Re: [gobShite] Apex new Lightweight Canopies? Well?
Sorry about the delay Hombre, Here is the deal I have about 100 - 150 terminal jumps on a FlicK Ultra Light so far and another buddy of mine just started putting some Sub terminal jumps on it as well. I have jumped other light weight / low pack volume canopies in the past and will continue to try new ones in the future, out of all that I have tested this one is the best I have tried so far. Now while I will not tell you what I dislike about the other canopies I will tell you what I like and dislike about this one.
Construction: First off as usual the overall construction of the canopy is exceptional to say the least it appears they they put a lot of care in to the construction of these canopies just as you would expect. They have changed some of the structural re-enforcement designs to better suit the light weight design of this canopy and achieve the end goal of reducing the overall pack volume and weight while maintaining strength and durability. The new fabric is holding up very nicely while it defiantly does feel very different to the touch it has shown to be extremely durable in tear and load tests. I have not treated mine kindly packing in dirt lots of exposure to sun and the change in porosity and condition of the fabric compared to new is basically nil at this point.
Options: There are many options for the canopy configuration all of the standard mods you would want plus a few more. One new mod to be added is the addition of "holes/ports" that pass through the canopy's tail this allows you to have both of the closing loops to pass through the canopy enabling you to complete your pack job with fewer folds which in the end obviously leads you to a cleaner and much thinner packjob. One downside to the new fabric is that there are still limited colors available more are expected to become available soon so be sure to check what your options are when you order one because you might have more options than you would think. Also there are several vent configurations available on this canopy so it can be designed and suited to fit the needs of your application, I am using mine primarily for WS so I am jumping a configuration with three vents which I have found to be optimal for a rapid but not too hard opening. You may want a different configuration of the vents depending on your use so if you have questions as to what might be best for your plans just ask for some advice on what to get. On a side note one new and exciting thing on the horizon for those of you who want logoed canopies is some new technology that allows you to have a logo added without increasing the pack volume or changing the structure of the canopy, while this is still on the horizon it is being tested and appears to be feasible and practical in the near future.
Flight Characteristics: I have tested pretty much all flight conditions and opening characteristics on this canopy, Deep brake landings, deep stall, full stall, asymmetric stall, line twists, reefing techniques, deep brake settings, Shallow settings, Simulated toggle fires, rear riser stalls, rr turns, rr landings, rr backing up, downwind landings, confined landings, max glide, ect. ect. ect. I won't bore you with the list because it goes on and on, the point is I have pushed the limits of this canopy and I have not found any obvious flaws or defects in either the flight or opening characteristics of the canopy. It performs very well with an excellent glide, very powerful flare, while still maintaining excellent low speed characteristics and "sink it in" landings. Overall I trust it to swoop in to a grass field or put it down between boulders.
Overall:
I think it is a great option if you are looking to reduce pack volume and weight while at the same time not sacrificing the things that are important to most BASE Jumpers.
If you have any other questions please feel free to shoot them my way I would be more than happy to discuss this canopy or any others I have have jumped with anyone. Fly safe and go big Cya
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