What does "PD 190" mean?

[xprtmarksman 0]

I am new to skydiving; only been in the sport for about 8 months. I am looking to purchase my first complete rig and I hear a lot of Performance Design main, and in a few cases Performance Design reserves being labeled only as a "PD 190" Since PD only makes only type of reserve it is obvious that when someone says they have a PD reserve in a 193 size, they really mean a PR 193. But since PD makes multiple types of mains in a 190 size, in F-111 and Z-P material, how do I know exactly what type of PD main it is? The last person I asked said, "I don't know if it's Z-P or F-111, look on PD's website." But that helps not at all. If there is a certain standard that I'm obviously not aware of please let me know.

[pilotdave 0]

That would normally refer to the PD 9-cell 190. The 9-cell is no longer made (which is why it's not on their website anymore).

It's an old F111 canopy. I have a PD-150... flies fine, but compared to a modern canopy it opens hard and doesn't flare well. But not too bad.

Dave

[NewGuy2005 51]

What he just said. I jump a PD 230. I have to use every trick in the book to keep it from opening hard and it doesn't have much of a flare. But I've learned to use it and I like it.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

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It's an old F111 canopy. I have a PD-150... flies fine, but compared to a modern canopy it opens hard...

Ummm, yeah, uh-huh... could say too that, "Some modern canopies, as compared to an F111 PD canopy, open into a streamer that eventually clears."





Anyway, I did my first 800 jumps or so on an F111 PD190. Sure, the flare on an F111 canopy never was nor never could be like on a ZP canopy like say a Sabre, Sabre2, Stiletto, Katan, etc., but the openings were a whole hell of a lot more predictable in terms in "how long it will take to open" IMO... good, bad, right or wrong, we used to be a lot more apt to "take some off the bottom" jumping F111. Oh, and I'm not saying PD F111 canopies didn't land; I'll go to my grave thinking PD, hands down, has come up with the best line of sport canopies that "land", no mater what circa generation they came from.

[phoenixlpr 0]

Stay away from those even if you are really broke. I can find better canopies easily.

[slotperfect 7]

Your question about PD F-111 mains has already been answered.

PD makes two types of reserves: the PD Reserve and the Optimum Reserve. A 176 sq ft PD Reserve is referred to as a PD176R. The Optimum is a new low-bulk reserve only made in sizes from 99 to 143 square feet.

Arrive Safely

John

[faulknerwn 36]

I put a lip slider on my PD 150 and it opens beautifully. Tis funny - its my canopy of choice on no-wind days because its so much easier to land well! Its harder to get my smaller, faster canopies to stop but I love my PD 150 cuz its so easy to get a great landing out of...

[bwilling 0]

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Stay away from those even if you are really broke. I can find better canopies easily.

Blanket statements like this bother me. There's absolutely nothing wrong with an older model PD 9 cell canopy if you can find one in good condition, and you load it appropriately.

I couldn't find what I was looking for when I got current a couple of years ago, but I found a great deal on a PD-260, which I bought. I got current on that canopy, put 30-40 jumps on it, then sold it for what I had in it. I jumped it for free! It opened fine, and every landing was an easy stand up, courtesy of the fact that I was smart enough to jump the canopy within the manufacturers guidelines, which for F-111 canopies is a lower wing loading than more modern ZP canopies.

There are better canopies on the market than the older PD nine cells, but you'll never convince me that given the right set of circumstances, that they're not still a viable choice for someone on a tight budget. I could have spent lots more money renting gear than I spent on that canopy that I jumped for free!

"If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."

[pilotdave 0]

Totally agree. I paid something like $400 for mine, about 7 years ago. That was probably too much, but I think I've gotten my money's worth. Course it sat in a closet for 3 years after I upgraded to a sabre2. But to me, it's value was too low to sell (along with the rest of the rig), but it still functions fine. Kinda feels like driving a bus sometimes.

My only problem is that I almost always jump it with my camera helmet on, since I generally only pull it out to do back-to-back loads to video a 4-way team. It opens a little harder than I prefer with the camera helmet, but not THAT bad. If I start jumping it more often, I'll have to look into a different kind of slider. The slider it has is TINY.

I prefer my smaller, faster sabre2 on no wind days. Comes in a LOT faster, but gets such a better flare. Sometimes I come down a little hard when I mis-time my flare with the PD150. Not too bad with some wind, but when it's still moving horizontally, those landings suck. Not as bad since I had the brake lines lengthened... they were so short after sitting in the closet for 3 years (no idea why) that the thing would stall if I held half brakes for more than a few seconds.

Dave

[stanlholmes 0]

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What he just said. I jump a PD 230. I have to use every trick in the book to keep it from opening hard and it doesn't have much of a flare. But I've learned to use it and I like it.

I'm not expert, but I have a PD 260 and my son has a PD 250. If I pack them the same way, mine opens beautifully and his nearly jars my teeth out. I got some expert instruction and now I can get his to open nicely. I'll let you talk to your riggers, instead of getting advice from me. There may be another trick to try.

Stan

[phoenixlpr 0]

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Blanket statements like this bother me. There's absolutely nothing wrong with an older model PD 9 cell canopy if you can find one in good condition, and you load it appropriately.

Are round canopies ok for you? Why don't you jump them?

You can find and old ZP cheap that flies and lands better.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

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...Not as bad since I had the brake lines lengthened... they were so short after sitting in the closet for 3 years (no idea why) that the thing would stall if I held half brakes for more than a few seconds...

Um, are the lines Spectra?

If yes, and there's something like 500-800 jumps on the line-set, its probably a good bet its time for a line-kit... if you want to bother putting 200-ish bucks (a bit less if you get the line-kit from PD and have a local rigger do it... a bit more if you send it back to PD) into the cannopy at this point.

[pilotdave 0]

Naah, I don't know exactly how many jumps are on the lineset, but it was fairly new when I bought the canopy and I haven't put anywhere near that many jumps on it. The brake lines were fine when the canopy was put in a garbage bag and stored in my closet. 3 years later, the brakes were scary short. I had them let out as much as possible without replacing the lower brake lines... still a little short, but it's safe now.

Dave

[tuffyjensen 0]

PD's F-111 line of canopies are simply called a PD?(whatever size) 9 cell canopies follow the more traditional sizes 150,190,210,230,250,260 etc., 7 cell main canopies follow the same abnormal sizes as the reserve line 143,176,193,218 etc. with the exception of the 160 (not sure if it was ever a main). Get a hold of an older paragear catalog and they were in there, around the late 90's.

Be Safe and Have Fun, in that order!
Tuffy