Wing Loading

[larry 0]

I’ve got a PISA COE-D 260 and I want to use it at a wing load of ~1.06 (with an exit weight of 275lbs). Ignoring skill level for a minute, does this seem safe? That is over the max weight printed on the main. I know some chutes are designed to take higher wing loads, are there some chutes that should not be used at a wing load greater than 1.00? It is ZP on tops skin and f-111 on bottom if that makes a difference. Again I’m only asking about the safety or possibility of damage to the equipment, not skill level vs wing loading…

Thanks for any advice.

“Now click your heels together 3 times so you can return to Kansas to live in poverty with your teetotaling, dirt farming aunt and uncle!” paraphrased Prof. Farnsworth

[Clownburner 0]

It seems to me that if the manufacturer has specified a maximum wing loading, they probably did it for a reason and while the canopy may (or may not) work above that loading, exceeding it is probably done at your own peril - and if you do end up an incident, many people are going to bring up the fact that you were above the max recommended wing loading, and you'll look like a fool, if not an idiot.

Having said that I have no idea about the particular canopy you're discussing here, so I'll just sit down quietly now.

7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez
"I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

[nightjumps 1]

You should not violate the max wing loading printed on the main canopy's panel. Chances are it would be safe. You are taking enough chances, do you really need to compound them?

[councilman24 37]

Are you sure that max weight wasn't based on experience? Sounds like a student canopy and a student weight limit but I wasn't able to find any info on it.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[larry 0]

Could be a student canopy. The COE-D was sold by PISA in Europe. Mine is about 10 years old.

“Now click your heels together 3 times so you can return to Kansas to live in poverty with your teetotaling, dirt farming aunt and uncle!” paraphrased Prof. Farnsworth

[sdctlc 0]

I tried to track down (spent only a couple of minutes on line) the max loading for the COE-D you were talkinga bout. There is a valid concern about going over the max weight of the manufacturer but that said what is the max suggested weight of the canopy? Is that a "experience based" weight limit? Are you way over it or are you on the bubble?

Will the canopy be able to go with that load, probably yes. An example is the PD Sllhouette 230 (a hybrid canopy which you noted COE-D is) has a max weight of 276 lbs. Again it is a different parachute but serves as an example. Maybe a better example is the navagator from PD also a hybrid student canopy. The 260 has a max loading noted at 336 but a student and novice loading at 254.

Fire off a E-mail to PISA (EMAIL: pisa@pisa.co.za) their sport line went to Aerodyne but they still have their military line. Or try aerodyne for an answer as to if it is an experience based limit.

The real question is the one that you wanted to set aside. The canopy realistically should be able to open, fly and land just fine at a 1.06 load but as a novice jumper (35 jumps on your profile) generally the suggested load is going to be slightly under a 1.0 load.

Scott C.

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

[larry 0]

Scott, thanks for the info. The types of questions you are asking go to the heart of what I need to know. I emailed PISA asking similar question and CC'ed you at the email in your profile.

Basically I asked if it was intended for student use, is the listed wing loading recommended for students/novices or is that the absolute weight limit, what is the absolute weight limit?

“Now click your heels together 3 times so you can return to Kansas to live in poverty with your teetotaling, dirt farming aunt and uncle!” paraphrased Prof. Farnsworth

[larry 0]

Turns out the maximum weigh load printed on the chute was based on the weight limit of the reserves that were available when it was made in '92. The actual load limit is well above my exit weight.

With that done, I'll now make sure my skill matches wing loading. I'm going from 1.00:1 to 1.05:1 while getting 20 jumps at SDU.

Quote

Hi Larry ,


As a rule of thumb , 0-3 or F-111 parachute fabric has a generally
agreed wing loading of one square foot equals one pound of load.
Therefore a parachute which is 260 Square feet will have a wing
loading of 260 lbs or 118 Kg's.

However when zero porosity fabric is incorporated into the top
panels of a canopy the wing loading is generally increased to a
conservative 1.2 or commonly 1.3. Therefore , "in theory" , your
COE-D 260 should have a wing loading of 312 lbs or possibly 338 lbs
(142 Kg's + 154 Kg's).

The problem area is really not wing loading or strength of the main
however. The real problem is to have a Reserve parachute large
enough , certified with a T.S.O. to carry a load (That's you). In
the past the largest Reserve we had available was 254 lbs or 115 Kg's.
Therefore we placed a maximum weight for your COE-D 260 to really
balance the main with the Reserve.

As you weigh in excess of 275 lbs you may wish to consider a new
Reserve such as the new SMART Reserve 250 which has a suggested exit
weight of 300 lbs for an advanced jumper.

I'm not sure if I have answered all your questions or simply made the
matter more confusing by my explanation.

Keep in touch and let me know the next step.


Blue Skies
NED

[bluetwo 0]

So, yeah.... I know this is like the thread revival from hell but I love the email Larry got because it's really informative and I have to admit I like this thread for the same reason.

_______________________________________

[mrbiceps 0]

I came across this a while ago when i got a sabre 170 which was made in 1992. From memory the label said something like max weight was 170 pounds or something silly like that. My instructors told me that it was mainly due to in its day it was a "high performance" canopy and the manufacturers didnt want people to load them at more that 1.1 even though since then hundreds of thousands of jumps have been put on sabres loaded at more than 1.1 safely.