Nitro

Name: Nitro
Brand: high performance research
Rating: 4.8 (16 reviews)

Jooski · July 4, 2017

I flew a Safire2 for many years before downsizing to a Nitro 135. I load it lightly at 1.1 and it's really fun to fly! More so than I expected since I'm loading it quite lightly. I hope to get a 120 soon. I love everything about this canopy -- nice openings, easy to pack, great flare power, very fun to fly! I can only imagine how fun it would be at a higher wing-loading. I used to think I would only fly Safire canopies as I loved mine so much. Now I can't imagine that I ever felt that way. Get yourself a Nitro if you like the above-noted attributes in a canopy! You won't be disappointed.

J-Rock · August 4, 2013

These canopies are FANTASTIC! I have jumped a 135, 120 and currently own a 108. I wasnt so impressed with the larger sizes but they would make a great first eliptical or even a better choice than a Sabre or Safire when lightly loaded. I was a little skeptical loading this thing heavier than recomended but it REALLY comes alive at a 1.6-1.9 wingloading. The Nitro beats my Crossfire in every area except swooping distance. The Crossfire has slightly more flair power and distance but the Nitro has a lot less seek on opening and I like the non cascaded lines for ease of replacement. Very well built, great design and no bad habbits what so ever, the perfect working mans canopy. This thing puts a smile of my face every time I deploy it, simply fantastic!

crazcbe · November 5, 2011

This canopy has super soft openings. They are awesome. As good as any. It flies nice, not super fast. The slider is annoying but its really a minor thing. Dives aren't super steep, but it will dive and with the semi-light riser pressure you can keep it in a dive for a good time. The recovery arc is pretty short and it will pull itself out of the dive. Its great if you dial it in, but start too high and its going to use up all of your flare before you need it. Its pretty responsive, but you're not going to induce line twists on this thing. Its a fun canopy and great to fly.

Lavielle · December 1, 2010

Flying high wingloads, landing on a small place or doing a nice and fast swoop. No Problem for a Nitro.

Thanks Klaus Schenk :-)

skiggy22 · March 14, 2010

I got a Nitro 150 to demo, I have to admit when I took it out of the bag I was intimidated. I had been jumping a Pilot 168 and wanted a little more from my canopy. The Nitro is loaded at 1.39 for me and I love it. Toggles are responsive, risers respond well to input and require little pressure to start a dive and once in a dive you can hold it for awhile. The canopy flys like a dream. My first jump on it was on a day with winds at 2 mph gusting to 5 mph. I landed it without having to run it out. The Nitro has a whole lot of flare and is easy to stop at the bottom end. The next weekend I flew it in 18 mph winds gusting to 21 mph and if was rock solid in turbulence. I love the Nitro it was what I was looking for responsive when you want it to be and conservative when you need it. Its a great canopy and HiPer USA's support and demo program is top notch.

bellyboy · March 30, 2009

I flew the Nitro 135 this weekend. As a reference my main until now has been a Stiletto 135.

Packing: Easy enough, fabric is relatively controllable and the pack volume is fractionally higher than a Stiletto of the same size. The HMA lineset has a tendency to knot up a bit and you have to walk up it slowly to avoid heat build up between them and your hands.

Deployment: Crisp opening, nice with very little hunting (I packed with the nose just hanging and the slider quartered and level with the nose). No sudden thump or nasty tendencies at all - this bit is good. Collapsing the slider is a pain in the rear however, requiring at least twice as long as PD's system even after several practices. It's secure, but overkill and seems chunky.

Flight: Rear riser input after deployment with brakes set results in nice controllable turns with no problems I could find. Release of the brakes gives an indication of what to expect from here on in - little surge to full flight. Toggle turns are OK, not particularly fast to initiate but build up turn speed to a very good rate, recovery is relatively quick with slight oversteer. Front riser pressure is on the low side of normal, not as low a my ST135 was but it's easy enough to perform a 360 without ripping your arm off.

Landings: Easy. The flare is predictable and forgiving loaded at 1.6:1. I landed straight-in and crosswind just fine. The approach is steeper than a Stiletto and the initial flare results in a less rapid transition to level flight, which I imagine would be nice for some folks.

Overall impressions: S'alright... It's not a fast canopy at this loading and I think it flies a bit bigger than it's posted size would suggest. If I were Hi-Per I'd ditch the non-cascaded lineset. I'd also prefer a more conventional slider collapsing arrangement but you might like it, who knows? This would be a nice canopy if your requirements met the characteristic advantages - no chance of accidentally inducing line-twists during radical flight, easy landings, crisp openings. It might not be for you if you like sportscar turn initiation. It's horses for courses here and I can't find anything 'wrong' with this canopy at all.

mcashatt01 · April 7, 2007

background, I have 131 jumps, the past 80 or so jumps on a sabre1 170. I was completely convinced that the sabre2 170 was the next canopy for me. After I finally got around to demoing the sabre2 around 90 jumps I was really impressed and noticed a complete change in comparison to the sabre1, definitely a much better canopy all around. The openings however, left much too be desired, although they were not hard like the sabre it would dive to one direction or the other in a pretty swift motion. I still loved it but thought it would be wise to try another canopy and decided to take advantage of the free demo's offered by beezy. I got a nitro 150 within a few days after contacting beezy(which I ended up buying by the end of the demo period) and wow what an amazing canopy. Compared to the sabre2 it was better in all respects. The openings were the straightest on heading I have ever had, the glide was phenomenal. In turbulence it doesn't breathe like a spectre or sabre 1 or 2, it flys solid. The front riser pressure was less than the sabre2 and responded much more to all inputs toggle turns r.risers f.risers and a major improvement on harness input. Don't get me wrong I loved the sabre2 as I do the spectre and sabre1 but the nitro is just amazing. I do realize that the Nitro is a different type of canopy its more elliptical than a sabre2 and was smaller than any of the other canopies I had flown which could explain the flight improvements over the other canopies mentioned, however I did not notice a major change in flight speed or ground speed. It definitely is not a radical canopy atleast at a 1.14 wing loading. It was a very comfortable step from the 170's I had flown before. I would definitely recommend anyone to try it with in the parameters of the chart. Why not try it? it's a free demo which to me says something in itself.

jheadley · May 8, 2006

I took advantage of HiPer's free demo program and tried out a Nitro 135. I originally requested a 150 but Beezy explained to me that they fly a size big so I tried a 135. I'm not really sure if I believe it really flies big though. The stall speed is definitely much lower, and the canopy will shut down to a complete stop on even a no wind day, but I think a 135 sized canopy that "flies big" would still slam you into the groud just as much as a normal 135 if an accidental low turn were made, so be cautious with your downsizing if you try one.

Anyway, the demo 135 that was suppose to be sent to me ended up being bought by the person demoing it, so beezy sent me a brand new 135 right out of the factory, never been jumped. The material that the canopy is made out of is different from most, it's more "waxy" than it is slippery, and it's VERY easy to pack even when brand new. The lines were black HMA lines, which I liked and didn't like. I understand the tiny little lines decrease drag but since I'm not a super-swooper they didn't really matter to me. The non-cascaded lines make it very easy to replace lines, but they also make making clean line stows more difficult and the lines seemed to like to knot up when walking the lines up while packing, which got me worried about tension knots but I have since learned that that is not the same as a tension knot in the air.
The slider kill line system is kind of strange, it's sort of like a drawstring used to close a duffel bag. I've read that you'd get used to it and like it but after 26 jumps I still got annoyed by it.

Openings are nice, consistent (~600 feet) and usually on heading. Nicer than any Sabre 2 I've ever jumped.

Toggle turns are fun and quick, but not as quick as a same-sized Stiletto.

Length of the recovery arc seemed to be a little shorter than a Sabre 2 135,but definitely longer than a Stiletto 135. It seems like it'd make a good canopy to learn how to swoop on.

Moderate front riser pressure, but easy to keep in a dive. A little bit of front riser oversteer, but not a big deal.

One great thing about the canopy is that it is extremely stable in line twists. Flies completely straight for mild line twists and the most severe one I had, it was just a very slow turn. No diving or spinning like the Stiletto (Or Sabre 2!)

I think this is a great canopy for someone looking for a first eliptical, since it's nice and fun to fly but is also relatively tame.

Also Beezy Shaw is very pleasant to deal with, whether on email, phone, or in person. The customer service is excellent.

For reference, I wingloaded the canopy at 1.5, have 400 jumps and the past 150 on a Sabre 2 150. I've made 10 or so jumps on various Sabre 2 135's Stiletto 135's, and Samurai 136's. I put 26 jumps on the Nitro 135 in a 2 week period. If I'm going to rate a canopy as 5 stars (like most people do on reviews) then it means it's practically perfect, so this is why I only gave it 4 stars. The Nitro is a great canopy, no doubt about that but there is room for improvement. I will definitely recommend it to people, though.

April 7, 2006

I bought a brand-new Nitro 135 from Beezy at Dublin '06, and I have to say that I have never been more satisfied with any canopy I've ever flown. Brand-new, this canopy packed like I've never seen a new ZP canopy pack before, easily and with little hassle. The openings are beautiful and on-heading, and I've yet to be yanked out of my pants by it.

If left alone, meaning flying it with minimal input, it will fly like a much larger, more docile canopy. When you "get on it", however, it can perform like any high-speed elliptical canopy. I'm getting decent straight-in swoops, and with riser input, much longer ones. I love this canopy.

After one demo jump on this type of canopy, I was prepared to buy one on the spot. And it was a great deal.

Big thanks you to Beezy Shaw and High Performance Research for this great canopy!

Kevin S. McDermott

johnnyboydan · May 17, 2005

I wanted a canopy that I could start out on slow approches and then progress into faster. After some research I opted for the Nitro. And it is a great canopy. The construction is the best. It flys great, perfect for my exp level 320 jumps at WL 1.38. I love this canopy it will be with me for years before I need to down size. For anyone who is ready to go eliptical go Nitro.

Opening are great on heading and slow and soft.

Turning is great front or toggle.
rear riser is very fast and light.

landings are great: on straight in with no input just give very little toggle to plan out and ride it until flare which it will have plenty of flare at the end.

Packing is a breeze.

Flys very well slow in the brakes, I can hold and sink if I want no problem.

Well I only have about 9 jumps on it so far but I would recommend this canopy for anyone ready try an eliptical canopy - it will let go through all of the stages starting out and taking as far as you want.

Stairsolutions · January 12, 2005

I just demoed the Nitro 150 this weekend. And I bought the demo on the spot.Try one and see!

WeakMindedFool · January 7, 2005

There are too many up sides of this canopy to list them all. I have around 100 jumps on the Nitro and haven't looked back. I did several jumps with a Stilleto of the same size (135) and found the Nitro better in just about every way. The Nitro opens unbelievably softly and on heading. It is very responsive to toggle input without the twitchiness or over steer of the ST. Riser pressure is less and the recovery arc is longer (not allot...I wish it was longer but...). It has a ridiculous amount of lift at the end of the flare. The Nitro has been forgiving of mistakes so far. When I've come out too high on a swoop, it retains enough energy to allow me to stand up the landing anyway. I haven't put it deep in the corner yet but up high it seems to recover to level flight very fast. I’m jumping the Nitro at 1.7 and at this wing loading it rocks!

October 24, 2004

Did a demo of the Nitro 150 - got in 3 jumps on it. Since this was the first elliptical canopy that I was trying, I did my first jump on it from full alti and played with the canopy to see what it would do and is capable of (nothing like 13,000 ft to test out a canopy ). I couldn't get it to stall - even though I tried. Had very quick turns, flat turns were simple and easy to do, rear risers were a breeze to use although I couldn't get the front risers to do anything. The next 2 jumps I took it down to a terminal opening. Even at terminal, the canopy opened nice and easy and on-heading. It is one of the canopies that I will be including in my final selection for my next canopy. I did load it lightly and still it was a very quick, responsive canopy. Since I was demoing it, I used a packer so that I could spend as much time playing with the canopy and testing it out as possible.

Zettel · September 2, 2004

i did just one demo-jump so far (150ft²), so my review will be short and only refers to that single jump!

i'm pretty new to the sport, and this was my first jump with an elliptical shaped canopy.
i had a perfect on-heading opening.
a big fun, fast, airy flight (i regretted, not to have opened immediately after the exit), and a soft, easy to control, nice flaring landing.
loved this thing!

tfelber · September 1, 2004

The openings are soft as butter and always on heading. My previous canopy, a TurboZX-165, had a fairly long snivel, 800-1000 feet, and then finished quickly. The slider would knock the bumpers down occasionally. The Nitro, I tried the 150 and bought the 135, opens in 400-700 feet but it is nice and smooth and the slider comes down gently. I don't roll the nose or anything. I just release it, push it in a little, quarter the slider and wrap the tail.

Packing, this thing is so easy to pack. The material it's made from isn't slippery at all. The Pilot in contrast was a bitch... I tried three times to get it in the bag and finally took it to Packin' Cathy. I actually enjoy packing the Nitro although it packs a little big for a 135.

Risers are firm, but stable. No twitchyness. When you pull them down be sure you have plenty of altitude because the Nitro seems very ground hungry. The recovery from a front riser turn is fairly quick and the canopy returns to level flight with little input. The toggles are probably the best feature of this canopy. Pull one down and it will whip you around very quickly. Pull them both down and it flattens out. I haven't tried real hard but it doesn't feel like it will stall. You pull them down and it just flattens out and stays stable. Full flare is about shoulder level with more if you need it.

Landings, I jumped all the 150's at Rantoul prior to trying the Nitro 135. It really feels like a 150 when you put on the breaks. The first jump on it I was a little worried because it was the smallest canopy I had flown. As I came through 15-20 feet I felt like I was really moving fast. I kept my head, pulled the toggles, and the canopy planed out and stopped. I took a couple of steps at most. I was sold after one jump.

I now have about 17 jumps on it and every time I get to the ground I tell everyone how much I like this canopy. I had my first downwinder two weeks ago and I was haulin'. I pulled on the toggles and the canopy planed out but was still moving quite fast. I surfed it along for about 40 yards and finally went to my butt to try and stay on the grass. I'm sure if I tried it again I could stand it up, I just got a little nervous. I've done a couple of avoidance turns on approach without any issues. I can feel the speed increase as I turn using toggles, but haven't felt out of control at all. Saturday I had a long spot and wasn't sure I would make it back. I kept looking for alternate landing areas but actually made it all the back, landing into the wind.

I can't wait to get into a canopy course so I can further understand the capabilities of this remarkable canopy.

What else can I say...the Nitro 135 is one great canopy!

BETO74 · August 23, 2004

What an incredible canopy, I bought a Nitron canopy from Chris after demo it a month ago and I can only say what an incredible an amazing canopy ultra soft openings, very fast when need it and at my wing loading 1.5. I can still do a straight in approach in a no wind day, if you ever get the chance demo one totally recommmended.

This Site Is For Sale

Sign In

Sign In

Nitro

Buy from these trusted stores

User's photos

SIGN UP OR LOGIN

User Feedback

Join the conversation

What did you think, Guest? Leave a review and let other users know.

Jooski 0

Share this review

Link to review

J-Rock 0

Share this review

Link to review

crazcbe 0

Share this review

Link to review

Lavielle 0

Share this review

Link to review

skiggy22 0

Share this review

Link to review

bellyboy 0

Share this review

Link to review

mcashatt01 0

Share this review

Link to review

jheadley 0

Share this review

Link to review

McDuck 0

Share this review

Link to review

johnnyboydan 0

Share this review

Link to review

Stairsolutions 0

Share this review

Link to review

WeakMindedFool 0

Share this review

Link to review

ladyskydiver 0

Share this review

Link to review

Zettel 0

Share this review

Link to review

tfelber 0

Share this review

Link to review

BETO74 0

Share this review

Link to review

Find us on Social Media

Activity