Consolidated Rigging, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of two completely new BASE canopies.

The ACE and the BLACK JACK were designed to provide the BASE jumping community with the latest innovations from Consolidated Rigging’s ongoing research and development. The contemporary BASE jumper wants a canopy that has a strong and definitive flare, good glide and excellent opening characteristics while retaining an ability to make steep approaches and no-flare landings. The ACE and the BLACK JACK combine the durability and stability that made the MOJO the most popular BASE canopy in the world with exciting new refinements and innovations and a performance envelope that has to be experienced to be believed.

By definition, a BASE canopy must be very versatile. The Consolidated Rigging ACE is designed as a general-purpose 7-cell BASE canopy. It is equally happy on low free falls into tight landing areas as it is opening at terminal velocity. Openings are very solid and predictable with the outstanding pressurization and slow-flight characteristics that are needed when opening close to a solid object.
Riser turns with the ACE are smooth and fast, and toggle input is engineered to provide very responsive and flat turns.
The flare is strong and occurs relatively early in the control stroke but the canopy has a lot left in reserve. Stall behavior is very predictable and controllable, making steep approaches with no-flare landings easy to perfect

The BLACK JACK is also a completely new design. It is developed from the ACE but incorporates PAC^TM (Pressure Activated and Controlled) Valves.

In 1996 Consolidated Rigging built the first vented BASE canopy. We quickly learned that vents functioned both as inlets and as escape vents. We documented the extreme out-flowing of air and the subsequent loss of pressure and performance.

This led us to begin work on a functional valve that allows air to enter the canopy but not to escape. Our extensive research of canopy pressurization dynamics helped us develop and refine our patent pending PAC^TM Valve. The PAC^TM Valve allows the canopy to pressurize almost instantly into a flying and responsive wing. This feature allows faster heading corrections and increases canopy (flight) time.

The advantage of PAC^TM Valves over a simple vent is that none of the canopy’s performance, stability or responsiveness is lost to the unavoidable out-flow of air. Additionally, the PAC^TM Valves have allowed us to actually set the rate of pressurization , making the canopy useful on longer delays as well as ultra short delays.
The BLACK JACK is intended for the low altitude jumper looking for an advantage in versatility and safety without compromising landings or in flight performance.

Both the ACE and the BLACK JACK benefit from the availability of an innovative new optional feature: Either canopy may be ordered with our exclusive Composite Upper Surface. This enhancement is effectively a zero-porosity upper surface. However, only the front 30% of the upper surface is constructed of zero-porosity fabric. Several years of in-house testing and the work of independent researchers have shown that this approach provides performance enhancements effectively identical to models with complete ZP upper surfaces.

With the Composite Upper Surface you will notice better airfoil shaping, an increased performance envelope that allows the canopy to fly faster in full flight yet stall at even lower speeds and even more positive openings. The advantage over canopies using 100% ZP uppers are easier packing, lower bulk, none of the potential deployment heading issues and no hassles containing the canopy after landing.

The ACE and the BLACK JACK are available in six sizes ranging from 200 to 310 square feet.