Spectre vs Valkyrie

Performance Designs Spectre · Performance Designs Valkyrie · 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 Valkyrie are both made by Performance Designs.
Planform: Spectre is listed as semi-elliptical; Valkyrie as elliptical.
Both have 7 cells.
Valkyrie is cross-braced; Spectre is not.
Spectre is listed in 97–230 sq ft; Valkyrie in 67–111 sq ft.
The listed size ranges overlap between 97 and 111 sq ft.
Published aspect ratio: Spectre 2.14, Valkyrie 2.84.
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	Valkyrie
Manufacturer	Performance Designs	Performance Designs
Status	current	current
Cells	7	7
Planform	semi-elliptical	elliptical
Cross-braced	no	yes
Aspect ratio	2.14	2.84
Sizes (sq ft)	97–230 Source: Performance Designs — Spectre product page ↗	67–111 Source: Performance Designs — Valkyrie 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 ↗	HIGHLY experienced cross-braced canopy pilots Expert canopy pilots Getting back from long spots Camera flyers Terminal and Sub-terminal deployments Individuals looking for a high performance canopy for competition Individuals who have mastered their current cross-braced canopy and are looking for the next step in performance Source: Performance Designs — Valkyrie product page ↗
Characteristics (manufacturer keywords)	Soft openings with long snivel · Short recovery arc · Flat glide Source: Performance Designs — Spectre product page ↗	NOT intended as a first cross-braced canopy · Highly responsive to all inputs · Powerful rear riser performance · Great stopping power/shut down · Smooth openings Source: Performance Designs — Valkyrie 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.	Openings smooth, well-staged and with less tendency to search for a heading during inflation.
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.	not published
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.	Very efficient in converting speed into lift; even better than a Comp Velocity at getting you back from long spots.
Speed / dive	Flies at about the same airspeed as the original Sabre, the Sabre2, and the Stiletto (qualitative; no figures published).	Higher speeds in a dive (qualitative; no 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.	Highly responsive to toggle input and has a powerful flare; stopping power is impressive.
Front risers	Relatively light front riser pressure; even larger sizes respond fairly well to front riser input.	Front riser pressure slightly higher than a Comp Velocity, but it wants to rotate, and rotate fast; potential for faster and more powerful turns.
Rear risers	not published	More power and a wider range on rears than on the Comp Velocity.
Harness response	not published	Much more sensitive to harness input than a Comp Velocity; rolls into turns almost effortlessly.
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.	Highly responsive to toggle input.
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) ↗

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

Size	Student	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert	Maximum (never exceed)
67	N/S	N/S	N/S	N/S	161	188
71	N/S	N/S	N/S	N/S	170	199
75	N/S	N/S	N/S	N/S	180	210
79	N/S	N/S	N/S	142	190	221
84	N/S	N/S	N/S	151	202	235
90	N/S	N/S	N/S	162	216	252
96	N/S	N/S	N/S	173	230	269
103	N/S	N/S	N/S	185	247	288
111	N/S	N/S	N/S	200	266	310

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

Source: Performance Designs — Valkyrie sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0003 Rev B (PD Valkyrie Wing Load Chart)) ↗

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 — Valkyrie product page — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Valkyrie Flight Characteristics (FC-0003 Rev B) — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Valkyrie sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0003 Rev B (PD Valkyrie Wing Load 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: Comp Velocity vs Valkyrie · Spectre vs Storm · Pulse vs Spectre · Sabre3 vs Spectre · Comp Velocity vs Spectre · Katana vs Spectre · Katana vs Valkyrie · 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.