Mylar Bankets

[Dad of Sapling]

Does anyone have experience using a mylar emergency blanket as parachute material? It seems like it would work along as the shroud line attach points are reinforced well.

 

[cls]

Yes, they work great! Extremely light, pack well... Good thing they are easy to see, because they drift really far! Enjoy

 

[Handeman]

I made a few. I recommend cutting them with a hot knife rather than a scissors. All it takes is a small nick in the edge to start a tear, which they do pretty easily.

 

[lakeroadster]

Does anyone have experience using a mylar emergency blanket as parachute material? It seems like it would work along as the shroud line attach points are reinforced well.

Mylar Parachute Build
Lakeroadster's X-Wing Alpha Build Thread | Page 6 | The Rocketry Forum

 

[samb]

Mylar emergency blankets are my go to material for DIY chutes and streamers. Yes, you must take care to make cuts as straight as possible. When the occasional nick does happen I use dollar store cellophane (not magic) tape to reinforce the area. I do the same thing at the shroud line attachment points. Before first use I powder it liberally and ball it up to remove any “memory” of its previous shape.

 

[Cape Byron]

I use them for streamers. Really easy to spot in the sky with small rockets. Cut with a single edged razor blade and reinforce your shock cord hole with self adhesive paper reinforcements.

Added bonus - super cheap in packs of six. One in each car and the rest for rocketry.

 

[cls]

Yes, they work great! Extremely light, pack well... Good thing they are easy to see, because they drift really far! Enjoy

 

[fyrwrxz]

I have made a few using a cheep 39-40w soldering iron, whose tip was reformed into a knife like blade (beaten into submission with a hammer on a large vice). For streamers, take a strip and z- fold it leaving about 2" at the end and double it over. Use a little heat to set the 'wrinkles', then either crank it in a vice or under a weight. Depending on the width, I like to form a pointed triangle at the end. Using two hole punch reinforcement rings (1 ea side) and sandwich with packing tape. Melt hole thru everything and attach with kevlar thread. The z-fold increases the drag coefficient (more flutter) and I know somebody here can remember where the optimal streamer length to mass tables are. We are not allowed to use the Estes flame proof toilet paper where I fly, but the convention was to use dog barf with a sabot around the streamer. You can get a good sized streamer in a small diameter, but watch you don't get it trapped under the 'tea bag' shock cord mount if you use that method.
Sorry, no pics as I am recovering from surgery and stuck in bed for another week.

 

[Dad of Sapling]

I have made a few using a cheep 39-40w soldering iron, whose tip was reformed into a knife like blade (beaten into submission with a hammer on a large vice). For streamers, take a strip and z- fold it leaving about 2" at the end and double it over. Use a little heat to set the 'wrinkles', then either crank it in a vice or under a weight. Depending on the width, I like to form a pointed triangle at the end. Using two hole punch reinforcement rings (1 ea side) and sandwich with packing tape. Melt hole thru everything and attach with kevlar thread. The z-fold increases the drag coefficient (more flutter) and I know somebody here can remember where the optimal streamer length to mass tables are. We are not allowed to use the Estes flame proof toilet paper where I fly, but the convention was to use dog barf with a sabot around the streamer. You can get a good sized streamer in a small diameter, but watch you don't get it trapped under the 'tea bag' shock cord mount if you use that method.
Sorry, no pics as I am recovering from surgery and stuck in bed for another week.

Thanks for the advice. Hope you recover soon