Lite weight fabric tear

[RiggerLee 61]

Here's a link to basejumper.com. For a while we've been building canopies from light weight fabrics like what is used in the optima. It makes a big difference to us with the average canopy size being around 260. For the most part we've had good luck but this guy is starting to get stress tears on what look like his ribs. The opening you see is a bottom skin vent. It probable started with a staticline jump that pulled on the top skin and transferd the load from the 80lb break tape down through these two ribs. This would generally not have occurred with f111.

It's not strictly skydiving but it's a close cozen. We use a lot of the same technology and designs. It's a little bit rougher environment so it stands to reason that we would see the failure points sooner then in skydiving.


http://www.basejumper.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2933809;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

Lee

Lee
[email protected]
www.velocitysportswear.com

[mark 103]

That's interesting. I wonder how similar the fabrics are, and how the effects of design, environment, and operation compare.

FWIW, I don't think Optimum users have much to worry about. PD has demo Optimums (same as reserves but with a pilot chute attachment) that have quite a few jumps. Also, PD Pulse canopies with light-weight bottom skins seem to be holding up well.

Mark

[riggerrob 558]

How strong is your S/L break cord?

[RiggerLee 61]

I don't do a lot of low stuff, not my thing. Systems vary. Most people use some form of cary with you static line. It's designed to break so that the whole system leaves with you leaving no trace. They use a lot of 80 lb tape. It depends on how they tie the knots but you could see up to 160 lb on the bridal.

There are several threads on base jumper discussing diffrent set ups that people use.

Lee

Lee
[email protected]
www.velocitysportswear.com