Spectre vs Stiletto

Performance Designs Spectre · 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

Spectre and Stiletto are both made by Performance Designs.
Planform: Spectre is listed as semi-elliptical; Stiletto as elliptical.
Spectre has 7 cells; Stiletto has 9 cells.
Neither is cross-braced.
Spectre is listed in 97–230 sq ft; Stiletto in 89–190 sq ft.
The listed size ranges overlap between 97 and 190 sq ft.
Published aspect ratio: Spectre 2.14, 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

	Spectre	Stiletto
Manufacturer	Performance Designs	Performance Designs
Status	current	current
Cells	7	9
Planform	semi-elliptical	elliptical
Cross-braced	no	no
Aspect ratio	2.14	2.68
Sizes (sq ft)	97–230 Source: Performance Designs — Spectre product page ↗	89–190 Source: Performance Designs — Stiletto product page ↗
Designed for (manufacturer wording)	Novice to Experienced skydivers Individuals looking for a canopy with nice, long, and smoothopenings Wingsuiting Camera flyers Demonstration jumps Source: Performance Designs — Spectre 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 openings with long snivel · Short recovery arc · Flat glide Source: Performance Designs — Spectre product page ↗	Flat glide · Short recovery arc · Extremely responsive toggle input Source: Performance Designs — Stiletto product page ↗
Opening	All sizes of the Spectre have a relatively long snivel and slow inflation speed. More resistant to off-heading openings than many other canopies, and tends to turn less and recover more quickly if it does open off-heading.	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	Short recovery arc (product page). FC: loses more altitude in a turn than some other canopies; will dive longer and lose more altitude in a turn than the Stiletto.	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	At full glide the Spectre actually has a slightly flatter glide angle than some nine-cell canopies, including both the original Sabre and the Sabre2.	Slightly flatter glide angle at full glide than the Sabre; flight in brakes is a fairly slow, very floaty, flat glide.
Speed / dive	Flies at about the same airspeed as the original Sabre, the Sabre2, and the Stiletto (qualitative; no figures published).	Slightly faster than a Sabre (qualitative only; no airspeed figures published).
Flare	Tends to have a lower flare point or "sweet spot"; you will need to pull the toggles a bit farther to stop your descent.	Less forgiving of overflaring, since its stall is sharper (than Sabre); slightly shorter control range than a Sabre.
Front risers	Relatively light front riser pressure; even larger sizes respond fairly well to front riser input.	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	not published	not published
Harness response	not published	Very responsive to harness movements during deployment.
Toggle response	Turns more quickly and smoothly than a rectangular canopy, with less toggle pressure; product page: smooth, progressive toggle response. Very responsive in braked flight.	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

Spectre — 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	97	126	155
107	N/S	N/S	N/S	107	139	171
120	N/S	102	114	120	156	192
135	N/S	114	128	135	175	216
150	N/S	135	150	165	195	240
170	N/S	153	170	187	221	255
190	N/S	171	190	209	228	266
210	N/S	189	210	231	252	273
230	N/S	218	230	253	276	299

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

Source: Performance Designs — Spectre sizing / wing-loading chart (PD website Spectre Wing Loading Chart, TABLE-0175 REV.0) ↗

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 — Spectre product page — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Spectre Flight Characteristics (FC-0012 Rev. 0) — open ↗
B Performance Designs — Spectre sizing / wing-loading chart (PD website Spectre Wing Loading Chart, TABLE-0175 REV.0) — 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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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.