nyjoehere 0 #1 March 22, 2011 Some fellow students and I here at the University of Wisconsin are working on an aerodynamic Art project using the 1960 C-9 Canopy Assy 28' Dia for a parachute to be rigged to a base and held aloft by industrial fans. We purchased a surplus Parachute USAF59-19953 P/N 50E6877-2 which has the starter lines but we can not figure out how it was rigged (Lines Ran) to a harness. Can you please help us out by telling us how the lines where attached from the canopy to the harness? Any information or pictures you can provide would really be appreciated. Thank you for your help beforehand. Take care Joe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1888 0 #2 March 22, 2011 Go back to where you bought it & ask for connector links and risers for your parachute or Google it. But for your purposes, I would suggest something different. The easiest way would be to untangle the lines & lay the canopy out flat so you have a big circle. There is an inside & outside to the canopy. The outside is determined by looking at the skirt, (bottom) where the lines are sewn & it should be obvious which is the outside as lines are sewn to add strength to the parachute & hold it together in the air. With me so far? Now lay the outside of the canopy on the floor & spread it out. Untangle the lines & spread them out evenly off the big circle of the canopy. Now find a big solid circle to attach the end of the lines to, a bicycle rim comes to mind. Get your fans ready & turn em on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #3 March 22, 2011 i read with interest your couple of posts about this... and think i get your idea.. because we did it decades ago, at a similar " Trade Show, Public Information Fair, Gathering " where there are a bunch of different Booths... the entire fan concept... here's what i learned way back then... It's not as easy as it sounds... but can be done..A C9, what we called a "cheapo", while nicely colored and all,,, ( i'm guessing you have a white and orange one ) is still ALOT of material to "lift and inflate" , Especially if the canopy hasn't been "gutted" , of all the 550 cord.. which adds weight. To tell THAT, look up at the apex which will be the smaller hole at the top of the canopy... IF you see all the suspension lines..passing through the apex.. which i think you Will Because you DO say that SOME of the lines are still "attached to the skirt".. then it's going to be pretty heavy for the fan(s). Unlike RamAirs, where the lines attach at the lower skin of the canopy... Rounds always had continuous suspension lines. They ran from one riser connector link, Through the hem of the skirt... and on up,, Over the Top, ( apex ) and of course,, right back on DOWN the other side of the fabric... ( housed within fabric channels at each seam where one Gore, connected to the next...) out the hem, headed down... and back to the opposite riser where it secured at the connnector link... No 3 rings, but rather, connector links.. which mated up into Capewells, of one kind or another, on each side of the harness/container...We used a 24 foot reserve.. and took a booth spot, along a wall. That way we "connected" half the canopy to the WALL.. and inflated the other half which extended out,, over our table(s)... See if a nearby rigging loft. might HAVE a 26' LOPO reserve.. some of them were red white blue, otherwise find any old round reserve... NO need to cut off the lines,, clip them away either to the skirt of the canopy.. or bunch them together and tie them off... Our situation worked OK.. the canopy danced around, just enough to draw attention,,, as it could be seen from a distance.. Attach it to the Wall quite high, if you can. The fan could be noisy or you might find a heavy duty blower fan or an industrial unit used for air circulation...which might be both quieter and stronger. not sure just how easy it would be , to hold up a canopy from a base. out in the open, with fan power only..especially a 28 footer good luck.. let us know how it works out. jmy A 3914 nscr 1817 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nyjoehere 0 #4 March 22, 2011 Thanks for the reply. The chute we have only has the (cut off) lines attached around the skirt. It is not a full circle. More like a 3/4 circle. There are 10 lines bunched together in a 20" section on one side then 11 lines 36" apart on the opposite side. There are numbers on the canopy by these lines from 19 to 29. We would like it to try to be as authentic as possible first before we try the wall mounting idea. We have an 6' industrial fan able to produce a continuous 30 mph wind flow. We also have the ability to suspend or position the fan at any height or position from cables. Space and/or noise are not issues. I guess our first question is how long are the line supposed to be? Thanks again for your input. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,340 #5 March 22, 2011 Poynter Vol 1 has a good bit on rounds. I can't find an actual line length chart, but I only took a quick look. It does have details on your C-9. Also know as "The Parachute Manual, A Technical Treatise on Aerodynamic Decelerators.""There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
