Familiar with a PD280?

[Shivon 0]

Quick question - does anyone know what the original line type was with the PD280? I assume it was Kevlar? When doing a reline, would it be possible to use a different line type (like spectra, etc).

[skybytch 259]

Depends on which type lines the original purchaser put on it. Most likely microline (spectra) or Dacron.

AFAIK, PD has never offered Kevlar lines.

[riggerrob 561]

Forget about Kevlar lines on main canopies. You cannot trust them for more than 40 jumps.
Sure, a few reserves (i.e. Strong 425) were built with Kevlar lines, but have you noticed that we retire them after 20 deployments?

You would be far wiser to re-line your PD-280 with 800 pound Spectra suspension lines.

[Shivon 0]

Quote

Forget about Kevlar lines on main canopies. You cannot trust them for more than 40 jumps.
Sure, a few reserves (i.e. Strong 425) were built with Kevlar lines, but have you noticed that we retire them after 20 deployments?

You would be far wiser to re-line your PD-280 with 800 pound Spectra suspension lines.

Thanks both of you for the advice. I am about to do a reline on this one, and I am starting from zero knowledge about the type. It turned out in the end that I can reline it with 525 Vectran (which I assume was the original line type), or if I wanted to - spectra. I chose Vectran in the end, basically because the canopy won't see many more jumps in its lifetime, and obviously it was a little cheaper.