About deployment bags...

[DeltaVee]

A while back our club had a miscellaneous gear auction of donated stuff, and I picked up a package containing several nomex blankets and what appear to be a couple of so-called deployment bags. Never having used these things I started thinking about how one uses them... I've seen discussions pertaining to the use of pilot chutes etc to pull the larger one out... but these bags come with a line attached which is far shorter than the shock cords that I'd likely use. I thought that perhaps one attaches the line to the bulkhead's shock cord attachment point, and given the ejection momentum and longer shock cord that'd be sufficient to pull the chute out... (not sure if that's the proper thing to do of course... ) But first this is what they look like:



Notice I pulled one "inside out". The only thing is... I don't really know which one is ACTUALLY inside out! The one with the line coming out of the inside... or the one showing the stiching! Some of the photos I've seen of other deployment bags seem to show something like what's on the right...

Please set me straight here! Thanks!

(also any other sage advice is welcome!)

Added:
I've looked at some of the deployment bag threads and these things I have don't really look all that much like the ones shown in the threads. These could be glorified chute protectors perhaps?

 

[cwbullet]

A few links:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/demystifying-deployment-bags.144212/

 

[DeltaVee]

A few links:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/demystifying-deployment-bags.144212/

Nice thread... Learned much... Unfortunately it doesn't help me determine which way is inside out for the bags I have pictured. Also the bags that I have do not have the bands on them that store shroud lines so I don't really know what these things are.

 

[TRWXXA]

Nice thread... Learned much... Unfortunately it doesn't help me determine which way is inside out for the bags I have pictured. Also the bags that I have do not have the bands on them that store shroud lines so I don't really know what these things are.

If you watch Ky's video, you'll see that the deployment bag he is demonstrating is similar to yours, albeit larger.

In direct answer to your question, it appears that the one on the right is inside out. The line coming out of the bag is a tether that attaches to the apex of the parachute. It does not attach to the rocket or shock cord.

Hard to tell from the pic, but the bag may have a loop on the end to attach a small drogue chute to help with maiin chute extraction, but it's not necessarily needed. You can see how Ky's parachute seperated from the bag with very little effort.

 

[cwbullet]

Nice thread... Learned much... Unfortunately it doesn't help me determine which way is inside out for the bags I have pictured. Also the bags that I have do not have the bands on them that store shroud lines so I don't really know what these things are.

As said above, the Rocketman video has one similar. If the video confuses you or you have difficulty after watching it, attend a high-power watch and ask one of the more experienced flyers how to use it. You may need to ask a few before finding someone who has experience. They work well, but I would not say that they are widely used.

 

[TRWXXA]

As said above, the Rocketman video has one similar. If the video confuses you or you have difficulty after watching it, attend a high-power watch and ask one of the more experienced flyers how to use it. You may need to ask a few before finding someone who has experience. They work well, but I would not say that they are widely used.

You seem to see them in use more on L3 and large L2 projects.

 

[DragonRocketry]

You seem to see them in use more on L3 and large L2 projects.

I use them in 3" and larger dual deployment rockets.

 

[BrendanH69]

I've recently purchased my first deployment bag for my existing 5ft BAMA Aero-Spherical high performance chute and have similar queries, so thanks for posting about it.

My chute doesn't have a tab at the apex of the canopy, so I need figure out how I should attach and rig this bag, main chute, and pilot chute combo.

First step, I'll watch the above video.

 

[DeltaVee]

I guess I'm a bit puzzled as the the bag shown by @BrendanH69 has the drogue attachment connected to the *outside* of the bag... while these things I have appear to be attached to the *inside*. AFAICT it perhaps does not matter since the main is supposed to be *loose* in the bag and easily drawn out (yes?).

 

[neil_w]

"Deployment bags" will never stop sounding like an unpleasant medical device to me. I cringe a bit every time I see the subject line.

But that is just me. Carry on.

 

[Rschub]

I would guess that the chute needs to be designed to work with the bag and drogue. Now I gotta go look at mine to be sure.

 

[DragonRocketry]

I guess I'm a bit puzzled as the the bag shown by @BrendanH69 has the drogue attachment connected to the *outside* of the bag... while these things I have appear to be attached to the *inside*. AFAICT it perhaps does not matter since the main is supposed to be *loose* in the bag and easily drawn out (yes?).

Your bags looks like they were designed to be used in a rocket that comes down in 2 pieces. Nose cone on its own chute and booster on another chute. The main would be put in the bag and the bag attached to the nose cone, so when it is deployed the nose cone will pull the bag off the main. For a bag with a pilot chute you need an anchor on the inside and outside of the bag.

See the picture below of the green bag. The top of the bag has the place to attach the pilot chute and the bottom has a cord that gets attached to the top of the chute.

Here is link to a file on how I pack my bags.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0611/5983/3766/files/Deployment_bag_packing.pdf?v=1673102889

 

[cwbullet]

I would guess that the chute needs to be designed to work with the bag and drogue. Now I gotta go look at mine to be sure.

I think you can use them with about every chute. I do not think most of them a chuet dependent.

 

[Rschub]

I guess that you could attach the bag and drogue to the swivel below the parachute with a long cord so you don't lose it.

It seems like there are an infinite number of ways you can rig this stuff.

 

[DeltaVee]

I guess that you could attach the bag and drogue to the swivel below the parachute with a long cord so you don't lose it.

It seems like there are an infinite number of ways you can rig this stuff.

Do you think it'd be reasonable to attach the bag at the forward bulkhead, parallel to the shock cord (which is 15 feet long)... Hoping that the forward momentum of the rigging would be enough to draw the chute out?

 

[cwbullet]

Do you think it'd be reasonable to attach the bag at the forward bulkhead, parallel to the shock cord (which is 15 feet long)... Hoping that the forward momentum of the rigging would be enough to draw the chute out?

Thta is very similar to how I have done it in the past. One of my large level 3 birds uses a bag and that is how I did it.

 

[DragonRocketry]

Do you think it'd be reasonable to attach the bag at the forward bulkhead, parallel to the shock cord (which is 15 feet long)... Hoping that the forward momentum of the rigging would be enough to draw the chute out?

You could also attach a pilot chute to the most forward point to help drag it out (say attached a pilot chute to the nose cone)

 

[BrendanH69]

I guess I'm a bit puzzled as the the bag shown by @BrendanH69 has the drogue attachment connected to the *outside* of the bag... while these things I have appear to be attached to the *inside*. AFAICT it perhaps does not matter since the main is supposed to be *loose* in the bag and easily drawn out (yes?).

Just to complete the picture, the Sky Angle bag has a short loop on the inside of the bag, an extension of the external long chord that is seen in the photo.