competition crw for 9 years (sequential, 8-way and rotations) and having also jumped diamant and triathlon crw build I would say that the weakness of the lightning is that it is not aggressive enough which is why it is good for coaching on but no top teams use for competition.

If pd are spending money on developing a less aggressive canopy then they are wasting their time when they should be developing a more aggressive canopy, but not as agressive as the xc which is so hardcore only a handful of teams in the world are good enough to use it apart from the russians who all use triathlons anyway.

This makes the potential market for the xc so small that it would not be worth spending much money on developing and putting it into general production.

This is of course just my opinion.

plastic

[TMFSTX 0]

It has more to do with the landing than anything else. I will be at PD next week and can get the complete details from Rusty and post them for you. The original question was could a Spetre be used for CRW and terminal oenings if relined and the answer is yes. It is very stable canopy and has exceeded our expectations for vertical and offset formations for demo purposes. Is it a competition canopy, no. The elimination of the cascade lines does seemed to increase the angle and the rate of descent and the flare is more of a two stage when you have minimal landing speeds.

[plastic 0]

Hi,

I have already been in touch with rusty regarding these canopies. I have a person on my team who had a badly broken leg last year so canopies that dont land well are not what we need right now, until we have the technique to get the most out of the canopy.

I jump a lightning 143 at 1.5 wing loading and get great landings, i dont understand why people complain about how the lightning lands.

plastic

[chuckbrown 0]

I do seem to recall a learning curve on landing a Lightning. But now, I love how they land. Of course, jumping at a 1.5+ wingloading definitely helps.

[plastic 0]

Yes, now you mention it i do remeber some of my early lightning landings, but that was a long time ago now so i am sure nobody else remembers them.

plastic

[bodypilot90 0]

Maybe it has to do with not jumping lightnings all the time? I would rather land my spectre on a no wind than my lightning on a low wind day. I too am thinking of getting "crw lines" on my spectre when it needs lines.