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Petra vs Safire 4
JYRO Petra · JYRO Safire 4 · Canopy explorer
What differs — read from the data
- Petra and Safire 4 are both made by JYRO.
- Planform: Petra is listed as elliptical; Safire 4 as semi-elliptical.
- Petra has 7 cells; Safire 4 has 9 cells.
- Petra is cross-braced; Safire 4 is not.
- Petra is listed in 55–89 sq ft; Safire 4 in 109–189 sq ft.
- The listed size ranges do not overlap.
- JYRO's recommended wing-loading range: Petra 2.5–3.0+ lb/sq ft, Safire 4 1.0–1.6 lb/sq ft. A range is a manufacturer envelope, not a target.
Structural facts only (manufacturer, planform, cells, bracing, sizes, chart system). How each wing flies is described below in the manufacturer's own words; how it flies for you is a question for a canopy coach.
Side by side
| Petra | Safire 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | JYRO | JYRO |
| Status | current | current |
| Cells | 7 | 9 |
| Planform | elliptical | semi-elliptical |
| Cross-braced | yes | no |
| Aspect ratio | not published | 2.55 |
| Sizes (sq ft) | 55–89 · custom sizes available Source: JYRO — Petra product page (page modified 2026-09-15) ↗ | 109–189 · custom sizes available Source: JYRO — Safire 4 product page (page modified 2026-09-02) ↗ |
| Designed for (manufacturer wording) |
|
|
| Characteristics (manufacturer keywords) | Firm but not hard openings · Highly sensitive toggles and harness · Very long, steep dive · Long recovery requiring pilot input for level flight · High-speed stalls possible with abrupt inputs Source: JYRO — Petra product page (page modified 2026-09-15) ↗ | Smooth, stable, on-heading openings · Quick, clean recovery from dives and turns · Powerful progressive flare · Front risers optional at lighter loadings Source: JYRO — Safire 4 product page (page modified 2026-09-02) ↗ |
| Opening | Firm but not hard; brisk when terminal (JYRO). | Soft, progressive snivel; increased heading reliability; bow-tie bridle balances deployment (JYRO). |
| Recovery arc | Long recovery — requires pilot input for level flight (JYRO). | Recovery from dives and turns is quick and clean (JYRO). |
| Glide | High maximal glide ratio (JYRO). | Glide ratio ~2.8; mini ribs boost glide; long straight glide on rears (JYRO). |
| Speed / dive | Very long, steep dive; 'the most high performance wing you can buy' (JYRO) — no airspeed figures published. | 'Not trying to be a swoop machine' (JYRO) — no airspeed figures published. |
| Flare | Very powerful and responsive (JYRO). | More powerful, progressive flare; more range (JYRO). |
| Front risers | Very light (JYRO). | Accessible and easy to manage; pressure similar to the Safire 3 (JYRO). |
| Rear risers | Range, range and more range; very responsive (JYRO). | Long glide, responds to small deliberate inputs (JYRO). |
| Harness response | Highly sensitive (JYRO). | Responds to intentional weight shift; not hyper-reactive (JYRO). |
| Toggle response | Highly sensitive; high-speed stalls possible with abrupt inputs (JYRO). | Responsive without being twitchy (JYRO). |
| Loading system | Recommended wing-loading range 2.5–3.0+ lb/ft² plus a chart with jump-number bands (below). | Recommended wing-loading range 1.0–1.6 lb/ft² plus a chart with jump-number bands (below). |
| Manufacturer-stated experience requirements |
| none stated |
| Evidence level | B — Manufacturer product information | B — Manufacturer product information |
Flight wording is quoted or closely paraphrased from each manufacturer's own documents; where a manufacturer publishes nothing for a row it says "not published". No airspeed figures are published by either manufacturer.
Your wing loading on each size
Enter an exit weight to see exit weight ÷ size for every listed size of both canopies and where each number sits on the manufacturer's own chart.
Wing loading = exit weight (lb) ÷ size (ft²). PD's chart lists the MAXIMUM exit weight per skill category — the category shown is the lowest one whose maximum covers your weight, by PD's own rule. JYRO's range is a manufacturer envelope, not a target. The two systems are never translated into each other.
The manufacturers' charts
Petra — JYRO wing-loading chart
Recommended wing-loading range: 2.5–3.0+ lb/ft² Source: JYRO — Petra product page (page modified 2026-09-15) ↗
22 chart cells (exit weight × size → wing loading), colour bands = minimum jump numbers: 2000+ jumps · 2200+ jumps · 1800+ jumps · 1600+ jumps · 2600+ jumps · 2400+ jumps · 2800+ jumps
Source: JYRO — Petra wing-loading chart (image) (WL_Chart_V4) ↗Safire 4 — JYRO wing-loading chart
Recommended wing-loading range: 1.0–1.6 lb/ft² Source: JYRO — Safire 4 product page (page modified 2026-09-02) ↗
34 chart cells (exit weight × size → wing loading), colour bands = minimum jump numbers: 400+ jumps · 500+ jumps · 700+ jumps · 100+ jumps · 200+ jumps · 300+ jumps · 900+ jumps
Source: JYRO — Safire 4 wing-loading chart (image) (WL_Chart_V4) ↗Sources
- B JYRO — Petra product page (page modified 2026-09-15) — open ↗
- B JYRO — Petra wing-loading chart (image) (WL_Chart_V4) — open ↗
- B JYRO — Safire 4 product page (page modified 2026-09-02) — open ↗
- B JYRO — Safire 4 wing-loading chart (image) (WL_Chart_V4) — open ↗
Evidence levels: A = manufacturer technical documentation, B = manufacturer product information. Knowledge base version canopy-kb-2026.09.23-r3. All sources used on this site
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