Sky Angle CERT-3 Large Chute Users in 4" Rocket?

[bchaltraw]

I am working on my L3 rocket (AMW Parrot 4" Fiberglass) and ordered a SkyAngle CERT-3 Large for my main. The packing sheet that comes with this chute says it will take up 17" with a 4" diameter, so it's pretty big. Has anyone used the CERT-3 in a 4" rocket? Thinking to use this successfully, I should use a deployment bag to make for a cleaner chute pack. Open to suggestions.

 

[rfjustin]

I am working on my L3 rocket (AMW Parrot 4" Fiberglass) and ordered a SkyAngle CERT-3 Large for my main. The packing sheet that comes with this chute says it will take up 17" with a 4" diameter, so it's pretty big. Has anyone used the CERT-3 in a 4" rocket? Thinking to use this successfully, I should use a deployment bag to make for a cleaner chute pack. Open to suggestions.

First off, I am a HUGE SkyAngle fan, use them more often than not.

I would go with a Classic II 60" for a 4" airframe, not the C3 Large. I use the C3 large for 5" fiberglass birds >25 lbs. You can certainly pack the C3 Large in a 4" airframe, but its way too bulky/heavy for that size IMO.

I can post some videos if that would help...

 

[bchaltraw]

First off, I am a HUGE SkyAngle fan, use them more often than not.

I would go with a Classic II 60" for a 4" airframe, not the C3 Large. I use the C3 large for 5" fiberglass birds >25 lbs. You can certainly pack the C3 Large in a 4" airframe, but its way too bulky/heavy for that size IMO.

I can post some videos if that would help...

This rocket will be around 20 lbs, so I went with Cert 3. As I was unpacking it I was thinking wow, this is a big package. Love to have a Fruity IRIS but they are really proud of them! I will take a look at the Classic line and use this CERT-3 for a 7.5 LOC Hawk I have waiting in the wings.

 

[rfjustin]

This rocket will be around 20 lbs, so I went with Cert 3. As I was unpacking it I was thinking wow, this is a big package. Love to have a Fruity IRIS but they are really proud of them! I will take a look at the Classic line and use this CERT-3 for a 7.5 LOC Hawk I have waiting in the wings.

On their Classic line there is Classic 1 (lighter fabric), and Classic 2 (heavier fabric), go with the 2 for your 4" bird.

Best,

 

[roytyson]

I have two good flight with a Cert3 in a 4” rocket. Too big too burrito wrap it so we just stuffed the protector in first and slid the chute in after it. Gotta watch how you roll it up so the cords are not all in one place.

 

[bchaltraw]

I have two good flight with a Cert3 in a 4” rocket. Too big too burrito wrap it so we just stuffed the protector in first and slid the chute in after it. Gotta watch how you roll it up so the cords are not all in one place.

I just tried to do it to see what it looks like. If I made the z-folds longer, I was able to side it all it with the blanket, shock cord weaved and tied with tape and it all fit in 17-18" of space.

 

[rharshberger]

Yes you can use it but as others have said packing method is critical as the chute is really too large. IMO when using a larger chute in a smaller airframe its time to start thinking about the use of a deployment bag to ensure that A) the chute package remains "loose" in the airframe and will slide out and B) that everything deploys in a orderly manner with less chance of tangling outside the airframe. The deployment bag will also help the chute deploy and inflate in a shorter distance than a burrito wrap style chute bundle.

 

[mtnmanak]

I have at least one of every chute SkyAngle makes and love them for a lot of different reasons, but I will echo the sentiment that the Cert-3 Large is an awfully big chute in a 4" frame.

I pretty much only use Fruity Chutes in 4" rockets - they are light, pack small and punch way above their weight class in terms of performance. Did you rule out Fruity Chutes due to cost? If so, I understand and there some great chutes out there that will work for you.

One thing I would recommend if you do try to shove the Cert-3 chute in there - splurge on the Fruity Chutes deployment bag. SkyAngle makes great chutes, but their deployment bags are kind of crappy. The stitching on them is poor and they tear apart easily, the stay loops are oriented sideways, which makes no sense because the lines tend to rip them off as the parachute deploys, and they are fat, so they don't fit well into narrow airframes.

The Fruity Chutes bags are about as perfect as you can get. Slim and as long as you need them, they fit well into any airframe. They are super strong and the nomex is excellent quality. The stay loops are oriented vertically, so the chute slips out easily when it deploys.

I have all the various fruity chutes bags and a Cert-3 large, I can check tomorrow to see which one it fits in and try it out in a 4"frame.

 

[OverTheTop]

+1 on the deployment bags. They just make life easier.

 

[mtnmanak]

Here is a comparison of the SkyAngle bag compared to the Fruity Chutes bag for the Cert-3 Large in a 4" frame:

Here is the chute packed in a Cert-3 Large bag. As you can see, it ends up being about 8" wide and would be almost impossible to pack into a 4" frame:



Here is the Cert-3 bag next to a 4" diameter, 12" long Fruity Chutes bag:



Here is the Cert-3 Large next to the Fruity Chutes bag:



Here is the Cert-3 Large packed in the Fruity Chutes bag:



Finally, here is the Fruity Chutes bag next to the 4" frame:



It works, but I would still recommend against it. This chute, even in a 4" bag, is very tight in the airframe. You will have to really ground test it to make sure it will eject well and be wary of anything in the airframe (screws for things like cameras are the biggest culprit) that the bag may get hung up on.

Either way, whichever chute you end up using, get a properly sized deployment bag. My recommendation would be to use a smaller, higher performance chute and then use one of the 3" diameter bags from Fruity Chutes. That will almost guarantee a smooth deployment.

 

[bchaltraw]

Here is a comparison of the SkyAngle bag compared to the Fruity Chutes bag for the Cert-3 Large in a 4" frame:

Here is the chute packed in a Cert-3 Large bag. As you can see, it ends up being about 8" wide and would be almost impossible to pack into a 4" frame:

View attachment 581386

Here is the Cert-3 bag next to a 4" diameter, 12" long Fruity Chutes bag:

View attachment 581387

Here is the Cert-3 Large next to the Fruity Chutes bag:

View attachment 581388

Here is the Cert-3 Large packed in the Fruity Chutes bag:

View attachment 581389

Finally, here is the Fruity Chutes bag next to the 4" frame:

View attachment 581390

It works, but I would still recommend against it. This chute, even in a 4" bag, is very tight in the airframe. You will have to really ground test it to make sure it will eject well and be wary of anything in the airframe (screws for things like cameras are the biggest culprit) that the bag may get hung up on.

Either way, whichever chute you end up using, get a properly sized deployment bag. My recommendation would be to use a smaller, higher performance chute and then use one of the 3" diameter bags from Fruity Chutes. That will almost guarantee a smooth deployment.

Thank you for taking the time to help figure this out; those photos help greatly. I have never looked up the Fruity Deployment bag before, and I agree that it is pretty cool. My L3 attempt will be this fall, so I have time to get all the parts to make it successful. There are 3 of us in our club, all building the same rocket and having the same Mentor, so it will be an amazing fall with all of us shooting for an L3 together. We exchange ideas several times weekly, looking at different ways to work through the build.

 

[bchaltraw]

I just ordered a deployment bag and a 60" Elliptical Parachute; The NAR discount helped quite a bit. It's still SP-ROCK-2022 if anyone is looking for it, it will get you 15% off.