Sabre3 vs Storm

Performance Designs Sabre3 · Performance Designs Storm · 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

Sabre3 and Storm are both made by Performance Designs.
Planform: both are listed as semi-elliptical.
Sabre3 has 9 cells; Storm has 7 cells.
Neither is cross-braced.
Sabre3 is listed in 89–230 sq ft; Storm in 97–230 sq ft.
The listed size ranges overlap between 97 and 230 sq ft.
Published aspect ratio: Sabre3 2.59, Storm 2.14.
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

	Sabre3	Storm
Manufacturer	Performance Designs	Performance Designs
Status	current	current
Cells	9	7
Planform	semi-elliptical	semi-elliptical
Cross-braced	no	no
Aspect ratio	2.59	2.14
Sizes (sq ft)	89–230 Source: Performance Designs — Sabre3 Flight Characteristics and FAQ (FC-0005 Rev. 0) ↗	97–230 Source: Performance Designs — Storm product page ↗
Designed for (manufacturer wording)	Novice to Intermediate skydivers at moderate wing loads Advanced to Expert skydivers at moderate to heavier wing loads Learning or perfecting high performance canopy piloting (under appropriate supervision) Source: Performance Designs — SABRE3 product page (incl. TABLE-0150 Rev.0 footnotes) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0 (chart)) ↗	Novice to Intermediate skydivers at lighter wing loads Advanced to Expert skydivers at heavier wing loads Wingsuiting Individuals looking for a casual CReW canopy Source: Performance Designs — Storm product page ↗
Characteristics (manufacturer keywords)	Long recovery arc · Progressive & manageable front risers · Steep glide · Spectacular rear riser performance · Powerful bottom-end flare · Redesigned and refined openings Source: Performance Designs — SABRE3 product page (incl. TABLE-0150 Rev.0 footnotes) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0 (chart)) ↗	Soft openings with long snivel · Steep glide · Long recovery arc · Long control range · Powerful bottom-end flare Source: Performance Designs — Storm product page ↗
Opening	Comfortable snivel that doesn't eat up a lot of altitude; smooth, well-staged, on-heading openings across a wide range of wing loadings (FC-0005).	Soft, on heading and very forgiving to minor inconsistencies in body position during deployment; compared to a Spectre, a slightly shorter snivel and ever so slightly quicker inflation.
Recovery arc	Long recovery arc (product page); natural recovery comparable to the Sabre2, and a higher wing loading generally makes it longer (FC-0005).	Long recovery arc (product page); will dive longer and lose more altitude in a turn than a comparable sized Stiletto or Silhouette, but not quite as much as a Sabre2.
Glide	Steep glide (product page); 'it glides longer, it swoops farther' than the Sabre2 (FC-0005).	Steep glide (product page); great slow flight glide when the brakes (or rear risers) are applied.
Speed / dive	Carries more speed than the Sabre2; builds speed with less input (qualitative — no airspeed figures published).	Flies somewhat similar to the Spectre but has a much larger speed range; in full flight greater speed than the Spectre (qualitative; no figures published).
Flare	Powerful bottom-end flare; longer control range; stall point fairly deep for most jumpers (FC-0005).	Lower flare point than Silhouette or Stiletto; flare point similar to the Spectre, but quite a bit more powerful; powerful bottom-end flare.
Front risers	'A little goes a long way'; pressure similar to the Sabre2 but more uniform (FC-0005).	Front riser pressure slightly higher than the Spectre, but requires less input to receive the same response.
Rear risers	PD: more power and wider range on rears than its other 9-cells, incl. the Sabre2 (FC-0005).	Very maneuverable using the rear risers as a very useful tool in extending the glide or turning with less tail deflection.
Harness response	A bit more responsive in the harness than its predecessor without being too sensitive during deployment (FC-0005).	not published
Toggle response	Longer control range, more linear feel, crisp response (FC-0005).	First one half of the toggle stroke seems less responsive than a Silhouette or Stiletto; past that you'll see just how sharp it can turn. Extremely agile in deep brakes.
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

Sabre3 — 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	N/S	160	178
97	N/S	N/S	N/S	136	175	194
107	N/S	N/S	N/S	150	193	214
120	N/S	N/S	120	168	216	240
135	N/S	108	149	203	236	250
150	N/S	127	173	225	240	260
170	127	152	196	238	255	281
190	152	180	209	247	266	285
210	168	210	221	252	273	294
230	184	230	242	253	276	299

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

Source: Performance Designs — Sabre3 Wing Loading Chart (product page) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0) ↗

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

Size	Student	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert	Maximum (never exceed)
97	N/S	N/S	N/S	116	150	175
107	N/S	N/S	N/S	128	166	193
120	N/S	N/S	120	144	192	216
135	N/S	122	149	169	216	230
150	N/S	143	173	188	225	240
170	N/S	170	196	213	238	255
190	133	190	209	228	247	266
210	158	210	221	242	263	273
230	173	230	242	253	276	299

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

Source: Performance Designs — Storm sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0014 Rev. 0 (Storm canopy sizing chart)) ↗

Sources

A Performance Designs — Sabre3 Flight Characteristics and FAQ (FC-0005 Rev. 0) — open ↗
B Performance Designs — SABRE3 product page (incl. TABLE-0150 Rev.0 footnotes) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0 (chart)) — open ↗
B Performance Designs — Sabre3 Wing Loading Chart (product page) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0) — open ↗
B Performance Designs — Storm product page — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Storm Flight Characteristics (FC-0014 Rev. 0) — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Storm sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0014 Rev. 0 (Storm canopy sizing chart)) — 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: Pulse vs Sabre3 · Spectre vs Storm · Katana vs Sabre3 · Pulse vs Storm · Sabre3 vs Spectre · Sabre3 vs Stiletto · Comp Velocity vs Storm · Katana vs Storm

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.