new chute design - new pics!!

[AndyC]

You may rememeber my post a few weeks back about a new chute design, which I called a cone-gap-band. Well, I thought you might like to see the photos of my latest one - 18" diameter.
1 pic attached here, 2 to follow.

Cheers,

Andy.

 

[AndyC]

2nd pic...

 

[AndyC]

...and the 3rd...

 

[rstaff3]

Looks great, nice job!

 

[Darian Rachal]

Have you had a chance to test it to see how it's performance is different than a conventional design?

 

[flying_silverad]

If I remember correctly, that chute looks like the ones they use for the mars missions. I can see the advantage as far as drift. They must have taken some time to make.

They do look awesome

 

[AndyC]

@ darian: Main differences are (1) much more stable - no side to side oscillation, and (2) the inflation is slower and softer - they don't 'pop' open like other chutes. Down-side is that they take up a bit more room when packed, due to the extra fabric in the 'band'.

andy.

 

[lalligood]

What a great looking chute!!!

Please keep us up to date on its performance

(And I hope you are wanting to mass produce them for the masses! hehe)

 

[Manwithbeers]

Maybe you would share the construction details with us? I like to scratch build everything. Just because it's interesteng and adds to the gratification when it all comes together and works.

I made a couple 15" semihemisphere chutes and I'm working on a 24" version as well. That is a lot of work. Maybe it's just that my hands were NOT made for sewing...

I really like the idea of a slow opening chute. I heard somewhere that a key ring just large enough to get all the shroud lines through will slow the opening of a chute but I've never seen enough info on the technique to actually try it.

Thanks for posting. It looks great.

 

[Darian Rachal]

The key ring idea should work, although I've never tried it either. Basically, it works like a slider when you are skydiving. They allow the chute to open fully, relatively slowly, so you are not jerked when slowing down from 100+ mph in freefall.

 

[rstaff3]

Originally posted by andyc
@ darian: Main differences are (1) much more stable - no side to side oscillation, and (2) the inflation is slower and softer - they don't 'pop' open like other chutes. Down-side is that they take up a bit more room when packed, due to the extra fabric in the 'band'.

andy.

This would need to be compared experimentally with standard spill holes and some of the other chute designs like Rocketman's. Either way, it's cool that you are working on this.

 

[rock2p]

I love the look of the chute and that it's homemade!

Looks like quite of bit of sewing though. I'd be interested in viewing the plans/instructions for this type of chute.

 

[Rocketman35]

Ditto, id buy one

 

[AndyC]

For those of you who fancy a go at making one of these, the proportions are as follows. The upper part of the canopy is a cone, formed from a 3/4 circle of fabric, joined and hemmed.
The band below is 1/3rd the diameter of the chute in depth, with a width equal to the circumference of the cone. The gap between the band and the upper canopy is 1/9th of the diameter, and the shroud lines are 1 1/2 the diameter. So, as an example, for an 18" chute: the upper canopy is an 18" diameter circle, with 1/4 circle removed, the band measures 6" x 42.5" ( (18 x 3.142) x 0.75) The gap between canopy and band is 2", and each shroud is 27" long. The last inch of each shroud is sewn to the perimeter of the upper canopy, then the gap, then sewn down the entire depth of the band. I tend to use 10 shrouds on chutes up to 18", and 12 shrouds on chutes above that size. The more shrouds, the better the final shape of the chute.

Hope that makes sense. Let me know if you need more info, and better still, how you actually get on with it.

Andy

 

[Neil]

Cool! Looks like that would take a while to make. It would also proabably cost a lot in comparison to other chutes.



Cant say MMHPR will ever sell something like that.... You get the patent Yeah, that is the same kind as they used for the Mars Lander.

 

[n3tjm]

Wow! That is a really nice looking parachute. I agree, it looks like something from a Mars probe. Good Job. I like the color too