Will Fruity Chutes 72" Compact Iris chute fit into 4" nosecone?

Like the title says... Does anyone know whether a 72" FC compact Iris elliptical chute will fit into a 4" 5.5:1 fiberglass nosecone in a deployment bag?

Their 60" chute will fit, but it is coming in a little fast at 18.2 fps. The 72" chute brings it down to 15fps.

The rocket will weigh a little over 21 lbs with the burned out motor.

Actually 18.2 is still slower than the recommended 20 fps, unless you have a need to be slower than 20 fps due to large/fragile fins, hard surfaces etc, I would go with the smaller chute to shorten the recovery distance.

The fins are not too fragile, being 3/16 G11 with a height at or under 4" with not too much sweep. They are a through the wall design, and will be well reinforced. Also, I would like room for a tubular nylon harness, with some kevlar where needed, and a Garmin DC40.

Thanks, Rich.

What Rich said. I would go with the 60" Iris in your case.

Regardless, both can pack into that nosecone. I say "can pack" because it depends on what deployment bag you use, how much harness and how much volume you net out with after the AV Bay / nosecone coupler is installed

mpitfield said:

What Rich said. I would go with the 60" Iris in your case.

Regardless, both can pack into that nosecone. I say "can pack" because it depends on what deployment bag you use, how much harness and how much volume you net out with after the AV Bay / nosecone coupler is installed

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Thanks, Michael.

Because space is at a premium, and I want to minimize friction in the fit of the packed chute, I will be sewing a conical bag myself, to fit the chute, and the nosecone.

I think I will go with the 60" chute.

I have used a standard Fruity Chutes 72" Iris Ultra in my 20 lb 4" fiberglass Frenzy XL and it fits fine. But I don't know if it would fit in the nose.

Thanks. Nathan.

I think a standard one would not fit in the nosecone. With all the other things that need to fit, I think it would be touch and go, as to whether the 72" compact version would fit in the nosecone. I think it would require some slimming down of the harness volume, at least. In another identical nosecone on a different rocket, 24' of 1/2" tubular nylon, a standard FC deployment bag, a 48" Iris Ultra, a nomex blanket, and some vinyl tube ejection units up in the in the tip made for a 'comfy' fit. It could be stuffed tighter. I am concerned with getting some sort of impact protection in between the DC40 and the ejection units, and will probably make something to ease any shock. Not sure if this is necessary or not, but it seems like a good idea, unless close proximity between the Marsa and the Aim proves not to be an issue, then the DC40 might be able to ride on the AV bay lid.

This is for a 4" project that will be flying on an M2245.

You could always go with the Iris Ultra light that packs into 30 cubic inches, compared to the ultra compact that packs into 49 cubic inches.

I beieve the ultra light chutes are not designed for this application, that they may be more for more sensitive things that want to hit the ground even slower. Their ratings are given in slower descent rates for lighter loads.

When pushing the ultralight envelope, strength, durability and longevity tend to suffer. I am good with more compactness from using spectra shrouds, but not so much with using .75oz ripstop instead of 1.1oz.

Main deployment will be on the faster side, but still undetermined as I have not completely decided on drogue size yet.

According to Fruity Chutes' web site the standard 60" Iris needs a packing volume of ~60 cubic inches. The Compact 72" needs ~49 cubic inches. It sounds like it should be easier to fit.

I have the standard 36 and 60" and a 48" Ultra Light. The difference in packing volume is amazing. I can pack the 48" into a 3" coupler 2.25" long.

Somewhat off-topic but related to the conversation.

I have more than 2 dozen Fruity Chutes, most are Iris compact and the compact lines make a difference. The newer Iris light weight ripstop versions with the spectra lines I have no experience with, although ironically enough, I just received my first 42" Iris Light Spectra today. I will be using this in a 4", 6-7ish lb, rocket with a 5:1 conical nosecone, but the chute will be contained in a 54mm deployment tube with a piston using the Raptor for CO2 ejection. I checked the fit today and it fits without any issue along with the shock cord in the 54mm tube which will be roughly 6" long, minus the piston.

I will see how well the lighter fabric holds up over time, but I share your concern with durability and longevity. It makes sense that it is not as durable as the heavier fabric, but so long as I get a reasonable life (to be determined) out of it then that is reasonable to me.

BTW: I agree with Chris_H. I would go with the Compact over the Ultra Light. They are great when you need the absolute minimum packing volume, but they aren't as robust as the Compact.

In terms of cd/packed volume, are there any other chute manufacturers who are on par? I know there are some other nice looking chutes, but the FC chutes seem to be the most compact with the highest cd?

Chris_H said:

In terms of cd/packed volume, are there any other chute manufacturers who are on par? I know there are some other nice looking chutes, but the FC chutes seem to be the most compact with the highest cd?

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For being both packing volume and CD, they are in a league by themselves. CD alone no one has the same numbers. If you consider that you can often get better performance out of a smaller Fruity Chute then even if the materials used were on par the amount of material is obvious less so they can give a packing volume advantage when it comes to performance, maybe not so much when you compare a 60" Fruity Chute to a 60" competitor.

Chris_H said:

In terms of cd/packed volume, are there any other chute manufacturers who are on par? I know there are some other nice looking chutes, but the FC chutes seem to be the most compact with the highest cd?

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Agree with Michael on there won't be a "same" for CD rates for other manufacturers in similar size ranges as they will vary. At Top Flight Recovery we do offer custom sized parachutes in all our lines of parachutes, including different fabric choices (regular or thin mill fabric) pick your length and size of shroud lines as well. Hope you find the right parachute/manufacturer for your project!

Preston

Your chutes look awesome, Preston.

Cheers!