Canopy information

She’s not just different. She’s a beginner and intermediate wing that let’s you take advantage of parametric design software and Computational Fluid Dynamics technologies used formerly only in high performance wings. She’s been engineered to fly better. More efficiently. More responsively. Safire pilots will find her completely familiar, but entirely revolutionary.

She has all the things you love about the Safire 2 – great openings, safe predictable flight, a short recovery arc and a smooth flare – and everything else you asked us for.

You wanted the same consistent openings. We made them smoother and more progressive. You wanted to have more range. We made the Safire 3 more efficient and gave you the glide to get back from that long spot. You wanted more fun. We made all her inputs more responsive. You wanted even more flare. We found a balance of more power, without inducing an early stall.

The Safire 3 is perfect for your first canopy or a fun intermediate canopy at slightly higher wingloadings. We recommend loading her between 0.8 and 1.5. She’s available in any size you want, so you can load her exactly what you want. If you’re not sure, ask us.

Loaded lightly she is the vehicle to carry any beginner or even the most nervous canopy pilot to the ground safely, and for the intermediate jumper she will make your flying experience come alive with quick turns and a powerful flare.

If you’re looking for superior opening qualities, outstanding slow flight stability and confidence-inspiring flight, the Safire 3 is your perfect choice.

Flight Charactistics

What can you expect when you fly the Safire 3? The unique blend of awesome openings, hassle-free flight and unrestricted everyday practicality that the Safire is known for, mixed with the cutting edge design and performance that is typical of NZ Aerosports newer performance wings. And the inevitable desire to do it all again after every landing.

Openings:

The Safire 2 is known for her sweet, soft openings. Our goal was to improve the consistency of the heading. In comparison to the Safire 2, the Safire 3 has a shorter opening process, but one that is more progressive. The result is confidence inspiring smooth openings, with even more predictability than before.

Toggles:

The Safire 3 is more responsive to toggle input, and gives you more control. She gives more feedback throughout turns and you’ll notice a better ‘feel’ and connection to the canopy.

Harness:

Harness inputs cause the least distortion to the canopy and in comparison to other inputs, are much smoother - achieving more efficient harness flight for the Safire 3 has been a focus on this project. She responds better to harness inputs than her predecessor, making her a joy to fly around simply by weight shifting.

Front Riser Flight:

Front riser pressure on the Safire 3 is comparable to the Safire 2, if not a little lighter.

Rear Riser Flight:

Thanks to the Safire 3’s improved planform shaping she has a great glide on rears, so you don’t have to stress too much about your long spot! The rears are easy to manage and only a small input is needed to see results. If you still don’t make it back, talk to the fucking pilot.

Performance:

The Safire 3 isn’t more 'high performance' than the Safire 2 in terms of the class of wing she belongs to, but she performs to a higher standard due to being a more efficient design. You’ll see the extra performance in her improved openings, responsiveness and flare.

Recovery and Flare:

Her quick recovery arc has got your back and her powerful flare will give you the confidence to be able to stick those tricky landings.

Technology

The Safire 3 takes everything that made the Safire 2 great, and advances it to a new level. She’s the first beginner and intermediate canopy to be created through true 3D design in the same way Petra and Leia were.

From her planform shape, to her inlets and even her lineset, we pushed every aspect of what’s possible with the Safire 3 to new heights. No detail was too small. Every element, from the nose design to the crossports to the brake configuration has been designed to enhance each other for maximum efficiency and responsiveness - a perfect example of the magic that happens when you combine five years of research and development with state of the art techniques and design tools.

3D Planform Design

The starting point for the Safire 3 project was reshaping the Safire 2 in the same parametric software and using the same Computational Fluid Dynamics design technique used to design our elite high performance wings. The new shape keeps the constant cell aspect ratio we introduced in the Safire 2, follows a true ellipse when inflated, and is even more streamlined.

3D Lineset Design

Making changes to the lines may seem minor, but designing the line trims in 3D gives us greater control over how the canopy shape is affected when inflated, and can significantly improve glide and flare.

Given the nature of this canopy and its intended user we paid very close attention to the brakes. The Safire 2 already had a great flare, but the power was really found in the lower end of the flare range. By changing the brake configuration so we could increase power higher up the flare it made the whole landing process feel much smoother and more progressive, but without inducing an early stall or making the canopy over sensitive to toggle input. We feel we have achieved a really nice balance.

The Powerband

The Safire 3 features the split upper nose paneling on the leading edge that we pioneered with Petra and Leia, adding beauty and function to her design. It flattens the 3D panels more accurately and reduces fabric stretch to maintain her true shape in flight, making the wing more responsive and predictable.

And since we know how much you guys love your colour co-ordination, you can choose any colour from our ZP selection for your Safire 3 Powerband.

Proportionally Tuned Air Inlets

Proportionally tuned air inlets that open wider in the center of the canopy and less toward the tips allow the canopy to pressurize evenly from center to outside in a more controlled way and help keep the canopy on heading during the deployment process.

From the plain-to-see to the supposedly inconsequential, every detail of the Safire 3 makes for an effortless and enjoyable flight.Design

The Safire 3 is the result of five years of research, development and refinement. She is the most modern mainstream all-rounder canopy to hit the market.

How to order

The current Safire 3 stock list is at the link below:
Safire 3 Stock List

To place an order for a custom Safire 3, use the online custom color designer program at the link below:
Custom Design Safire 3 Order Form