Apex Lynx & Flik II
my most recent side by side comparison and thoughts. i don't know if anyone reads (or maintains) the gear section so i'll just post my thoughts here. these are just my simple opinions from the last month, specifically about these two Apex canopies. The Lynx 270 Ultralight (~.82 W/L)
PCA - 2 second delays slider off.
openings are consistent and positive. generally i felt they were a bit snappier than average. i don't like to delay over 2 seconds because of some old neck injuries. the 2 second mark was my limit with this canopy as well so i cannot speak for opening shock beyond that. :) all of the openings were comfortable and pressurized cleanly and very fast. some partial end cell closure initially, but nothing abnormal from my experience. the Lynx was instantly responsive and controllable on opening.
the toggle pressure feels great and the canopy is very responsive and makes snappy turns when you want it. it has a very nice glide path and can cover above average distances in full flight. it also has no trouble shutting down and sinking down stable. it also has tremendous flare power. when forced down on fronts it has a natural ability for a smooth and strong swoop.
the Flik II 280 Ultralight (~.8 W/L)
PCA - 2 seconds slider off.
i first got to try out the newly released Flik II in Sri Lanka. I was pleased with it on the couple jumps i did on the 270, but i felt it's design would be better served on a lower wingloading, so i was looking forward to trying out a size or two up. i got the 280 and started some drills.
again, positive and predictable openings. i had heard others complain about hard openings, but for me everything up to my max of 2 secs felt very nice. everything i threw at it was handled with ease. elevators, stalled flight, backing it up, front riser approaches, snap turns, etc. i was impressed right away with my flights.
the Flik II has (what i would consider) average flare power. i'm always attracted to the canopies with better than average flare like the Lynx and Lobo, much like the Seven/Feather wings and the Ace/BlackJack canopies with the 5 upper control lines. so for me, it just took a little tweak to my approaches to get the landings dialed in, but once i did, i was very happy with it.
going between the Flik II and the Lynx was a bit of a challenge for me... mostly deciding which one i wanted to fly more. throughout Moab i was constantly picking and choosing. the Lynx was so fun for me to swoop, that i was trying to save it for bigger LZs or jumps with roads for landing. however, when it came down to the tighter landing areas, the Lynx still performed very well and put me down softly on target. the Lynx seemed to have a little speedier attitude in general, but with the great flare power, getting her slow in a tight spot still afforded me plenty of power for the final flare. that's definitely a plus.
basically, i'd love to see how the lynx performs at the extremes of loading. on the heavy side (which i've already been pushing) to the light side around .7 i'd be curious to see the results. but, from what i've seen so far, i think it is a really solid all around canopy. it is the other end of the spectrum from the Fox or OSP, as it tends to be more swoopy with great glide.
the Flik II also seems to be another solid all around canopy, with slightly better tight LZ abilities, and slightly less glide ability (in direct comparison to the Lynx). it really seems to do almost everything above average, and the lower jumps i did with it (170') performed flawlessly as well.
the problem for me is i like them both a lot. depending on the person's flying style, one will suit them better than the other, but they'll both do the job damn well (especially at an appropriate W/L).
