Anyone remember para-planes?

[jimp 1]

Ski Shipuleski brought one up to Bill Hardman's Abbotsford dropzone in April 1971. Somehow I talked him into letting me jump it.

Logbook entry 231, exit height 9500 ft, wind speed 0, "Link with Svend (Hougard). Bit slow, but we made it. Hurt wrist landing. Wow!!"

Ski also had a Notre Dame foil which I got to jump a month later.

Logbook entry 243, exit height 5400, wind speed 0, "Not quite as spooky this time flared just nicely in the plowed field." Jump signed by R. Vest, D1434

Oh, the memories.

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi jimp,

It was a year or two prior to that where Ski brought a Snyder Rogallo wing up to Abbotsford for a meet that I was at. The 'wing' with the famous Snyder Wrap.

He kind of flew it around the sky and finally just landed out in the grass. No accuracy machine that thing.

Ski was always coming up with some crazy thing or other to jump. I think it was something in the water at Thun Field.

Jerry

[jimp 1]

Hi, Jerry,

My old log books from that "era" bring back a lot of memories.

I got hold of a Irvin Eagle wing early in '71 - maybe that's what "qualified" me to jump the ram airs. Once I landed it on one of Bill Hardman's outside packing tables. He wasn't amused at the time, but mentions it with a smile whenever I see him these days.

Some of the signatures in these old books are interesting and no doubt you'd recognize them: Ski, Lenny Aikins, Jessie Aikins, Jack Massey, Charles Bunch, Ron Dixon, Nick Wilson, Andrew Ramage, Ron Hermann, Ken Gorman.

On a trip to Antioch and Perris I see Rick Robbins, Rick Canham, Mike Dodson, Ron Tavalero, Paul Sitter, Brent McLarty, Bob Thompson, Bill Smith, jeanni McCombs, Russ Gunby, Frank Venegas, Lyle Cameron, and Tony Lemus (at Tequesquitengo Mexico). I don't see yours there, but maybe we can fix that one of these days.

It was about then the first Clouds were making an appearance - called the "Silver Cloud" I think. Skip Stevenson had one at Antioch in Nov. 71.

It's all getting to be ancient history now, though!

Jim

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi Jim,

I knew all of these guys well:

Ski, Lenny Aikins, Jessie Aikins, Jack Massey, Charles Bunch, Ron Dixon, Nick Wilson, Andrew Ramage, Ron Hermann, Ken Gorman. Drew Ramage was a Portland-area jumper so I was good friends with him, he was a great guy and a good jumper; haven't seen or talked with him in nearly 20 yrs.

I have met/known:

Ron Tavalero, Bill Smith, jeanni McCombs, Russ Gunby, Lyle Cameron. I was talking to jeanni at Elsinore just a week or so before she went in.

You're right, it was the ParaPlane Silver Cloud; named after the Rolls Royce model of car.

Whew, this mental exercise is making me tired; I need something to drink.

Jerry

[lekstrom10k 0]

I disagree with your statement "Three rings was part of the original Wonderhog". I got my first wonderhog in 1976 and they werent out yet. Three more rigs after that didnt either . My 1979 finally did with the round bottom ring and folded main lift webbing. In case anyone wants to know "R-2s" had a folded back tubular webbing with a turn-back on the bottom to pull .It was held in place with an elastic and velcro wrap. The "R-3s" had two inch webbing and a clear plastic tube about 5/8s diameter sewn cross ways for the handle to pull. Capewell was the name of the company that made the canopy inter-change possible. I have a few "WW11" rigs that the riser was part of the rig no detachment . there are solid links on them then the canopy line were sewn to them , If you had a worn harness it all went .I f the canopy had a rip again it all got thrown out. The government finally said there has to be a better way . Thus Capewells definitely not for cutaways. My 1964 Crossbow had an RSL despite USPA newbies insisting they have only been out a few years. It only connected to the left side riser so you always tried to chop both sides at the same time for obvious reasons. Does anyone remember what the pin was made out of on the first Wonderhogs?

[JSBIRD 1]

Quote

I disagree with your statement "Three rings was part of the original Wonderhog". I got my first wonderhog in 1976 and they werent out yet. Three more rigs after that didnt either . My 1979 finally did with the round bottom ring and folded main lift webbing. In case anyone wants to know "R-2s" had a folded back tubular webbing with a turn-back on the bottom to pull .It was held in place with an elastic and velcro wrap. The "R-3s" had two inch webbing and a clear plastic tube about 5/8s diameter sewn cross ways for the handle to pull. Capewell was the name of the company that made the canopy inter-change possible. I have a few "WW11" rigs that the riser was part of the rig no detachment . there are solid links on them then the canopy line were sewn to them , If you had a worn harness it all went .I f the canopy had a rip again it all got thrown out. The government finally said there has to be a better way . Thus Capewells definitely not for cutaways. My 1964 Crossbow had an RSL despite USPA newbies insisting they have only been out a few years. It only connected to the left side riser so you always tried to chop both sides at the same time for obvious reasons. Does anyone remember what the pin was made out of on the first Wonderhogs?

Three rings WERE included on my first Wonderhog, purchased February of 1976.

359

"Now I've settled down,
in a quiet little town,
and forgot about everything"

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

I disagree with your statement "Three rings was part of the original Wonderhog". I got my first wonderhog in 1976 and they werent out yet. Three more rigs after that didnt either . My 1979 finally did with the round bottom ring and folded main lift webbing. In case anyone wants to know "R-2s" had a folded back tubular webbing with a turn-back on the bottom to pull .It was held in place with an elastic and velcro wrap. The "R-3s" had two inch webbing and a clear plastic tube about 5/8s diameter sewn cross ways for the handle to pull. Capewell was the name of the company that made the canopy inter-change possible. I have a few "WW11" rigs that the riser was part of the rig no detachment . there are solid links on them then the canopy line were sewn to them , If you had a worn harness it all went .I f the canopy had a rip again it all got thrown out. The government finally said there has to be a better way . Thus Capewells definitely not for cutaways. My 1964 Crossbow had an RSL despite USPA newbies insisting they have only been out a few years. It only connected to the left side riser so you always tried to chop both sides at the same time for obvious reasons. Does anyone remember what the pin was made out of on the first Wonderhogs?

You are correct, the first Wonderhogs had 1-1/2 capewells like most gear of the time (except mine which I put 1 shots on). I don't know exactly when Bill released the 3-Ring to the world, but he was working on them when I left his shop in 1975.

Yes, I remember what the reserve ripcords were made of, but I'm cheating since I built the first 100 + rigs for Bill. I'll let someone else take a shot before answering that one...

And I'll add a question... the original Wonderhogs had a spring loaded pilot chute. Anyone remember how it worked?

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi Roger,

Quote

And I'll add a question... the original Wonderhogs had a spring loaded pilot chute. Anyone remember how it worked?

Were they not mounted on the outside like a PopTop?

Although I do not know the details on how they worked.

Jerry

[jonstark 8]

The pilot chute cap wrapped around the container and the pins (or coated cable) were protected underneath.

[howardwhite 4]

Here, stolen from Poynter manual, is Booth modelling "an early model Wonderhog."

HW

[RogerRamjet 0]

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Here, stolen from Poynter manual, is Booth modelling "an early model Wonderhog."

HW

Well, it may be and "early" model, but it's after I left which makes it at least into the 200's in production. It does have the belly band hand-deploy which of course lost favor to "safer" mounting positions later on.

I made the first hand-deploy jump and I can't tell you how hard it was to let go of that thing

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

The pilot chute cap wrapped around the container and the pins (or coated cable) were protected underneath.

You and Jerry both have it correct though yours is the more accurate description. We sewed a diamond shaped cap on a standard MA-1. The container had a loop of bungie on one flap and grommets on the remaining flaps. You pulled the bungie through the other three flaps and secured the container with a bight of the bridle (this is why the transition to the hand-deploy was so easy for us, the container closure was already working). The pilot chute was then compressed on the outside of the pack, you flipped it over and secured it with the plastic ripcord.

BTW, the first Wonderhogs used a plastic ripcord for both the main and reserve closure, not a plastic coated cable. Bill put that stuff through an incredible barrage of tests for flex, hot, cold, impact, you name it. However, when someone went in at Case Grande and blamed a broken reserve ripcord, Bill immediately switched to a traditional cable with pins reserve ripcord. I never saw the "broken" ripcord and still have my doubts about it being the cause though I suppose it may have broken on impact. Bill is not the sort to take chances (it was the first fatality on a Wonderhog and he was visibly shaken about it). The whole idea behind the rig was to increase safety, not introduce new issues (though I suppose with anything new that is somewhat inevitable).

BTW, my only mal was a lineover on a C9 round and I cutaway and deployed my 26' Navy conical with my plastic reserve ripcord...

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[jbrasher 0]

If my memory is correct the Casa Grande fatality was because the original reserve hanle/cable was lost and a 'regulr' braided metal cable was used.
The problem was the braided cable had burrs

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

If my memory is correct the Casa Grande fatality was because the original reserve hanle/cable was lost and a 'regulr' braided metal cable was used.
The problem was the braided cable had burrs

I believe I do remember that coming out (much later after I left his shop), but Bill had already made the change and of course he used a metal housing. The plastic reserve ripcord just went through a webbing tunnel, not a place for cable...

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[lekstrom10k 0]

I was mostly refering to the main container. The pin was actually your PC bridle line folded over lenghth wise then in half width wise to be stuffed into your elastic closing loop. It was one of the first rigs using a pull-up cord. I took off my belly band pilot chute pouch and sewed it on as a BOC. When I got my first Ed Mosher "Swing- Wing" jump suit. With the harness worn inside your jump suit. it was the only way. I just looked at an old video from 1979 demo jumo four way . Two swing wings and all four riser realease systems One shots ,R-2s R-3s and my three ring. I want to show the kids what we had to endure as state of the art gear. His ad had the model wearing a "Darth Vader" helmit.

[Gene03 0]

1000 lb. type V for the A & B lines. 750 lb. type IV for the cascades. Back then it was;
A lines
A cascades
B lines
B cascades
steering lines

Trim was 6-8-12 from the A line, forget the brake setting though.

They were cascaded and "protected" in 3 1/2" sections of red heat shrink tubing.

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[jbrasher 0]

Ah yes, the critical peice in this and I forgot to mention it
The braided metal cable was routed through a cloth channel which wasn't as Bill designed it.

Mixed/mismatched equipment components will get you sooner or later.

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

[pchapman 261]

Quote

BTW, the first Wonderhogs used a plastic ripcord for both the main and reserve closure, not a plastic coated cable.

Can you clarify this? Are you saying it wasn't just a plastic handle, but a plastic 'cable'? Not some sort of suspension line material for the 'cable'?

Some early rigs did have cutaway cables that were not like the yellow Lolon stuff that nearly everyone uses now. Back in the early '90s I recall coming across an old unused rig with what seemed to be white (I think) cutaway cables. I tried to see the metal cable inside but the 'cables' were pure solid flexible plastic. Bizzare, I thought.

Is that related to what you were writing about? Or is my memory off?

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

Quote

BTW, the first Wonderhogs used a plastic ripcord for both the main and reserve closure, not a plastic coated cable.

Can you clarify this? Are you saying it wasn't just a plastic handle, but a plastic 'cable'? Not some sort of suspension line material for the 'cable'?

Some early rigs did have cutaway cables that were not like the yellow Lolon stuff that nearly everyone uses now. Back in the early '90s I recall coming across an old unused rig with what seemed to be white (I think) cutaway cables. I tried to see the metal cable inside but the 'cables' were pure solid flexible plastic. Bizzare, I thought.

Is that related to what you were writing about? Or is my memory off?

Yes, I mean the cables themselves were plastic. The "handle" was just a short piece of orange PVC tubing. The ripcord itself was a long piece of extruded nylon rod which was impregnated with molybdenum disulfide. This allowed for an incredibly flexible and strong "plastic" rod.

We got a report one day of a person going in at Casa Grande and a broken ripcord was blamed. Bill changed the system over to a regular housing and metal cable with pins right then and there. It seems that later it was determined that the original plastic ripcord was lost and they replaced it with a traditional metal one. Unfortunately, they did not use a metal housing and just ran the metal cable through the same fabric tube we used for the plastic ripcord. The replacement ripcord was frayed and resulted in a no pull due to snagging in the fabric tunnel.

As for the cutaway cables, Bill will have to speak to that. I left his shop when he was experimenting with the 3-ring system, but he did not release it for production until much later. The only cutaway cables I saw at the time were plastic coated cable (yellow if I remember correctly). I do not know if they would even resemble the current cables...

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[Zing 2]

Here's a couple photos of my old Baby Paraplane. This was the one that I had "Suzuki of Fargo" sewn onto the bottom and jumped it on demos.
The one of me over the Blue Angels aircraft was at an airshow in Fargo, Hector Field, around 1974. The Golden Geeks were there too, but the wind was howling at about 2o knots with gusts and the Knights were still jumping Paracommanders.
The second one was a demo into a car dealership in Moorehead, Minn a few months later. Three of us got out just as a major thunderstorm came in. The other two were on a Paracommander and a 27' Russian PC. They landed 3 to 5 miles from the dealership, but I managed to land just a few 100 feet fromthe parking lot.
The guy running the dealership said that when he saw the weather hit as we got out of the airplane, he didn't know whether to call an ambulance, or the media ... so he called the local tv station, and his dealership made the 10-o'clock news on all three local stations.
Both these photos ran in the Fargo Forum newspaper.

Zing Lurks

[airtwardo 6]

Both these photos ran in the Fargo Forum newspaper.

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Damn..I missed it!

And I almost ALWAYS read the Fargo paper FIRST!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

• Quote

[Zing 2]

C'mon now Twardo ... you don't remember those days any better than I do!

Zing Lurks

[upndownshop 0]

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I watched the video of a friend of mine jumping his dad's para plane that he'd used in the 70s.He was telling me ths history about it and stuff..pretty cool to learn.

Here is a shot of me jumping my dads Para foil. Used his jumpsuit and rig. I used to pack that thing for $.50 back in the days.

never did get that slider down.


stood it up in the peas.


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