Katana with Wingsuit

[hjumper33 0]

How bad of an idea do you think this is. I have a demo KA120 loaded at just above 1.6 and cant decide if I should jump it with my wingsuit or not. I usually jump a XF2 129 so it wouldnt be that much of a departure, but does anyone out there jump a katana with their suit on a regular basis?

(Posted this before I searched as anyone smart would, but I would still like to hear more opinions and what youre loading at)

[TMPattersonJr 0]

Wouldn't suggest it, did 1 jump on a KA-135 at about 1.4 and lived but that was more than enough for me. Scary Perry and Jairo Garcia are two people that I know that had no problems jumping high performance canopies w/ wing suits and then both had hair raising rides that ended up as a reserve rides. Ask them about their experience with it and you might think twice.

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[VectorBoy 0]

Conduct your own research.

You are familiar with the X-fire. Factor the difference in absolute vertical deployments between the two designs. Then do the same in a wingsuit type deployment but at higher altitudes at first. This way you eliminate the greatest variable in the conversation- the pilot , better known as you the specific pilot. Some are different in abilities and awareness.

Keep in mind that designs like the Katana are optimized for the dive which will be hard to get out of in a wingsuit- deployment-malfunction forcing you to go straight to plan "B" no time to goof- off.

I know off at least a few people flying highly loaded canopys with their wingsuits even though the bulk of us prefer bigger gentler glides for wingsuits.

[birdynamnam 28]

made a couple of hundred successful xfire-2 119 wingsuit jumps w.o. any problems what so ever.

Then suddenly I had to perform "plan B" two times, both within a short period. Due to linetwist/diving canopy.

I did the math, and then I got me a Sabre2 135

Suggest you do the same

[ScottGray 0]

Perry told me that when he jumps his high performance canopy he goes right to his cutway and reserve handles immediately after pitching his PC.

Now if you like that level of excitement ... feel free. Would not attempt it at 2K.

Nothing wrong with 1.0-ish loadings and on heading openings.

WSI-5 / PFI-51 / EGI-112 / S-Fly
The Brothers Gray Wing Suit Academy
Contact us for first flight and basic flocking courses at your DZ or boogie.
www.thebrothersgray.com

[hjumper33 0]

Yah I am planning on attempting at least one jump on it this weekend and pulling rather high with the KA. Ive got a balloon jump planned for saturday morning if the weather holds, but I think ill be switching out for my "more docile" which I know exactly what to expect if line twists should occur. If only a second rig was in the budget, id love a sabre2 135.

[jumpingbean001 0]

I think you got your answer. I just want to chime in with an emphatic...'go docile'!

Ultimately you have to decide.

Let's have fun! :)

[hjumper33 0]

Hey im still cut away free (serious wood knocking going on) Ill let everyone if I have to update that status after the weekend.

[NSEMN8R 0]

I've been wingsuiting with my Blade 108 loaded at 2.0. I'm pretty sure I'll have to chop it at some point if I keep doing it, but it's my favorite canopy and I hate leaving it on the ground all the time.

I've never jumped a Katana, but I can't imagine why it would be a big deal as long as you're not afraid of a reserve ride.

[dragon2 2]

One of our very exp jumpers (couple thousand jumps), borrowed a rig w/katana 150 for a few wingsuit jumps (gti) instead of the usual vengeance 135 or spectre 135. After only 2 jumps he decided to not jump that katana again w/wingsuit, the vengeance was way more behaved!

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[TALONSKY 0]

Anytime you combined wingsuit flying and high performance canopies it may end in a cut away. Having said that, I know a jumper (dploy on here) that has jumped a Katana with wingsuit for over 100 jumps without a cutaway loaded I believe somewhere around 2 to 1. Personally, I jump a VX 109 loaded at 2.1 to 1 with a wingsuit and in over 60 jumps have not had a cutaway yet (but I do know it is very likely sooner or later)
Kirk

[tr027 0]

What it comes down to is how many extra repacks per year are you willing to afford??

"The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it. " -John Galt from Atlas Shrugged, 1957

[AveE 0]

I did quite the same thing

switched from my x-fire2 115 to sabre2 120 after three hair rising cutaway-reserve rides within 50 w/s jumps

[notsane 0]

Just listen to all you "old-guys" giving good, solid advice and shit!

Where's your sense of adventure?! I say "Risk be damned!" Make a paramedic come!!

[sdctlc 0]

I seem to remember a video of your opening with some nasty line twists with that XF2 but you got out of it OK. Seeing it live off on your left while shaking my head thinking: [Howard Cossell voice]look at that little monkey kick, kick little monkey kick"[/Howard Cossell voice] What could possibly go wrong?? I was nice and waited till you were out of the twists before comming over and flying by you...

An extra reserve pack here and there, just keeps you on your toes! Hell, could be next summers research study, "Effectes of Increased Stress on Body During Opening Phase of Nylon Deceleratin Device Wearing Movement Restricting WingSuit Straight Jacket" Think of the money that would be needed to get the testing equipment hooked up to you for the jump! It could be like wearing a belly mount reserve for the gadgets you would get, not-cheap I am guessing. Who cares how it affects the WS performance, this is for Science damnit!!!

Scott C.

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

[LouDiamond 1]

I have been jumping a KA 107/WL 1.6 with my wingsuit for about 2 years plus or minus. Do I recommend it to everyone? No, there are plenty of convos on this subject for reference on why. Can it be done? Absolutely. Do I think you should do it with a demo you are unfamiliar with? No, figure out how it flies for you on a normal skydive and get comfortable with it first before adding the wingsuit.

I will also caveat with the statement that I don't smoke it down and normally pull around 3k because I know it could get away from me. Have I had to chop it? Yes, once. I had a few line twists that I could probably have gotten out of. However,I have already made the decision in my mind that if I encounter a problem with my canopy that I will not play with it but instead got right to my EPs.

For the record, my openings are usually on heading and are very forgiving. I also jump my camera set up with this canopy. Point being, I know all the added risks make the necessary adjustments and accept the possible outcome.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[tdog 0]

I did it for a few jumps, loaded about 1.45ish. Most openings were awesome.

But, I also lost 1000 feet in a dive while I was trying to harness turn out of the dive and unzipping wings at the same time - without line twists.

I opted to get a sabre2 for wingsuiting. I feel that I can open it dirty, open it low, and not have to worry about the opening when I am playing around in the bottom 1/8th of the dive... Much lower stress level.

[lurch 0]

Just one more weight to add to the fly-conservative crowd here...
Flew a sabre2 170 @ .9-ish for years, zero issues. Now flying sabre1 135 tuned for quick openings at low fallrates. Even this can dive on you. Had my first cutaway-in-anger this season, started as line twists, got one twist undone, suddenly was on my back staring at sky. Tried to continue untwist, but canopy motion countered it... All I did was wiggle back and forth, couldn't get the untwist started again, and the fact that I was still pulling several Gs and was horizontal under the canopy were a big clue. Saw spinning planet off my right shoulder and got rid of it FAST.
That said, I recently ran into a gear issue where 4 of 5 jumps on that same canopy resulted in bad bad twists. Every time, it just flew straight. No dive. But don't be TOO trusting of your docile canopy eh? I've seen Perry's video, and we had a couple others up north here try their luck with HP canopies, didn't work out well.
How much adrenalin do you need, really?
-B

Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

[The111 1]

Quote

I've seen Perry's video, and we had a couple others up north here try their luck with HP canopies, didn't work out well.

Not sure which of Perry's cutaway videos you're referring to, but the one at the end of my Z-Flock 2.0 video was actually on a Spectre, I believe. He had been getting away with jumping his Blade for a long time and switched to the Spectre to be smarter. A few jumps later he had a brake fire, as seen in the video.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[hjumper33 0]

Didnt jump it with a suit this weekend. The thing spun me up pretty crazily on the first jump I did with it. Luckily I was pulling high, and the thing flew straight in line twists once it had actually picked a heading. I learned the importance of body position on a katana!

[brianfry713 0]

Fucking pussy. Just hook the damn thing up and jump it. You've only got the canopy for 2 weeks you might as well do all the skydives you can on it, wingsuit, balloon, or whatever. I jumped my new Katana 135 loaded at 1.9 (that I've probably got less than 30 jumps on), with my Vampire that I had 1 jump on, with a trash pack, and it worked fine, a couple of times. It was a little scary come pull time, but I didn't want you to make fun of me for not jumping it. That's way more important.

What you should be worried about is if you are still using those risers with the soft housings. Then line twists could get a lot more interesting. I'm sure your arms are plenty strong from all that ladder climbing you've been doing though.

[LoudDan 0]

From a performance standpoint, I have found the Katana to be more twitchy and body position sensitive on opening than either the Sabre II or my Velocity. In my experience more than one twist gets spinny/divey in a hurry.

Coming soon to a bowl of Wheaties near you!!

[bodypilot1 0]

Quote

Fucking pussy. Just hook the damn thing up and jump it. You've only got the canopy for 2 weeks you might as well do all the skydives you can on it, wingsuit, balloon, or whatever. I jumped my new Katana 135 loaded at 1.9 (that I've probably got less than 30 jumps on), with my Vampire that I had 1 jump on, with a trash pack, and it worked fine, a couple of times. It was a little scary come pull time, but I didn't want you to make fun of me for not jumping it. That's way more important.

What you should be worried about is if you are still using those risers with the soft housings. Then line twists could get a lot more interesting. I'm sure your arms are plenty strong from all that ladder climbing you've been doing though.

Is this you landing that Katana?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jB4_FWqIyBs




Be safe
Ed

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[brianfry713 0]

Yes, that's me alright, but that was my Crossfire 2 149 loaded around 1.6 a few jumps after I got it. My knee was sore and black and blue for a while after that one, but I was still able to jump again that night.

I haven't had any spectacular crashes on my Katana yet that I can think of.

I recently had a really crappy landing and busted my fibula on an Ace 260 BASE canopy loaded around .95, but there was no video.
http://www.basejumper.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2877261

I'm just returning all the shit Charely gave me when I was hesitant to jump my Xfire with my wingsuit. I eventually did and jumped it with the Katana as well, but I prefer to use my girlfriend's rig with my Sabre 2 170 in it, especially if I wanna pull below 3 grand.

Doesn't Spaz jump his wingsuit with a Velo?

I agree that it's nice to be familiar with the canopy before trying to jump it while wearing a straight jacket.

[hjumper33 0]

Hahahaha nice response ed. I absolutely love the little kid talking in that video. Yah, ive gotten more tame in my old age, and the katana does have hard housings. Ill probably jump it with the wingsuit at the Byron boogie. Nick jumps with a velo 96 loaded at like 2.3, but I dont think hes done more than a handful of wingsuit jumps since hes started jumping it.