evaluating crossport damage

[AndyMan 7]

I'm a new rigger. I'm trying to figure out why my Triathlon has a strong left turn. The only damage I've found is some wear and fraying on the outboard crossports.

Attached is a photo of the wear. I expect some fraying, but the fraying is not symmetrical, and tears are appearing on the aft side of the crossport.

I can't think of an easy way to repair this without replacing the whole rib. Poytner recommends a patch with sewing on 3 sides, but I'm skeptical that would work well - especially since I'm trying to fix a turn.

I guess my questions are as follows:

Is this type of damage consistent with causing significant turns?

Have riggers successfully fixed this type of damage on a canopy flown at a 1.4 wingloading?

What standard do riggers use when evaluating worn crossports?

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[jdthomas 0]

I would think your turn is a line problem and not a crossport problem!

www.greenboxphotography.com

[RiggerLee 61]

Is the turn a recent problem? With or with out breaks stowed? How many jumps on it and how many on the lines?Type of fabric? Old or new? Type of line? How are the outers shrunk? Is the trim asymetric? Is that the worst of the damage? Tears, how long... feet? Hard to imagion what's in that picture causeing a signifagent turn.

Lee

Lee
lee@velocitysportswear.com
www.velocitysportswear.com

[lilchief 1]

worn crossports affect stability in opening, I'm told..

"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci
www.lilchief.no

[mark 107]

The crossport damage is what I would expect from a ZP canopy with a couple hundred jumps. Inspect the other mains at your dz, and you'll find most have more fraying than that.

I don't worry about the fraying until the oval hole is rectangular.

I don't try to trim the fray. Having the threads knot up keeps the fraying from getting worse. Trimming the fray just gives new fraying a head start.

The repair shown in Poynter might work okay for tears, depending on the size of the crossport and location of tear, but is not appropriate in this situation.

I'd look elsewhere for the cause of the turn.

Mark

[aironscott 3]

I'll agree with previous posters here. This fraying is normal and almost certainly not the cause of any turn you may be experiencing. I would not cut out the fraying either.
But if you feel like experimenting, make yourself some sort of tracing device (pattern) and hot knife it. Don't free-hand it. Actually don't do anything unless you really feel the need to take a risk with this canopy. Cuz nothing fucks up a canopy faster than a hot knife (except maybe a hot smoke canister).

Your turn is more likely in line trim. Measure the break lines against each other. Make sure they are not too short in full flight. Then measure each A line to it's opposite. Then each B, C and D. Also make sure that you measure your risers against each other. If that doens't reveal anything grab a buddy and start comparing cell lengths and ribs. It takes two people. You'll figure something out eventually.
If not. stick each of your legs on a scale, one at a time. Maybe you are just off.
Good luck. The more time you put into this the more you will learn about it.

“God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

[AggieDave 6]

I'm not sure if I would have patched your cross port with that Naugahyde stuff, that might adversely effect the opening.


(since your question was properly answered, we needed a joke)

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[AndyMan 7]

Quote

Is the turn a recent problem? With or with out breaks stowed? How many jumps on it and how many on the lines?Type of fabric? Old or new? Type of line? How are the outers shrunk? Is the trim asymetric? Is that the worst of the damage? Tears, how long... feet? Hard to imagion what's in that picture causeing a signifagent turn.

The turn is a recent problem. The canopy is old, but the lines are newer. There's less than 100 jumps on the lineset. The turn showed up in the last few jumps. I've checked the lines and attachment points, but haven't done a complete trim-check. The lines are symmetrical side-to-side. The fabric is the older Aerodyne zero-P.

I was expecting it to be some kind of fabric issue because the canopy is used for CRW.

The turn is significant, requiring toggle to the shoulder to keep it flying straight.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

(since your question was properly answered, we needed a joke)

...and a Spelling Police response:
It's BRAKES folks...not breaks!
<>

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[phoenixlpr 0]

Quote

The turn is a recent problem. The canopy is old, but the lines are newer. There's less than 100 jumps on the lineset. The turn showed up in the last few jumps. I've checked the lines and attachment points, but haven't done a complete trim-check. The lines are symmetrical side-to-side. The fabric is the older Aerodyne zero-P.

I was expecting it to be some kind of fabric issue because the canopy is used for CRW.

The turn is significant, requiring toggle to the shoulder to keep it flying straight.

I got similar problem with my Triathlon 160. My WL is about 1.4+. I got a right turn. It was relined, so line-set should be ok. I got it on older risers, so I'm going to replace risers and check again. i usually make one leg strap tighter so I'd rather compensate with harness turn, than brakes.

[darkwing 5]

Quote

The turn is a recent problem. The canopy is old, but the lines are newer. There's less than 100 jumps on the lineset. The turn showed up in the last few jumps. I've checked the lines and attachment points, but haven't done a complete trim-check. The lines are symmetrical side-to-side. The fabric is the older Aerodyne zero-P.
...

The turn is significant, requiring toggle to the shoulder to keep it flying straight.

_Am

You need to have it gone over carefully. I have seen such symptoms for both rib problems (e.g. a seam separation or tear) and line problems (e.g. an unsewed connection that is slipping). I agree that the port fraying is certainly not the problem.

Jeff

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[AndyMan 7]

Quote

You need to have it gone over carefully. I have seen such symptoms for both rib problems (e.g. a seam separation or tear) and line problems (e.g. an unsewed connection that is slipping). I agree that the port fraying is certainly not the problem.

Thanks. I'll go back to square 1.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[GaryRay 0]

<---not a rigger but just thinking out loud here

check the harness system too, maybe something got dislodged and is causing a harness turn to the left. just trying to throw my 2 cents in.

JewBag.
www.jewbag.wordpress.com

[JanuszPS 0]

Quote

<---not a rigger but just thinking out loud here

check the harness system too, maybe something got dislodged and is causing a harness turn to the left. just trying to throw my 2 cents in.

I think is much easier to connect the canopy to another rig, rather than examine another part of the equipment.
janusz
Edit.
I bought a sec-hand canopy which had problems on opening and flight. even very strong harness turn could not correct and stop the turn after opening. The lines were a problem. I checked the lines and first the steering lines were unevenly shrunk and secondly the suspension lines were significantly shrunk. Relining solved the problem, but it appears that it is not the case here.

Back to Poland... back home.

[airtwardo 7]

Quote

Quote

(since your question was properly answered, we needed a joke)

...and a Spelling Police response:
It's BRAKES folks...not breaks!
<>

Yeah, until yer brakes break.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~