cutaway cable

[someday 0]

i had no idea the only thing holding the 3 ring in place is the cutaway cable..

how much pressure is actually applied to the cutaway cable that goes up the back of the 3 ring (dont know the correct lingo yet)

how strong is the actual cable

is it safe to twist back and fourth under canopy, do i risk anything

had no idea that was all that was holding my main to my rig

learn something everyday

[phoenixlpr 0]

Your 3 ring system acts as a level, or actually 3 lever connected. So the cut-way cable does not have to handle of the weight of yours, but its still holding the rings in place and you can release it easily if it is necessary.

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is it safe to twist back and fourth under canopy, do i risk anything

# rings system won't release as long the cables in their place.

[pilotdave 0]

If the cutaway cables scare ya, take a look at the little white loops that the cables go through! They're the only things holding your risers to your harness!
But thats why the 3-ring release works so well... very little force on the white loops/cutaway cables, so it releases easily.

Dave

[sundevil777 102]

How are you checking your gear before each jump if you didn't know this already? I apologize if it sounds rude or mean, but you really should have known this already.

Know thy gear, it will help you to survive.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Andy_Copland 0]

I think most people when checking the 3-ring assembly are only looking at the actual 3 rings. If it looks good they're happy.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[everymansaved 0]

Like was said above, the 3 ring system is a system of levers, giving you about 200:1 mechanical advantage at the handle. That means if you weigh 200lbs, and are just flying flat and level, there is one pound of force on the locking loop/release cable assembly. I don't have my literature in front of me, but I seem to remember that the cable has a strength of 620lbs, and the locking loop has a breaking strength of around 250lbs. Can someone correct my numbers if they're wrong?

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[fcajump 164]

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Like was said above, the 3 ring system is a system of levers, giving you about 200:1 mechanical advantage at the handle. That means if you weigh 200lbs, and are just flying flat and level, there is one pound of force on the locking loop/release cable assembly. I don't have my literature in front of me, but I seem to remember that the cable has a strength of 620lbs, and the locking loop has a breaking strength of around 250lbs. Can someone correct my numbers if they're wrong?

I also could be wrong, but I think that Strong Ent. Materials manual states the strength of Type II/III gutted at 100-lbs. But on the order of 30-100 times what is should be taking during normal use. (of course my numbers are off the top of my head)...

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[riggerrob 643]

Re: white loop in 3-ring system.
I vaguely remember that gutted 550 cord nylon has a tensile strength of 225 pound load.

100 pound nylon Type 1 suspension line is much thinner, about the same thickness as the 400 pound Spectra cord used for Cypres loops.

[fcajump 164]

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Re: white loop in 3-ring system.
I vaguely remember that gutted 550 cord nylon has a tensile strength of 225 pound load.

100 pound nylon Type 1 suspension line is much thinner, about the same thickness as the 400 pound Spectra cord used for Cypres loops.

OK, now you've got me wondering... All online references I can find say 225-lb... Will have to go back to the book and then call SE...

ANYWAY, its more than strong enough for a 3-ring.

(have one set of old risers that used Type I)

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[Remster 30]

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I think most people when checking the 3-ring assembly are only looking at the actual 3 rings. If it looks good they're happy.

Its just as important to make sure the cable, loop, and eyelet are correctly assembled.

Remster

[Andy_Copland 0]

I know that, its why i dont rely on a gear check by others. The more knowlede i have of my gear and how it works the better a position im in to check myself and others.

I made a thread about it a while ago as its a pet peeve of mine that people know jack shit about their gear.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[drjump 0]

I was just wondering where you took your first jump course? The three ring release system should have been taught in the equipment famillarization part of your training!

[councilman24 37]

I don't think so.

Type III "550" is 225 feet per pound. But Ted's material book give the sheath as 100lb tensile and that's what I was always taught.

But oddly enough Poynter doesn't give a strength.

Maybe nobody really knows.

But I don't think I've ever heard of the loop breaking. Cable gets sucked through the grommet before that.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[dragon2 2]

Hmmmm we had a loop break at our DZ. Not a funny mal

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[DougH 270]

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I think most people when checking the 3-ring assembly are only looking at the actual 3 rings. If it looks good they're happy.

If that is the case then most people are idiots!!!

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[tbrown 26]

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I think most people when checking the 3-ring assembly are only looking at the actual 3 rings. If it looks good they're happy.

If that is the case then most people are idiots!!!

They're not idiots, just complacent, which is a really dangerous attitude. At Perris we had a serious accident when a soft link snapped in the middle of a swoop dive and left a staff Instructor paralyzed. He's no idiot by a long shot, but a little peek under the risers now & then would've prevented a really sad accident and the changes it's brought to his life.

I blame the "packer/gadget" mentality. Too many people with too much money to throw around are leaving everything to their packers and counting on their AAD's to bail them out if they get into trouble. Let's not ever forget we're falling out of the sky and are basically dead on arrival until we complete a safe landing. This is a hardball sport that demands hardball awareness and gear maintenance.

Just to clarify, I've rec'd a PM about this post pointing out that Koji's accident was due to a Slink failure, and not a 3 Ring loop, which is correct. My point however is that loops can wear and ultimately fail, but that a worn loop should be detectable long before it fails - if we'll just take the trouble to look. Personally, I like to take all the time in the world with my final packjob of the day, when I know I'm done. It's a good time to untwist anything in the brakelines, check the soft links, take a closer look at the pilot chute, look at the 3 rings, the whole 9 yards. Then the next day, or the next week or whenever, you ride up in the plane knowing your main's in good shape for the day ahead.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[everymansaved 0]

I sould see that happening if it was previously damaged by some other means.

Sean LR

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[dragon2 2]

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I sould see that happening if it was previously damaged by some other means.

Sean LR

Was a CF rig

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[everymansaved 0]

Ahhh, or that!

God made firefighters so paramedics would have heroes...and someone can put out the trailer fires.

[riggerrob 643]

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I was just wondering where you took your first jump course? The three ring release system should have been taught in the equipment familiarization part of your training!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I disagree.
When I teach the first jump course, I mention the 3-Ring only briefly, then repeatedly say "If you don't like the shape/speed/spin/etc. of your main canopy, pull the red handle to get rid of it..."
This is a matter of fixating on "must knows" and leaving the teaching of "should knows" to later lessons.

In other words, I don't care if a first jump student understands the finer points of 3-Ring assembly, as long as the know enough to pull the red handle, etc. when their main starts acting weird.

[seal_S49 0]

When I teach the first jump course, I mention the 3-Ring only briefly***

Amen!

I've never asked my FJ students to do their own gear check. Plenty of time to teach that later if they continue with training.

When we're dealing with short term memory that's already maxed-out, we need to be selective about what we teach and avoid overloading a student. I'm happy if FJs remember when & how to pull handles.