Pulse vs Stiletto

Performance Designs Pulse · Performance Designs Stiletto · Canopy explorer

Manufacturer facts side by side, with the source on every row. Nothing on this page says which canopy to choose or what wing loading to fly — that is a conversation for you, your canopy coach and your drop zone.

What differs — read from the data

Pulse and Stiletto are both made by Performance Designs.
Planform: Pulse is listed as semi-elliptical; Stiletto as elliptical.
Both have 9 cells.
Neither is cross-braced.
Pulse is listed in 107–260 sq ft; Stiletto in 89–190 sq ft.
The listed size ranges overlap between 107 and 190 sq ft.
Published aspect ratio: Pulse 2.59, Stiletto 2.68.
Both charts list Performance Designs' maximum exit weight per skill category and size — the same size can be read in both tables below.

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

	Pulse	Stiletto
Manufacturer	Performance Designs	Performance Designs
Status	current	current
Cells	9	9
Planform	semi-elliptical	elliptical
Cross-braced	no	no
Aspect ratio	2.59	2.68
Sizes (sq ft)	107–260 Source: Performance Designs — Pulse product page ↗	89–190 Source: Performance Designs — Stiletto product page ↗
Designed for (manufacturer wording)	Novice to Experienced skydivers Wingsuiting Getting back from long spots Individuals who are learning or who have issues packing Individuals looking for a canopy that has a low pack volume Flat packing Source: Performance Designs — Pulse product page ↗	Intermediate to Experienced jumpers Getting back from long spots Individuals looking for a fun-to-fly canopy with responsive handling Source: Performance Designs — Stiletto product page ↗
Characteristics (manufacturer keywords)	Soft, forgiving openings with short snivel · Very flat glide · Short recovery arc · Easy to pack · Easy to time flare · For Novice to Experienced jumpers Source: Performance Designs — Pulse product page ↗	Flat glide · Short recovery arc · Extremely responsive toggle input Source: Performance Designs — Stiletto product page ↗
Opening	Significantly shorter snivel than a Sabre2 or a Spectre, and an inflation that is a bit quicker, without being uncomfortable. Easier to keep on heading; if it opens off heading it will generally stay on that heading rather than continuing the turn.	When propacked, the canopy opens very soft, and somewhat snively. It is somewhat sensitive to body position during inflation, but opens generally on heading.
Recovery arc	The recovery arc is a lot shorter than on a Sabre2; when you stop a turn it will plane out into normal flight much more quickly than a Sabre2.	Short recovery arc (product page). FC: the Stiletto tends to stay in a steep dive for a long time after several high speed turns.
Glide	Very flat glide when flying at full flight, much like the PD Stiletto.	Slightly flatter glide angle at full glide than the Sabre; flight in brakes is a fairly slow, very floaty, flat glide.
Speed / dive	not published	Slightly faster than a Sabre (qualitative only; no airspeed figures published).
Flare	Approach angle is flatter and rate of descent lower than most other canopies, so the flare is quite easy to time; less tendency for unwanted pop-up or "ballooning" on landing.	Less forgiving of overflaring, since its stall is sharper (than Sabre); slightly shorter control range than a Sabre.
Front risers	Flies reasonably well on front risers, with a somewhat lower increase in descent rate than a Sabre2; riser pressure is firm and builds as airspeed increases; not designed to achieve steep diving turns.	Tends to front riser to a higher airspeed, but not at quite as steep an angle as a Sabre; slightly slower turn rate on front risers, but airspeed and rate of descent build up faster.
Rear risers	Rear riser turns are conventional, though the control range is very short; only a modest improvement in glide with rear risers; flaring with rear risers is not nearly as effective as on a Sabre2.	not published
Harness response	not published	Very responsive to harness movements during deployment.
Toggle response	Very responsive in toggle turns; takes less toggle movement to achieve a given turn rate compared to a Sabre2, and descends less quickly in a turn.	Rolls into a toggle turn much faster than a Sabre; continues to turn as it slowly rolls out of a fast turn.
Loading system	Maximum exit weight per PD skill category and size (chart below).	Maximum exit weight per PD skill category and size (chart below).
Manufacturer-stated experience requirements	none stated	none stated
Evidence level	A — Manufacturer technical documentation	A — Manufacturer technical documentation

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

Exit weight (you + all gear): kg

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

Pulse — Performance Designs chart: maximum exit weight (lb) per category

Size	Student	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert	Maximum (never exceed)
107	N/S	N/S	N/S	114	138	160
120	N/S	N/S	115	129	155	180
135	N/S	110	132	146	175	202
150	N/S	123	149	169	195	225
170	N/S	143	173	193	222	250
190	140	165	194	218	247	266
210	157	190	216	230	259	275
230	172	210	228	245	268	280
260	195	230	242	262	282	302

N/S = not suggested by the manufacturer for that category. Weights are maximums, not recommendations.

Source: Performance Designs — Pulse sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0009 Rev. 0 (PD Pulse Wing Loading Chart)) ↗

Stiletto — Performance Designs chart: maximum exit weight (lb) per category

Size	Student	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert	Maximum (never exceed)
89	N/S	N/S	N/S	107	138	160
97	N/S	N/S	N/S	116	150	175
107	N/S	N/S	N/S	128	171	193
120	N/S	N/S	126	150	198	204
135	N/S	N/S	155	169	223	230
150	N/S	128	173	188	233	255
170	N/S	153	196	213	255	272
190	N/S	181	219	238	266	285

N/S = not suggested by the manufacturer for that category. Weights are maximums, not recommendations.

Source: Performance Designs — Stiletto sizing / wing-loading chart (PD website Stiletto Wing Loading Chart, TABLE-0176 REV.0) ↗

Sources

B Performance Designs — Pulse product page — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Pulse Flight Characteristics (FC-0009 Rev. 0) — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Pulse sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0009 Rev. 0 (PD Pulse Wing Loading Chart)) — open ↗
B Performance Designs — Stiletto product page — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Stiletto Flight Characteristics (FC-0013 Rev. 0) — open ↗
B Performance Designs — Stiletto sizing / wing-loading chart (PD website Stiletto Wing Loading Chart, TABLE-0176 REV.0) — 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

See it in your own data

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Other comparisons: Katana vs Stiletto · Pulse vs Sabre3 · Katana vs Pulse · Pulse vs Spectre · Pulse vs Storm · Sabre3 vs Stiletto · Comp Velocity vs Stiletto · Spectre vs Stiletto

Safety notice: This tool is for data review only. It does not replace canopy coaching, DZ rules, traffic awareness, S&TA guidance, or manufacturer guidance. Everything here is information for learning — not advice or a recommendation about any canopy, wing loading, turn or decision. Your decisions are your own. See the Terms of Service.