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From: yzarn@lhdsy1.chevron.com (Philip Yzarn de Louraille)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: Anyone jumped a Paradactyl?
Message-ID: <1026@lhdsy1.chevron.com>
Date: 30 Jun 91 04:02:05 GMT
References: <1991Jun27.121456.16862@zia.aoc.nrao.edu>
Organization: Chevron Oil Field Research, La Habra, CA.
Lines: 31

In article <1991Jun27.121456.16862@zia.aoc.nrao.edu> dbriggs@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Dan Briggs) writes:
>I'm one of the new generation of student weenies who has never jumped
>anything rougher than a medium sized ram-air canopy.  I can probably
>borrow a Para-Commander when my urge to try some of "the old ways"
>becomes overwhelming.  Still, the canopies that I really find
>interesting are some of the old triangle exotics.  The Thunderbow
>looks interesting.  The Paradactyl looks more than just interesting.
>Perhaps terrifying is a better word?  Poynter's handbook claims that
>it has a performance approaching that of a ram-air canopy, but it just
>doesn't *look* like it has enough fabric!  From the photo, and one of
>Boenish's films it looks like the whole canopy would fit in a good
>sized throw-out pocket.  I exaggerate of course, but it really looks
>small.  Has anyone ever jumped one?  Do you flare it?  If the
>performance is as good as Poynter claims, why aren't they a more
>serious competitor to the ram-air canopies simply based on a tiny pack
>volume?
>
I have never jumped a 'dactyl but witnessed lots of jumps on them
because the then-named Vision Team (later known as Coors) used them for
a while back at Perris Valley. They did pack small, they were quite
performant, and you flared them to land them and I saw lots of stand up
landings but not as nice as ram-airs though.
If memory serves well, it took the members of Vision a *while* before
they learned to pack them in such a way that they stopped malfunctionning.
These were non-forgiving parachutes which is probably why they had a
limited succes and then went to the Museums!
-- 
  Philip Yzarn de Louraille                 Internet: yzarn@chevron.com
  Research Support Division                 Unix & Open Systems
  Chevron Information & Technology Co.      Tel: (213) 694-9232
  P.O. Box 446, La Habra, CA 90633-0446     Fax: (213) 694-7709