Quagmirian

Your code should say: [inline DSC_1156.jpg] Definitely some funky home made links you have there. Spectra or Dacron?

I'm happy with all the seams on the brown thing, except the loaded bottom seams. Even if I hot cut everything, stuff still sticks out and I don't like the look of the raw edges. Also, the flat seam looks a bit thin in places. I would fold or roll the seam but all the bulk at the leading edge makes it very hard for my puny machine to sew properly, so I've come up with a solution. When I apply the leading edge tapes to the bottom skin and rib, I pre-fold the edges so that the tape only has one layer of thickness. It's difficult to explain so I hope this diagram helps. [inline seams.png] I've made an image of what the new canopy should look like based on the brown thing in flight. [inline new_7_cell.png] I've also decided on a warning label design and stabilser logo panel. [inline canopy_logo_9a_small.png] [inline warning_label1_small.png]

If you want to go the new container route, two manufactures offer cut price entry level containers with no bells and whistles at a competitive price. There's the Shadow Racer by Jumpshack and the Genera by Rigging Innovations. Both offer you a custom harness and a few other options.

The measurements are based on the slider from a PD 7 Cell. When I get round to jumping this thing we can work out if the dimensions need to be changed. It's just a starting point.

I've been going backwards and forwards on a few little things, but I think I finally have a design to replace the brown thing. The main design difference is the rib section, which is slightly thinner and smoother, with a smaller nose cut. There are construction differences too, addressing structural and quality issues. General canopy info Cells: 7 Aspect ratio: 2.10 Area: 170 sq ft Chord: 2.740 m (8.99 ft) Span: 5.754m (18.88 ft) Colour: Not yet known, orange perhaps Lines: 600 lb Dacron Rib section Max thickness: 15.0% Position of max thickness: 19.4% (same as brown thing) Nose cut size: 8.54% Nose cut angle: 142° Slider, standard Chord: 0.44m (17.3 inches) Span: 0.78m (30.7 inches) Grommets: Brass, type 8 Line trims (mm) A line 3108 A-B 66 A-C 216 A-D 458 UST 1200 LST 2716 Roughly BK-TOG Don't know yet Panel shapes (less seam allowance) and slider diagram [inline parts.png]

I agree. How about mandating a one month/100 jump inspection cycle where everything except the reserve is looked at closely? Something like this.

I've been doing a lot more ground launching. I went flying yesterday and it was very windy on the hill, so I got a decent bit of air time riding the rising air. I even got so bold as to try and stall the canopy. It didn't fold back on me, but it didn't look very happy either. I took the canopy flying today with a couple of cameras. Here are some frames from the foot mounted camera. [inline frame1.png] [inline frame2.png] [inline frame3.png] This frame was captured just before landing, with the canopy in deep brakes. [inline frame4.png] Moving on the the future, here's a comparison of the rib sections and planforms of my old design, current canopy, and new design. [inline ribs_compare_small.png] [inline planforms_small.png] Comments and criticism are always welcome.

I have done quite a few flights on this thing now, including a glide down a 500 ft high slope, which was great fun. I have come to some general conclusions about the canopy in its current configuration. Glide ratio is nice and flat, around 2.5:1. Front riser pressure is very high. Rear riser pressure is low, with a small control range before the stall (about 4 inches). Flare power on the toggles is very good for a canopy of this size and type. Control range on the brakes seems to be decent, although I haven't stalled it on the toggles yet.

No more production updates for the moment, as I am living in the countryside for my own health. I have found a few good ground launching spots though. [inline dscf1007_small.jpg] [inline dscf1008_small.jpg]

I suppose that's one reason to mate the velcro.

This what you're looking for? NAA-3105 Five Cell Para-Foil: A 180 sq. ft ram-air canopy with flares measuring 13' by 15' with five double chordwise cells with crossports. Made of 1.6 oz. ripstop nylon and 900 lb. lines. Pilot chute controlled slider. Weight 13 lbs. First introduced to the market in 1976. Pics: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Para-Foil-skydiving-parachute-canopy-5-cell-180-sq-ft-Vintage-risers-pc-bag-/221222617345

Thanks for that. I think that sort of thing is out of my skill level at the moment. Maybe when I'm building a high end swooping canopy, I'll come back to it. I have been doing some more thinking, and I have decided that I want to put a single fold on the loaded bottom seams, not because it's any stronger, but because it looks a bit more professional. I've also changed my trim, rib and stabilser panels again. [inline 2742_rib_flat_small.png] [inline 2742_rib_stab_flat_small.png ] I decided to use my scraps of old dacron to replace and extend my upper steering lines. It wasn't too difficult and they're all the same length +/- 0.25 inches. Good practice and now I have nice looking control lines.

That'd be the Shadow Racer by Jumpshack and the Rigging Innovations Genera. Also I don't recommend buying a container for something 'one size smaller' if you can help it, unless the manufacturer says you can.

So Jumpshack measures by projected area? Doesn't this mean that your canopies will measure tiny, as in several sizes smaller? Won't it also give you very low aspect ratios too?

Try not to let him get the better of you. He has trolled in and derailed many threads.

Does anybody know what measuring methods all the manufacturers use? Does anyone use the PIA method? Performance designs say on their website that they use the bottom skin by chord measurement, but they don't specify whether this is cut or finished. I emailed Precision asking them about how they measure their wings and they didn't entertain me with an answer. Icarus have switched to PD's method, right? I just thought it would be nice to know how much canopy we are getting from each company.

[inline strato_star.jpg]

Boooooo! I say we shit on anyone who asks about swooping! Boooooo!

Just so we can get this out of the way, ground launching small canopies is far easier than jumping them. You're constantly close to the ground so flare timing is easier, you don't have to worry about canopy traffic malfunctions etc, and if you bury a toggle to avoid something, there's nowhere near enough altitude for the canopy to kill you. I would think very little of ground launching a Stiletto loaded at 1.4. I'll take you through my reasoning for wanting to upsize to a 'massive' canopy. Firstly, I am very uncurrent. I haven't jumped for almost a year now. Something a bit bigger over my head won't hurt. Secondly, I had a minor incident out in Elsinore last year that made me think. I was jumping a Spectre 210 and considering demoing a 190 rig. I jumped on a bumpy day with dust devils around, and as I turned onto final, the wind was not going the way I thought it was. I landed with a tailwind and made the classic mistake of flaring the canopy too high and too hard. I landed in the shrubbery and rolled around a bit, but I was wearing my FS suit so I didn't get hurt. It made me change my mind about downsizing. I, the master of my 210 with 50 jumps, could not even land downwind properly! What's more, I turned 45 degrees during the flare. I can't even hold a heading on a landing, how am I ready to downsize?

I jump rental equipment in the 0.76 range, and I've recently realised that that is too high a wing loading for me.

That reminds me, I was going to ask. Are these emergency procedures standard for every APF dropzone?

I don't know if this has already been posted, but it's only been up for two weeks. Video Playlist It's a nice video series that covers all malfunction scenarios. I don't know if this is a new series that's just been made or whether it's been around for ages and just uploaded recently. Maybe someone form Oz can help us out?

I downsized three sizes on my ninth jump, and also I learned everything I could before my 1st jump...I knew the basics and more, well before ever taking the class. Did ya know how to arm an AOD and how it worked, why cross-connectors were used with a stevens line, the difference between a right side up & up side down kicker plate, why a W-W pattern is stronger than a box X pattern...? I did! Touche. I had flown my own parasail though, the harness on which had box stitches, which tore open during flight... Anyway, I digress. I suggest that OP should go and spend a day at the dropzone and introduce himself, say that he might want to do a tandem, watch the jumping, have a beer or two and maybe walk away with the receipt for a tandem deposit.

I downsized three sizes on my ninth jump, and also I learned everything I could before my 1st jump...I knew the basics and more, well before ever taking the class.

I was looking through some older posts when I found this: "...F-111 has almost disapeared from main canopies and I expect that ten years from now most reserves will be built of 0P as well. But by then we won't need parachutes because we will all be landing our wing suits! Ha! Ha!" -Jun 23, 2001 RiggerRob, how wrong you were.