Cross-Braced Canopy Design

[Avion 0]

I was just thinking about X-braced canopies and was wondering if a cell design like this was ever tried:

Ignore the dashes inside the cell, I had to put them there to maintain the spacing.

________
|---/ \---|
|--/---\--|
|-/-----\-|
-----------

I'm wondering in this case if the middle vertical rib can be omitted as above.

[ryoder 1,412]

Your drawing reminds me of a canopy from a small canopy builder in the mid-90's. Damned if I can remember their name or the name of the canopy right now.

There is a lot of unorthodox stuff that is tried but never makes it to production. I heard a funny story once. Some container builder was putting a new design in production. He happened to be talking to a competitor on the phone about it, and verbally explained the design. A couple days later an envelope arrived with a photo, and a note asking: "Does it look like this?".

He called the competitor and asked: "Where the hell did you get a photo of one of my new rigs?"

The response: "Oh, that's a photo of a prototype I built years ago."

I left out the name of the competitor, but I'll give you one guess.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Avion 0]

Well, its a bit simpler than a tri-cell cross brace and far from the new z-brace. I like the keep it simple motto. So, it would be for a mild to moderate performance canopy by today's standards.

[nitrochute 2]

Steve Snyder designed and patented what he called the "V cell" back in the late 60s or early 70s.the crossbraced designs pretty much fall under those now expired patents.
"Aint no such thing as an original idea"

[Avion 0]

I found it: US Patent 3,724,789 4/3/1973

Yes, something like that, with a vertical rib above where the suspension lines attach.

Thanks

[nitrochute 2]

thats just one of snyds MANY patents. he was quite the designer.

[matthewcline 0]

I recently sawa design very much like that at canopy makers loft that is airing out in trials right now.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!