Silhouette

KLWorley · December 11, 2020

I really like my 190 Silhouette but I must be the only one that has openings like a screen door in a hurricane after reading about everyone else's soft openings. When I deploy that bad boy is instantly open. No snivel about it. It flies great and flares great. I'd buy another one if that says anything plus the one I have was used when I bought it. The openings may be my packing.

fastflo · April 12, 2015

As a pretty novice to skydiving (<200 hops) this is my review to this canopy.

The canopy has openings like buttercream. Soft and on heading all the time. Jumped Navigators, a 190 Pulse, a 170 Spark and now this canopy. It's really a pleasure! Softest from all of them! Wich doesn't mean it's a 1000ft snivel before it really get some air.

The canopy flying is also a pure pleasure. Glide ratio is awesome, especially when you pull the rears a little bit it will stay in the air forever. Front Inputs are a little bit hard, but the canopy reacts pretty good on it, so it will be some fun.

The flare is strong and powerful. Even on no wind days it's easy breakable and if you let some room to pull the toggles bit wider short before touchdown and you will have a stand up landing on the spot.

Only con i know: Packing. It's due to the two diffrent fabrics a very slippery canopy. But after some training, cursing and learn where to put your hand on at packing, it's as easy as any other canopy.

Made around 50jumps on it @ WL1.3

All in all a very good canopy even for novice jumpers. Probably the most underrated canopy out there.

guitar_nut · July 5, 2012

I bought this as my first canopy after about 60 jumps. My very first opening had line twists and I entered a dive; the canopy quickly returned to normal flight, allowing me time to kick out of the twists. All other openings have been soft and on heading. It responds quickly to toggle inputs and is a blast to fly. Front risers inputs are what you'd expect from a big canopy. The glide ratio is great if you have to cover a lot of ground. I fly in Denver and even on hot, no wind days I'm able to get enough flare to land nicely. I'm loaded at 1:1.

PanSmok · May 28, 2012

This in my first "own" canopy. I bought Silhouette 170, my WL is 1.2. I can not describe how wonderfull openings it has - it's a pure pleasure... ( even Navigator kicked me one or twice ). Now i have +- 30 jumps on this canopy and i'm in love. The canopy flies very stable,very responsive handling, but if I want - it can show a "claw". Quite heavy on front risers - but c'mon - i wont swoop on it. Superb choice after AFF - in my opinion. Very predictible, i think i'll fly on it year or two before i'll look for somethink else ( probably Saphire2 ).

ericnaylor · November 10, 2010

I have had my Silhouette now for just over a year. It's a great first canopy for anyone!!! I did my research and for my first canopy I decided to get a Silhouette 190, I weigh 155 and have an exit weight of about 170. I am at a 1:1 ratio, and this canopy performs!!! Great toggle input, fast turn recovery, and a great glide. Yes it's a little heavy on the front risers, but I doubt you are buying this to do any type of swooping. I would recommend this canopy to anyone that's looking to stay a little conservative yet really fun to fly, especially students in transtiton!! I love it!!

2beaucoup · December 29, 2009

This was my first canopy purchased after finishing my AFF course. I felt super comfortable on this canopy right away. The openings were always great, and my landings were very very fun. With a wing loading of 1:1 I was able to get the canopy to slide me horizontally for 10 to 15 feet no problem.
The only downside is that these are hard to find and most people do not know or appreciate this great canopy, and stick only to high marketed consumer canopies.

pinkfairy · April 14, 2008

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.

gNemo · December 16, 2007

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...

October 21, 2007

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!

boffin · October 14, 2007

Although it is still tough to bag having only a handful of jumps on it, the main is fantastic. consistent on heading soft openings. it is a great combination of forgiving and performance.Feels nearly impossible to stall.

February 4, 2006

Have about 100 jumps on this wing, flies smooth, forgiving, even with full breaks hard to stall, collapsing it with frontriser input, nearly impossible, flat flight angle, but with enough airspeed to have some fun, frontriser input however is hard and increases rapidly, recovers very quickly from initiated frontriser dives, turns, toggle turns.
tried different packing methods, all works out fine. might want to roll the nose a bit to soften out openings on higher speeds or tracking pulls.
very nice and easy to handle novice wing, with enough capacity to entertain intermediate flyers (not counting the high front riser presure)
problem with this wing is that things you can do with the silhouette might lead to accidents if done without consideration using higher performance wings... be carefull when sizing down ... :)

CaptFrank2001 · January 27, 2006

I recently finished my AFF course and purchased a new Silhouette 230. I purchased it because of all the good things I have read about it. Nice soft openings and very easy to fly. It flies so nice my girlfriend bought a 190.

g2gjump · August 14, 2005

I just got my silhouette and I couldn't belive the openings, nice and soft. I would recomend this canopy as a great novice canopy.

MFF29Alpha · March 9, 2005

Very nice canopy. Very responsive and recovers quickly. Performs very well for size. I love my Silhouette!

ultmtdiver · March 1, 2003

What can I say about this canopy? It's great. I started my freefall jumping with the military and a 370 Sq ft canopy. I have tried the spector 190, Tri 190 and the Silhoutte 230. After putting 10 jumps per canopy, I was most impressed with the silhoutte 230. With a body weight of 210, in moderate winds of around 15, my forward movement slowed on the 230, I then tried a 210 from PD, and from that momement on, that was the canopy for me. Fast responsive turns, flat flight that seems to get me to the DZ when we have bad spots, and have nothing but great landings. Highly recommend this canopy for those who are both new and experianced and not looking to be "swoop" bandits.

Ruffles · December 10, 2002

I asked the 3 or 4 AFF instructors that did my training/coaching and they all recommended I get a Silhouette as my first chute; the best advice I've ever gotten. It is VERY soft on opening, and has an amazing capability to turn on a dime and be very forgiving at the same time. This allows the new skydiver to test themselves under canopy without receiving broken limbs for their mistakes. I can do a 360 turn in just about 1.5 to 2 seconds and yet the same canopy lands like a Manta 288; soft and reliable steering and turn recovery. I loaded mine at 1.1 and wow is it fun.The mix of ZP and F111 fabric makes it way easy to pack, as well as providing a "stepping stone" type of performance between f111 student chutes and high performance ZP ellipticals. The canopy is is also tapered, providing a mix of square and elliptical (way more on the square side though)performance capability. I have been to told by my dealer that this is the key to blending the crisp turns with forgiving landings/ recoveries. I love my Silhouette. It's a fantastic canopy to learn on. The only drawback, if you percieve it to be, is that the soft openings come at a price. Generally my chute takes between 750 and 1000 feet to open, if you roll the nose. At first, I thought I was having a malfunction, watching my canopy take 5 or 6 seconds to open completely, but my dealer said that PD designed the Silhouette to open slowly if you roll the nose. This is what gives you the soft on heading openings. After a few jumps, you get used to the slower opening. No big deal, just an adjustment. I have 20 jumps on it so far, and every one was exactly the same: on heading and way soft (what a concept - a painless opening!)

mnischalke · November 5, 2001

I have no idea why I never see anyone jumping this canopy. I absolutly love mine. I am by no means an experienced pilot, but I am so confident under it, I know can become one. It packs super easy. I put three rolls in the tail and Wolmari Pack it in no time--slides right in my D-bag. Openings couldn't be much softer and always on heading. My exit weight is 225 and my silhouette is a 210. At that wing loading, it glides forever, yet is snappy and really responsive to toggle and riser input. Landing is just dreamy. You can probably get tip-toe landings every time. I did have to open the heck out of the pattern I used under Spectre 230-equipped student rig. You really can't compare those two PD canopies. It's like comparing night and day--actually, the Spectre scared the hell out of me on several occasions. The silhouette, it's...well...incredible.

February 16, 2001

After AFF, I tried a Specter (sp) 230 and was not at all impressed. (probbably had alot to do with my skill level). After that I was presented with a golden oppertunity to purchase a used rig with a Silhouette 190. My firts try was a kick butt stand up landing, and I could not get over the soft on heading opening. I am a true believer and the folks at PD can boast till the cows come home. I love it!!!!

October 21, 1999

I now have over 150 jumps on a Silhouette and I love it. I believe it to be a great transition canopy for someone off of student status for there first several hundred jumps. I have over 200 jumps most of them on the Silhouette but quite a few on a Triathalon. My first canopy was a Triathalon and I quickly sold it after jumping the Silhouette.

I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT MY SILHOUETTE!!!!! It is so easy to pack. It opens beautifully - soft yet quickly. It's forgiving yet still turns crisply (is that a word?) AND THE LANDINGS...FANTASTIC!! All in all, I'd have to say my history with the Silhouette has been very positive and highly recommend this canopy.

October 13, 1999

No matter how I packed it, the openings were soft and on heading. It's a canopy that will fly soft an slow, or fast and zippy, depending on what you do with it. Stay within one or two sizes of your weight range, performance isn't much improved with high wing loadings, and is sluggish when under loaded. I've jumped the 170, 190, 210, and the 230. I weigh 200 nude, and I had the best performance on the 210. All around, it's a great canopy that is predictable and fun. I'm a naval test parachutist, and we are converting all our PD230 to shilloute 210.

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