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Skydiving Gear and Equipment: Main and Reserve Parachutes: Performance Designs: Silhouette

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Item: Silhouette  Manufacturer: Performance Designs   (1366 Hits) Purpose: Main  Shape Square  Cells 9  Fabric: ZP & F-111      Description: The Silhouette is easy to pack due to the combination of fabrics. It has consistent openings and excellent glide ratio. The Silhouette displays more responsive handling characteristics than traditonal 9-cell canopies at equivalent wing loadings. It has a fast turn rate, while maintaining predictable turn recovery. Added: 2001-01-10 | Item ID: 19

User Reviews: Average Rating: Total Reviews: 14 Write a Review Read all 14 Reviews

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3 Recent Reviews:

17 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

Lovely canopy for lower wing loadings
Rated by: pinkfairy (more about me) on 2008-04-14 12:12:45 (user reviews) Review ID:1970

Pros: Good openings, wonderful flare
Cons: Heavy on the front risers

I upgraded from a Sabre150 to a Silhouette 150. Before I got the Silhouette I had only flown Navigator and Sabre. The openings are good, much like the Navigator, you feel them and they don't use too much altitude, but mine have never been uncomfortable. It's also very tolerant to body position during opening, and flies straight even with multiple line twists. Once open, it is easy to fly both on toggles and on back risers, but a little heavy on the fronts. But probably that won't be a problem if you're getting this canopy, you'll probably not be interested in swooping and you can still get the front risers down if you need to get through wind. The landings are superb, it's got a lot of flare power, a lot more than the sabre, it just goes on and on. No problem at all on no wind days. All in all a really nice canopy for low wingloadings, great for inexperienced jumpers like myself. Gets you to the ground comfortably, and makes you stand up your landings. I wingload the Silhouette 150 at 0.95:1 or 1:1 with lead. It was a little faster at 1:1, but still very easy to fly. The canopy has 600 jumps, so is well "packed in", but the lineset has just 100 jumps, so if opens and flies like new.

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15 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

Silhouette, like falling on a cloud
Rated by: gNemo (more about me) on 2007-12-16 07:35:19 (user reviews) Review ID:1911

Pros: Soft openings, flies beautiful
Cons: If you are looking for the beast of the sky, get something else

I got this canopy about 2 (it's a 170) months ago, put about 25 jumps on it. I could not be more satisfied. Openings are like falling on a cloud, hard openings are unheard of with this canopy. Mine originally had a 100 jumps on it so it was still slippery, but packing was not bad because of the hybrid fabric. If you are looking for a good beginner canopy, and you can put your hands on one of these puppies, go for it! you will not regret it...

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11 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

I love my Silhouette!
Rated by: wildfan75 (more about me) on 2007-10-21 19:21:19 (user reviews) Review ID:1884

Pros: Easy to pack, great openings, fun to fly
Cons: None so far

My first canopy that I jumped off the beginner Manta was a Silhouette 190. I put about 20 jumps on the 190 and bought a used rig that had a Silhoutte 170. I've put about 250 jumps on it. I have absolutely loved this canopy. Its responsive to toggle imput, recovers nicely, opens wonderfully, packs easily and has a great glide path. Over the last year I have put a few dozen jumps on a Spectre 170, ZP EXE 185 and 150, Sabre2 170 and a Fury. By far, the Silhouette has stood out for me as my favorite. It boggles my mind why the Silhouette is never mentioned in posts for new jumpers. Just because its square (not semi-eliptical) it doesn't get the props it should. I can't wait for my new Silhouette 150. It's due to arrive tomorrow!

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