Capewell release system

[scruffy 0]

I did a search and I couldn't find any information about how the Capewell riser release system actually works. I've couldn't really find any information on the procedures for using it on the internet anywhere either. So i'm wondering if anyone (old timers, military jumpers, etc) could give me any info on how to use it. I don't really have a good reason for wanting to know about it, just like trivial knowledge.

I'm posting this here as I guess it's a "historical" piece for sport jumping and maybe not as relevant for the gear forum.

Thanks.

Peace, love and hoppiness

[Amazon 7]

Quote

I did a search and I couldn't find any information about how the Capewell riser release system actually works. I've couldn't really find any information on the procedures for using it on the internet anywhere either. So i'm wondering if anyone (old timers, military jumpers, etc) could give me any info on how to use it. I don't really have a good reason for wanting to know about it, just like trivial knowledge.

I'm posting this here as I guess it's a "historical" piece for sport jumping and maybe not as relevant for the gear forum.

Thanks.

Capewell

Cutaway

Basically there is a n outer metal cover that holds a wire ring in place that is used to pull a mechanism out of a pressure fit connection that is fit into a male fitting that is attached to the risers. There is a small slide inside the female portion that when the rings are pulled out and away/rotating down allows the small bottom of the male portion to slip/rotate up and out ( the top wide portion of the male triangular piece has a lip that fits under a slottede portion of the female fitting also) allowing the harness with the female portion of the Capewell release to separate from the risers that are attached to your parachute.

In the Air Force we just refered to them as J-1 releases and many skydivers refered to them as shot and a half releases. There were also kits available to replace the metal cover and ring with the pressure fit portion of the realese with Velcro... referred to as Tapewells.

ETA

I have 5 cutaways with Capewells over the years.. they do work

[riggerrob 558]

Start by reading Poynter's manuals.

Basically, Capewells include a female (sewn to a harness), male (sewn to bottom end of a riser) and locking mechanism, a cable to pull on to release them and a sheet metal cover.

The male portion has a 10 to 1 lever advantage.

The sliding locking mechanism holds down the long end of the lever.
Ther have been several generations of locking mechanisms.
The first locking mechanism required squeezing together two metal buttons ... aka "2 shot."

The second generation required pulling a steel cable ... aka "one and a half shot."

GQ Security re-built a few Capewells, so that the sheet metal cover was attached to the steel cable ... aka "one shot."

Fourth generation Capewells were modified by a bewildering array of civilian riggers. Their common goal was to reduce the risk of the sheet metal cover snagging the pilot chutes of chest-mounted reserves, so they used a variety of tape, webbing, Velcro and elastic.

About the time (late 1970s) they perfected "Tapewells," Bill Booth invented the 3-Ring Circus, which eventually replaced all other types of civilian canopy releases.

[andrewhilton 1]

There are some images of capewells and variants in

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43867826@N07/sets/72157622676844920/

I hope this helps you picture how they work.

[scruffy 0]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Peace, love and hoppiness

[lekstrom10k 0]

Capewell is the name of the company that manufactured the forged releases. There were three types Double shots {squeeze ,shot and 1/2{cover down thumbs in wire hoops}, and one shot {fully rotate covers} The original military harnesses had the main lift web become the risers and solid links with sewn donwn lines. If the canopy had a rip you tossed the whole rig. Vice versa if the harness went bad again picth the whole rig.Capewells gave you interchangability. Some Navy rigs only had one riser that could be released if ditching at sea to collapse the canopy from dragging, even with sea pockets . R-1's and R-2's were adaptations of 1-1/2's worked well, One shots were a joke and you couldn't swap any other canopy into your rig unless risers were switched over too.

[kkeenan 13]

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...One shots were a joke ...

Incident from around '73-'74 involving One-Shots. A guy jumping a Thunderbow in a Piggyback with a ripcord stop (Some of you may have to research that item). After deployment, he had placed the ripcord handle over his right wrist, with the end of the ripcord cable still in the housing, secured by the ripcord stop. Somewhere along the line, the cable got behind the cover of the right-hand release. At about 300', the dude cranks a right turn, pulling the ripcord tight because the handle was around his wrist. The cable flips open the cover of the right One-Shot Capewell, releasing that riser. It was a fatal accident.

Most people weren't crazy about One-Shots at the time anyway. That accident sure didn't help their cause.

Kevin K.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[1888 0]

I made 300 or so on 2 shots & once landed a line over rather than use them. The best bet is to pray hard.

[riggerrob 558]

Agreed!
Most of the early rigs - that I jumped - had their Capewells rusted solid!
When I experienced my first malfunction (1979) I did not even bother trying to open the Capewells and just went straight for the reserve ripcord.

Similarly, the first time I tore a main canopy, I did not bother touching the Capwells on my military freefall rig and decided to land the damaged main.
As I was laying in the grass beside the bowl - congratulating myself on not breaking anything - a sergeant chewed me out for not using the reserve. No wonder he got "busted" down a rank!

And the last time I re-packed a military-surplus seat pack, the owner got most indignent when I told him that was the last time I would ever re-pack it ... something about the Capewells being rusted solid and the cotton container startign to secum to mildew?????

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

Quote

...One shots were a joke ...

Incident from around '73-'74 involving One-Shots. A guy jumping a Thunderbow in a Piggyback with a ripcord stop (Some of you may have to research that item). After deployment, he had placed the ripcord handle over his right wrist, with the end of the ripcord cable still in the housing, secured by the ripcord stop. Somewhere along the line, the cable got behind the cover of the right-hand release. At about 300', the dude cranks a right turn, pulling the ripcord tight because the handle was around his wrist. The cable flips open the cover of the right One-Shot Capewell, releasing that riser. It was a fatal accident.

Most people weren't crazy about One-Shots at the time anyway. That accident sure didn't help their cause.

Kevin K.

I heard that story also while jumping at Z-Hills. We tried to find out who and where, but were never able to verify that it actually happened. One shots require the cover to be pulled fully down, very hard to do with a cable (not impossible I suppose). Compared to the number of accidental releases of 3-Rings, One-Shots were terrific...

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

[ryoder 1,384]

Funny story I got from the guy it happened to:

His Paracommander was streamering.
He had popped open the covers of his 1 1/2 shots and was giving it just a few more seconds to see if it would clear.
Well, it suddenly cleared and banged open with such force that it threw his arms downward, and since his thumbs were in the wire hoops, he inadvertently chopped a perfectly good canopy.

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

[gjhdiver 0]

I did my first 100 or so on a system with two shots on it. I knew how to get them undone, but I just figured that it took so damn long to do that it would have easier to cut a riser off instead if you were getting seriously dragged.

That system had a nice free packed, unmodified Irvin 24" in the front mount with short lines, so you didn't have to cutaway malfunctions anyway. The only malfunction you really dreaded with that was a total, but that's another thread

[RogerRamjet 0]

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I did my first 100 or so on a system with two shots on it. I knew how to get them undone, but I just figured that it took so damn long to do that it would have easier to cut a riser off instead if you were getting seriously dragged.

That system had a nice free packed, unmodified Irvin 24" in the front mount with short lines, so you didn't have to cutaway malfunctions anyway. The only malfunction you really dreaded with that was a total, but that's another thread

I was on a two way with a young lady at Z-Hills one day in late 73 or early 74. The ripcord housing had come loose from her harness and she couldn't find it at deployment time. As I was falling right next to her, I watched her try once, twice and then go directly to silver (front mounted 24' with pilot chute). Boy did she disappear in a hurry. After I opened (28' C9 TU7), she came oscillating past me as the 24 was not modified. I kept yelling "feet and knees together" to her all the way down. She really didn't complain too much about the opening, only that the landing was hard as she landed during the downswing of one of the oscillations (no injury). She had shot and a halves, but that really didn't matter for this incident...

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

[nebug 0]

In early 1971, down in Florida, I had my first malfunction (PC Mk1). Shot + 1/2 capewells. Cutaway/reserve deployment Ok. Unmodified 24' T-7 ripstock reserve canopy. The swinging was crazy. Landed on a golf course green on a down swing. !!Don't ever land on a golf course green!! Harder than concrete. Knocked all the air out of me. Immediately had Jimmy Godwin (name dropping here) cut 3 holes in my reserve. Next reserve ride in 1973 from a StratoCloud. Still 1+1/2 shots. Couldn't believe it was the same canopy. The landing was so nice without all the swinging. I think except for the time needed to activate them, capewells gave me a better sense of security than 3-ring single handle releases though I've never had a mal on the 3-ring system. Maybe I'll feel different if I have to use the 3-ring on a malfunction.

[slots 0]

Despite all their draw backs, Capewells did offer the advantage of being able to convert a conventional rig to a cut away rig without any permanent change to the harness. This could be done by using a “clip on Capewells” These consist of a pair of additional female Capewells, some tape (type 11?) and a pair of connector links. See photo clip on Capewell.

With the connector link removed, the loop end of the webbing can be threaded through the main male Capewell, doubled back underneath and then locked in place by the connector link. See photo clip on Capewell attached to main riser.

The main riser is then attached to the harness in the normal way and can be detached without any interference, though a couple of hand stitches should be used where shown to stop the clip on Capewells falling over the main ones after the cut away canopy has been released. See photo clip on Capewell on the rig.

This system was used to test all my home made canopies and always worked without any problems. I should add however that as only the very thin (type 11?) webbing can be used; all my test canopies were deployed by static line. Whether this thin webbing would survive many terminal openings is something unknown.

[airtwardo 6]

Slick!

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