Silhoute 190

[Oliver1981 0]

Hi,

I have a question about this Main canopy
Is this Canopy good for a beginner with 100 Jumps
my Weight is 90Kg / 192 lbs

at the Momeent i have a PD 170 and this is to fast at the moment for the landing and i have Problems .

thx for helping

[gowlerk 2,190]

Oliver1981

Hi,

I have a question about this Main canopy
Is this Canopy good for a beginner with 100 Jumps
my Weight is 90Kg / 192 lbs

at the Momeent i have a PD 170 and this is to fast at the moment for the landing and i have Problems .

thx for helping

It would be far better than the PD170. But possibly still a little sporty for you. PD 170 is an older design made from a fabric that can easily wear out. Even when it was new it would have been too small for you. No wonder you have problems. Get rid of it as soon as you can.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[wmw999 2,444]

It's actually a Pulse 170 (I googled to see where he was, and his one other post is in the German forum).
I'm not familiar enough with the Pulse to opine, but a 190 is probably better than a 170 at that weight. Whether it's sufficient is a question better suited to local experts, not keyboard evaluators

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[IJskonijn 45]

My personal experience with the Silhouette 190 is one of joy. I bought it at around 150 jumps as part of my very first rig, and have loved jumping it ever since. It's a forgiving canopy in its handling (much like the Navigator), has a decend flare but is still fun and sporty enough to learn more advanced techniques on.

So go talk with your instructor (who has seen your flying) about this, and give the Silhouette 190 a test jump. So far, I haven't heard of anyone who was disappointed with it.

[billvon 2,991]

The Silhouette 190 is a great canopy for new jumpers (provided you are ready for it and are downsizing at an appropriate rate.) I used one as a backup canopy for years. It has a fairly flat glide. The flare is somewhat "sudden" and the effective range of flare is narrow, but it doesn't take too long to get used to. It's a lot easier to pack than most ZP's due to the hybrid construction, at least once it gets 50-100 jumps on it.

[Lawndarter 3]

billvon

The Silhouette 190 is a great canopy for new jumpers (provided you are ready for it and are downsizing at an appropriate rate.) I used one as a backup canopy for years. It has a fairly flat glide. The flare is somewhat "sudden" and the effective range of flare is narrow, but it doesn't take too long to get used to. It's a lot easier to pack than most ZP's due to the hybrid construction, at least once it gets 50-100 jumps on it.

I made my first 30 or so jumps with a Silhouette 230 loaded at a little over 1, and it was largely a great canopy - so much so that I'd consider buying one (smaller) when I decide I'm ready to downsize from my current canopy. It did take a bit of practice to flare, but it worked.

[Di0 2]

Lawndarter

I made my first 30 or so jumps with a Silhouette 230 loaded at a little over 1, and it was largely a great canopy - so much so that I'd consider buying one (smaller) when I decide I'm ready to downsize from my current canopy. It did take a bit of practice to flare, but it worked.

Just be careful with loading a Silhouette over 1 to 1, even with numbers that we would consider "conservative" on a complete ZP construction.
If you were a little over 1 with a 230, a 190 would already put you over the MAXIMUM W.L. as per PD specs, even a 210 would put you in the "Expert" range.
Sooo, yeah, designs involving F-111 don't really like WL over 1:1.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[jumpwally 0]

I believe Bill Booth jumps one...

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[IJskonijn 45]

Di0

Just be careful with loading a Silhouette over 1 to 1, even with numbers that we would consider "conservative" on a complete ZP construction.
If you were a little over 1 with a 230, a 190 would already put you over the MAXIMUM W.L. as per PD specs, even a 210 would put you in the "Expert" range.
Sooo, yeah, designs involving F-111 don't really like WL over 1:1.

I've flown a Silhouette 190 at a 1.1 WL, putting me solidly in the "expert" category according to PD. I started jumping that canopy around 150 jumps, and never had any issues with it, even in less-than-ideal conditions. It has a flatter glide, better flare, lower descend rate than my Lightning 160 at the same exit weight (WL 1.3-1.4), and felt really docile and forgiving in its handling. Maybe PD has a different flying characteristic in mind with their WL interpretations, but I think their rating is extraordinarily conservative for this canopy design.

It definitely flies a LOT better than full F111 designs at lower WL, the ZP topskin is helping a lot by preventing the air from bleeding out the top. Also note that my Silhouette 190 is pretty old, and the ZP has likely increased in porosity since.

[Di0 2]

While I agree that PD loading chart is conservative, I'd be very careful in disregarding the "expert" and "maximum" WL on the chart from the people who built the canopy.
I didn't say not to do it.
I just said to be careful and to "read the manual", it's a fair warning because the hybrid construction usually desires a lower WL than you'd expect on ZP canopies.
That's it.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[billvon 2,991]

>Just be careful with loading a Silhouette over 1 to 1, even with numbers that we would consider
>"conservative" on a complete ZP construction.

Agreed. I jumped a Sil 150 at a ~1.3 to 1 loading (right at its max) and the flare range was VERY narrow. It stalled easily past that point. I used it a few times in my backup rig then sold it to a much lighter woman jumper.

>Sooo, yeah, designs involving F-111 don't really like WL over 1:1.

I don't think it has anything to do with the F-111 components - I think it's the overall design that isn't optimized for overloading.

[JumpSurfRepeat 0]

Hey Man - I'm right about where you are at in terms of jump numbers, though I am about 30 pounds smaller (what can I say, I like my knees intact!) I fly a PD Silhouette 190 and I love everything about it. It's a docile canopy, but it's not too docile. Quite responsive to toggle and riser inputs. Landings are as smooth as glass, which is good because again, I like having my knees intact VERY fun to fly!

When it opens, it's super smooth. I don't feel a thing. I'm in freefall, I pitch, I'm under canopy. No jerking or anything (short of me doing a poor job packing but that's pretty rare for me.)

Beyond that it's very easy to pack.

I cannot say enough good things about this canopy. That's been my experience. Make of it what you will :)

[mjosparky 4]

Oliver1981

Hi,

I have a question about this Main canopy
Is this Canopy good for a beginner with 100 Jumps
my Weight is 90Kg / 192 lbs

at the Momeent i have a PD 170 and this is to fast at the moment for the landing and i have Problems .

thx for helping

The Silhoute is has always been one of the best kept secrets in skyding I my opinion.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[davenuk 8]

im jumping a silhouette 190 atm. 85 jumps 90kg out the door.

all the rental gear at the dz are silhouettes.

i would think so