PD Valkyrie Main Canopy

The Valkyrie is for highly experienced pilots who are already comfortable on cross-braced canopies. It suits expert canopy pilots, serious swoopers, camera flyers and jumpers who want more power and range from a wing they are genuinely ready for. If this would be your first cross-braced canopy, the honest answer is: not yet.

Think of the Valkyrie as the next step after the Comp Velocity: more responsive, more powerful on rears, stronger shutdown and still built for freefall deployments. It takes ideas from PD’s Peregrine work, but it is not a closed-course-only canopy — openings were part of the design from the start.

Do not assume it will fit just because your current all-ZP canopy does. The sail ribs add pack volume, and small high-performance rigs can be tight already. If you are between sizes, send us your container model, current canopy and reserve size before ordering and we will help sanity-check it with the manufacturer guidance.

There is no simple “downsize one size” rule here. The right Valkyrie size depends on your current wing, currency, landings, goals, local landing area and how much speed you are honestly comfortable managing. Some pilots stay the same size, some upsize and some downsize. Use a canopy coach or instructor’s input before we lock in the order.

For this level of canopy, the Valkyrie has a very strong opening reputation — PD specifically calls the openings superb. Real-life openings still depend on packing, body position, deployment speed, slider or RDS setup, line condition and wing loading, so treat setup and maintenance as part of the canopy.

Yes, for the right pilot. PD lists camera flyers and getting back from long spots among the Valkyrie’s strengths. The important part is not the job title — it is workload. If you are filming tandems or doing busy work jumps, choose a size and setup that you can fly cleanly when the skydive is not perfect.

Not always. An RDS makes sense for pilots chasing maximum performance and drag reduction, especially in dedicated canopy piloting. For everyday jumping or camera work, some pilots prefer the simplicity of a normal slider setup. If you are unsure, start with the setup you can manage consistently.

Yes — and for a canopy like this, demoing is a smart move. It is especially useful if you are changing size or moving from another cross-braced wing. View the PD demo program.

Buy stock if the exact size and configuration make sense for you and you want the fastest delivery. Go custom if you care about colours, construction, line/RDS setup or a factory configuration that is not currently available. For a Valkyrie, “fast” should never beat “right size and right setup”.

If the correct Valkyrie Hybrid is available from stock, it is usually much quicker than a custom order. European stock usually delivers in about 1-2 weeks; U.S. stock is usually around 2-3 weeks depending on availability, shipping route and customs. We confirm the specific canopy before taking payment.

A custom Valkyrie is built to order by Performance Designs. The current production time is 12-18 weeks. We will confirm the expected lead time when reviewing your order, before anything is final.