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Im looking at an earlier designed fox vtec without the covers that cover the vents up whilst you are flying. Whats your opinion on this earlier design? Do those covers make much difference. I would imagine that you would loose a bit of air out of the cells while you are flying causing it to sink a little faster. Thanks guys.

I never flew one, and have never seen one. but I know a bit about flight mechanics and aerodynamics to say that two-way holes anywhere in an airframe is bad.

nothing good can come with leaving holes in an airfoil open.

WHY would you want such an out-dated design? other than curiosity in its flying characteristics?

I own and jump a Fox 265 without covers. Have about 200 jumps on it. Id have to say that the openings are about as sick as ive ever seen. Ive gotten comments a number of times on how crisp and on heading it opens as well from jumpers watching from above.
It definitely doesnt glide very well. You have to be careful when you need to fly to a landing area.
it opens fast on terminal jumps. consistantly. you can take it to the basement and be confident.
The flare isnt the greatest. I find that I have to sink and surge to get a decent flare

i USE to own a 245. I don't feel that covers does anything for "crisper" openings.

When it comes to flaring at the end, you lose pressure due to the lack of covers. Todd from APEX will place covers over the vents at a cost.

I did it, and there was an increase in glide, and more performance in flare.

worth the extra $$ in my mind.

But no covers = decrease in glide, and decrease in flare performance.

Aloha.

Black Death

Just buy something already!

lands terrible without vents. i never bothered sending mine back to get covers because i was jumping easy antennas with soft landing areas for several years.

still jumping mine. ready for something with better flare.

as slambo sed , reliable on heading openings.
reef the shit out of it if youre going to terminal.
flares like shit.

9+ years ago a vented Fox was all the rage......

I don't think they're as bad as everyone thinks, but irregular flares are a well-known issue. I'd still jump one without hesitation. They're not black death. Then again, I grew up thinking pins on BASE rigs were black death....