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New stuff at the PIA

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Icarus NZ will have a JVX and JSX (45 cell with NZ bracing) at the 2nd World Cup of Canopy Piloting in Febuary. Jim was jumping the 45 cell JSX prototype with new NZ bracing last year. The JVX and next generation JSX are two of the newest designs from Icarus NZ (Icarus High Performance Division). More info coming soon!

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Another upside-down rig is manufactured in Eastern Europe (Poland?) for the military market. It seems that communist military freefallers like to attach drogues to the scruffs of their necks, and that configuration works better if the main is on top.



I think that's the one made in Poland: http://www.air-pol.com.pl/english/parachutes/ad-2000.html

Plus, Poland is not communits anymore - that has changed 15 years ago >:( :P!

About new Sigma - RWS had a ripcord prototype that included ripcord cable made of 1000lb. Spectra, rather than metal. Sigma will also incorporate larger transparent reserve flap window and a large transparent main flap window. The latter will include a drawn diagram that you can use to check if the loop is routed correctly. Kind of like putting a template on top and making sure everything follows a template.

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The latter will include a drawn diagram that you can use to check if the loop is routed correctly. Kind of like putting a template on top and making sure everything follows a template.



Unless it goes up into the yoke or they slightly changed where the collins laynard sits, you'll still have to pop the flap to check the routing of the cutaway cable.

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RWS had a ripcord prototype that included ripcord cable made of 1000lb. Spectra, rather than metal.



On the main or reserve? The main (drogue release) has been spectre before with a straight closing pin on the "end" of the two lines.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Unless it goes up into the yoke or they slightly changed where the collins laynard sits, you'll still have to pop the flap to check the routing of the cutaway cable.



The template on the transparent window refers to the main pin cover, not reserve. Also, 100% of the main and reserve pin cover flaps area will be transparent (unlike on previous Sigmas, where only about 15% of reserve pin cover area was transparent).

The RESERVE ripcord cable was a blue, slippery 1000lb, spectra line. Bill Booth said that it reduces friction and it will be introduced on Sigma first. After few years he may put it on V3.

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RWS had a ripcord prototype that included ripcord cable made of 1000lb. Spectra, rather than metal.



Sweet! Advancement!;)



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

I vaguely remember seeing some reserve ripcords made of suspension line back in the 1970s.
Dacron line was fashionable back in those days, so maybe it was a good idea waiting for materials technology to catch up.

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I vaguely remember seeing some reserve ripcords made of suspension line back in the 1970s.
Dacron line was fashionable back in those days, so maybe it was a good idea waiting for materials technology to catch up.



It was tounge-in-cheek:D


But seriously I think it's probably a good direction to go......
----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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...reserve ripcords made of suspension line back in the 1970s...



E.g. the Spanish Fly (more interesting for its internal hardware). The dacron ripcord ran through a fabric channel to a straight pin more commonly used on pull-outs. Most dacron suspension line is more than adequate to meet the 300#/3-second ripcord strength test.

1000# Spectra seems like overkill at first, but given the short length there's no great benefit to using a lighter weight, and the heavier weight should take more abuse before failing. Also, I doubt folks would trust a skinny 525# micro-line ripcord even if it were TSO'd.

I'd like to be able to extract the ripcord for inspection. That means the ripcord could get extracted entirely during an emergency deployment. What's the plan for re-threading it?

Mark

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I'd like to be able to extract the ripcord for inspection. That means the ripcord could get extracted entirely during an emergency deployment. What's the plan for re-threading it?



Good question. Another thing that came to my mind is that probably a long Spectra line flapping in a freefall wind (after pulling the reserve to full arm length) is more likely to tie a knot with some part of deploying reserve. I thing it would be less likely with the "less flexible" metal cable... Especially if you throw your handle(s) after pulling (soft reserve pud or a loop with a spectra cable would fly "up" since it is so lightweight).

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That's a typical racer jumper post :D

Being that the post above yours is dated Jan 31, 2005, 8:47 PM and the title of the thread talking about what is new from the PIA, it stands to reason you may not get much response.

Besides this isn't another racer bashing thread, though I have no issue it.
;)

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

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Yeah, not a highly useful Racer post.

But as for things that were new & exciting in January 2005, three and a half years later, whatever happened to the Spectra ripcord?

Haven't seen any around on the few new Vectors I've seen. Did it get shelved or is it available but people are being conservative and buying steel cable ripcords?

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I have been waiting for it and was disappointed when I couldn't get one with my Vector 3 last March. Don't forget to mention that this new rip cord has a bungee shock cord in it and makes a floating handle impossible. I said to UPT Vector that I wanted one as soon as it will be approved by the FAA. As Bill mentioned it, the reserve rip cord with steel cable is a 70+ years old design. Nothing wrong with the old stuff but now with new materials there is no excuse.
Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

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Vigil is likely to show up with something new and quite in advance with respect to its competitors products.

the Vigil coffee machine ?? :P

Seriously, have they finally designed the thing NOT to fire if you bring your rig lower than landing altitude ?
scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

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If you haven't read it yet, Spectra Ripcord is now available from UPT. I just installed mine(see pictures) and it seems good. When changing from a wire to spectra, remember to attach a micro line pullup to the pin eye before pulling out your handle ;)

The bungee is good to have in case your metal handle comes loose. But for the "FF-handle" it's not really necessarily since the velcro hold it in place. But, you may now inspect the attachment to the FF-handle which you can't with a wire.

The biggest drawback is that the blue line doesn't match my rig. I hope it comes in red or black soon :D

"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

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If you haven't read it yet, Spectra Ripcord is now available from UPT. I just installed mine(see pictures) and it seems good. When changing from a wire to spectra, remember to attach a micro line pullup to the pin eye before pulling out your handle ;)

The bungee is good to have in case your metal handle comes loose. But for the "FF-handle" it's not really necessarily since the velcro hold it in place. But, you may now inspect the attachment to the FF-handle which you can't with a wire.

The biggest drawback is that the blue line doesn't match my rig. I hope it comes in red or black soon :D



Have you actually pulled the RC and felt the difference between the steel cable and the bungee, stretchy RC?
What are the differences? length of pull stroke? pull forces? pull directions? etc

.
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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

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The pull is quite similar after stretching the bungee. Normally you'd have the "yoink"when the handle hits the ball on the wire and then comes the pull. On the spectra you have the same pull, just not the grinding sensation/vibrations from the metal wire gliding over metal housing.

I did test the force required to pull the pin in 3 different ways, straight up, 90 degrees outwards and straight down. the pull force upwards and sideways exceeded 25kg. Straight down was 11kg before movement began, but I had to increase pull force to 16kg to pull out the pin :S. A live pull, I reckon is higher then 16kg at the peak. has someone tested the peak force during pull?

"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

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I did test the force required to pull the pin in 3 different ways, straight up, 90 degrees outwards and straight down. the pull force upwards and sideways exceeded 25kg. Straight down was 11kg before movement began, but I had to increase pull force to 16kg to pull out the pin :S. A live pull, I reckon is higher then 16kg at the peak. has someone tested the peak force during pull?



Just remember, that when you pull in emergency, you pull with a "running start", so the force needed is lower.

Something on the topic from Bill Booth:

"Years ago, we mounted a High priced (1000 samples a second) digital scale on a the back of a harness, and connected it to a ripcord. From the standard reserve ripcord position, everyone could pull over 85 pounds with both hands...hell, one girl pulled over 100 pounds, and a few guys pulled over 150 pounds. "Soft" reserve handles generated forces nearly identical to metal handles. These numbers are from memory, but are probably pretty close.

From other tests with the same scale, I have learned that if you pull "quickly", from a "running start" (slack in the cable), the pull force necessary to open the same reserve container is up to 300% lower than if you apply the force gradually to the handle. Most riggers only have a spring loaded fish scale, and therefore must apply pull forces gradually in order to read the scale. So, what reads 30 pounds on the fish scale in the loft, will only be around 10 pounds when you actually pull your reserve in an emergency, because I don't know of anyone who applies ripcord pull force "gradually" while falling rapidly toward the earth."

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