I was curious about the pros/cons of Dual vs Single pin rigs. The only reasoning I can see for a dual is perhaps a backup for a horseshoe style malfunction. I almost never go handheld so I am not worried about premature pin extraction. What about a pilot chute in tow--is that possible with current pin rig designs? How well are the pins protected for back flying/wingsuit flying?
Thanks
I don't no shite either, and was hoping someone would post some good info.
The only thing I have heard in the past is that good and not so good versions of both dual and single pin rigs are being produced.
I'm in the process of buying a single pin rig now. The pilot chute in tow issue is of course up to how tight your pin is once you cinch down your leg straps and how big your pilot chute is and how long your bridle is. If your pin is tight, your pilot chute small and have a short bridle and do a short delay it may take 2 or 3 seconds to build up enough speed to pull your pin, which is why the pin rig mfgrs. reccommend that you be a more experienced jumper to use one properly. The 2 pin rigs seem to be a bit narrower on the back and the single pin rigs are a bit more wider accross the back. Tom A and Yuri have lots of experience with them. Yuris probably got about the most wingsuit jumps with pin rigs and he's pretty much worked the bugs out of them.
Here's what I think.
I am not an expert, so ask around, get many opinions, and inspect the rigs for yourself (most manufacturers will let you demo one, or you can just go to Bridge Day and see them, or go to Idaho on any holiday weekend and someone will be jumping everything you can imagine). You may find the reviews on this web site to be helpful for this, if any of the old ones are still up (I understand we lost some in the recent change-over).
For background. I have approximately 400 jumps on Prisms (to my knowledge still the only single pin rig on the market). I have around 30 jumps on a Perigee Pro, the same number on an Odyssey FX, and a handful on a few other rigs (Warlock, Gargoyle, Vertex).
In my opinion, the particular rig is far more important than the number of pins. I'll give some comments on specific containers from my experience at the end of this diatribe.
> The only reasoning I can see for a dual is perhaps a backup for a horseshoe style malfunction.
I assume that you are thinking of a situation where bridle flap, perhaps combined with loose closing and/or flimsy pin coverage, extracts the bottom pin in free fall. I have seen two such malfunctions.
One was a long (nearly a minute) wingsuit jump, and the other a relatively short (10 seconds) delay with tracking. In both cases, the pilot chute extracted by itself (after the container had opened), thankfully avoiding a horseshoe, but giving a premature deployment.
In both cases, the rigs in use were two pin rigs (one Warlock, one Odyssey FX).
In both cases, the rigs had flimsy, non-stiffened pin covers (I understand that Vertigo has since modified the Warlock, but if I ordered one, I'd be sure they knew you wanted the stiffener), which may have contributed to the premature openings.
The jumper with the Warlock reported feeling the bottom pin pop early in the flight (around 10-15 seconds), and continuing the flight. The second pin held until very late in the flight. So, in that case, the second pin probably prevented the horseshoe, as you surmised.
The Odyssey FX, on the other hand, appeared to open immediately, with both pins being extracted nearly simultaneously by bridle flap pressure. So, in that case, the second pin did not appear to help.
I believe the proper solution is to appropriately protect the pins, so that neither pin is extracted.
Another argument in favor of one or the other setup is pin tension. In general, pin tension can be lower, and better equalized, with a two pin setup. However, in my opinion, pin tension changes significantly when the rig is put on. This change is far more noticeable on a two pin rig. The Prism appears to maintain it's tension as packed fairly well, regardless of the wearer's contortions.
It should be noted that over the course of about three hours, with a spring scale and some help from my roommates, I was unable to make necessary extraction force on either a Perigee Pro or a Prism even come close to the force needed to open a Vision (velcro rig), regardless of body position. The Prism did appear to maintain a more constant tension than the Perigee Pro (but even at it's tightest, the Perigee Pro was easier to open than my velcro rig).
> I almost never go handheld so I am not worried about premature pin extraction.
Some people prefer a two pin rig for going hand held. There has been some worry that an overly taut bridle could extract the pin either prior to, or immediately upon exit. A properly routed bridle, with appropriate tension, ought to cure this problem entirely, so long as you do not take enough delay to allow airspeed and resulting bridle flap to build up and pull the pin(s).
> What about a pilot chute in tow--is that possible with current pin rig designs?
Aside from obvious mistakes (misrouted bridle, short closing loops, jammed pins) which should be easy to avoid, no.
One exception to this: a Prism built with the original (non-shrivelling) velcro bottom flap bridle retainer can cause a pilot chute in tow when deployed in a head down position. For this reason, I recommend purchasing Prisms with the tuck flap, rather than velcro, bottom flap bridle stowage.
> How well are the pins protected for back flying/wingsuit flying?
Again, it totally depends on the rig.
I believe the Prism has the best pin coverage, as it is the only pin rig with a top flap that comes down over the pins (rather than coming across from the side), which better protects the pin from head-to-feet airflow across your back (especially important in wingsuit flight).
The pin protection of the Perigee Pro and Vertex are also excellent. I doubt you'll see a problem with either of those rigs.
I do have my doubts about the pin protection of the Odyssey FX and the (pre-stiffener) Warlock. I'd avoid the Odyssey FX until Paratech comes up with a fix. I believe the Warlock has already been fixed, so that shouldn't be an issue unless you buy a used Warlock.
Although I don't really have enough experience with the Gargoyle (where is that thing?) to form a very educated opinion, the pictures on the Morpheous web site are quite impressive. They show head down skydivers using Gargoyles. I understand from talking to one of the test jumpers that they were entire, minute long, head down jumps, rather than just quick "photo ops", so their protection looks to be excellent as well.
> The only thing I have heard in the past is that good and not so good versions of both dual and single pin rigs are being produced.
Definitely. In my opinion, BR and CR make the best rigs on the market. I'd go with a Perigee Pro, Vertex or Prism.
Obviously, my own preference is for the Prism. I'd definitely recommend the tuck flap option for the bottom flap bridle control, though.
I have been quite impressed with the Perigee Pro (many thanks to SM, who let me put quite a few jumps on his brand new Pro before he ever got to use it himself). Some people don't like the wrap around bottom corners, so be sure you examine them and decide for yourself. I personally haven't been able to find a way to make them foul my deployment, but I know that Birdman recommends avoiding wrap-around bottom corners for wingsuit jumps.
I'd avoid the Odyssey FX until Paratech comes up with a fix for the pin protection.
If you do get a Warlock, be sure that the pin cover flap is stiffened (last I heard Vertigo would retrofit older Warlocks for free).
Feel free to post here, or email me with any other questions you think I can answer.
Hope this helps,
--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks