Actual sqft size of PD176R?

[DShiznit 0]

I did a search, didn't find anything.

What is the true square footage of the PD176R? I've heard it was acutally around 188, but unsure. I've heard other companies reserve sizes are actually smaller than advertised.

Anyone know?

[mr2mk1g 10]

According to para-gear its 189. See here:
http://www.paragear.com/frame.asp?menu=group%3d2%26level%3d1&main=templates/parachute.asp%3fgroup%3d2

[KrisFlyZ 0]

Define True. They are two different measuring methods.

Only thing I can say is don't use the rationalization that PD canopies are bigger to buy a smaller reserve than you are comfortable with.

Kris.

[sammer 0]

When I click on that link the page for the Aerodyne Pilot comes up. Am I missing something?

I'm sure I've read 189 somewhere also.

[mr2mk1g 10]

sorry - the first bit of red text down the right hand side reads "canopy sizing chart". Click it. I didnt notice the URL doesnt change for that page though so I posted the page I surfed from.

[sammer 0]

Ah...I see now. My browser isn't cooperating though. Does it have a size for the PDR160 listed on it?

[mr2mk1g 10]

yep - 174 square foot

Thing is... are we supposed to be calculating our wing loading from that figure... or from the manufacturers "name" ?

[sammer 0]

Cool, thanks.

I am kind of inclined to believe these larger numbers, as everyone I know that's flown a PDR said that they flew big and were easy to land...even at very high loadings.

I've thought about replacing my 176 with a 160, but I think I'll just leave it alone until I get a chance to fly the 176 (never had to use it yet).

[mr2mk1g 10]

I've litterally just done that. But I've jumped the 176, I currently fly a 170 main and you'd be loading it much more than me. I'm not one to give advice, but I would ask... why downsize your reserve?

[sammer 0]

I guess I don't really have any good reason. The 176 is just really tight. It does go in though and I spent a lot of $ on it so I think I'll just keep it for a while. I also plan on having a 170 main in there soon so that should loosen things up a little.

[GravityGirl 0]

What container?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[sammer 0]

It's a Wings W-13. It seems to be kind of a compromise between making the reserve look good (not wrinkled and bunched up) and having some room left below for the main to fit.

It is not really that big of a deal though...purely cosmetic. It also only has one repack on it and my rigger is new to Wings, so it will probably get better with time.

[AggieDave 6]

You were able to squeez a 190 with a PDr-176 into a W-13?!

I have a W-13, with a PDr-176, when I was jumping a 170, those packjobs were tight, not too tight, but you definately wanted a nice clean packjob or it would have been rough getting it into the container...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[sammer 0]

It is a real bitch to pack. I thought maybe I just sucked so it's good to hear that.

I just got it back from it's first reserve repack and was really impressed with how well my rigger made it look....then I tried to get the main in there

[Praetorian 1]

Quick question, I picked my PD 160R because it was the biggest PD reserve that was still smaller then my 170 main (paper knowledge 2 out studies PD and military saying slightly smaller reserve makes 2 out more likely to resolve to biplane) which was confirmend by a few "experts" I've talked to.. is a 174sqft 7 cell reserve actually going to be smaller then a 170sqft 9cell main??? (I think part of the issue is line length so I guess part of the quetion is are the lines on a PD 160R going to be shorter then the lines on my Lotus 170 main??? Did I totally defeat the purpose of picking the 160 over 176 Reserve?

Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad
judgment.

[AggieDave 6]

You do realize that you can damage a rig by trying to put too big of a canopy in it, right?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[sammer 0]

Now you've got me worried. I was told that if I could close it, then it was OK.

I have damaged a powertool and a couple of pull up cords trying to close it though. What exactly am I at risk of damaging? Is it just going to stretch the material out a little?

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

What exactly am I at risk of damaging? Is it just going to stretch the material out a little?

Note, I am NOT a rigger, this is how it was explained to me by a rigger, so, this is obviously 2nd hand info. You should discuss this with a rigger and call up Sunrise Rigging and talk to Henry.


Stretching the material, bending grommets, possibly pulling seams. Never mind the chance of having a PC in tow or PC hesitation due to the tightness of the container.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[sammer 0]

I think I know what Sunrise will have to say, they custom built the container to fit those two canopies.

I'll make a point to have a couple of riggers I know look at it with the main packed in it and see what they have to say.

Thanks for the heads up.

[darkwing 5]

Quote

I have damaged a powertool and a couple of pull up cords trying to close it though. What exactly am I at risk of damaging? Is it just going to stretch the material out a little?

I'd be very concerned about a pack job that resulted in a damaged powertool and pullup cords. I think it very bad advice indeed to suggest that being able to close it makes it OK.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[theskydiveguy 0]

I JUST put my Safire 169 in my W13 with a 176R and it is RIDICULOUSLY tight.. CRAZY TIGHT..

These were the canopies they were sized for.. Should I call Paige?

Thanks

~Jeff

[mr2mk1g 10]

My W-13 was custom sized for me. I told them I had a PD176r and a Sabre 190. I was going to be using these for a few jumps then swapping in a 170 main when I was ready for it and a PD160r when I could find one. They built the W-13 for me from those specs so I don't think they are worried about damaging the container at those sizes.

My rigger bitched about the reserve pack job, and I waited till I could find a PD160r before I asked him to install my cypres. The 190 was an insainly tight pack job... but I was well aware that was going to be the case and my packing's good enough to do it.

Now with the 160r, cypres and 170 its a nice tight fit. There's even "room" to downsize at some point in the future to a 150 (years off).

[darkwing 5]

Responding to the originally posted question....

The "actual" size of a canopy depends on what rules you use to measure it. It would be a mistake to assume that one person's "actual" measurement would be the same as anothers.

On a related note - two copies of the same canopy, from the same manufacturer, built the same day can have significantly different pack volumes.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[firstime 0]

176sq .... nominal or rough demensions.. maybe
188 as posted. I was told by a rigger it's 177sq'

[theskydiveguy 0]

Dont know if this helps but I had another skydiver out at my place this weekend and was complaining about how tight my new container was, he mentioned that his Javelin was tight with his 120 in it. After a few minutes our instructor meeting was put on hold and there was a packing party going on.

He showed me that by putting the D-Bag in lines down not to the bottomof the container fit way better, so much better I made the closing loop 3" shorter. Im not kidding!

He's made the last 1500 skydives packing like that with no problem. Thought that may help? We wont be jumping for another month or so, go away snow so I cant tell you how it opens for a bit!

~Jeff