Cross connector straps on round mains?

[SEREJumper 1]

Pretty much all round reserves I have seen have them, but what about round mains back in the early days?

I know the military has them on ejection seat rigs in the off chance a riser is released during egress, but did anyone use them on round mains?

For those not in the know:

STRAP, CROSS CONNECTOR—A length of webbing sewn across the lift webassembly or attached between suspension line connector links. It prevents streaming of a canopy in the event one riser was not properly attached to the harness.

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[Amazon 7]

Quote

Pretty much all round reserves I have seen have them, but what about round mains back in the early days?

I know the military has them on ejection seat rigs in the off chance a riser is released during egress, but did anyone use them on round mains?

For those not in the know:

STRAP, CROSS CONNECTOR—A length of webbing sewn across the lift webassembly or attached between suspension line connector links. It prevents streaming of a canopy in the event one riser was not properly attached to the harness.

They were installed on all the parasails used at the water school... just in case that realeasing the cover on the J-1 might release inadvertently while they were running thru the procedures and floating down into the water.
Other than that I never saw anyone with a cross connector on a sport main.

[mccurley 0]

Never saw one on a main

Watch my video Fat Women
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRWkEky8GoI

[mark 102]

Yes, on (mostly student) rigs equipped with a Stevens Lanyard.

The Stevens Lanyard was an RSL, a piece of tubular nylon that ran from the right riser to the chest reserve ripcord handle. The cross connector prevented reserve handle pull when only the right riser was cut away.

Mark

[lekstrom10k 0]

I agree we had them on PC's fot students. It was from 1974 up to 1980. We kinda told them not to try to watch the handle come out "Keep your head back once you locate it and pull your shot and 1/2's. A Sentinal handlecan hurt

[JohnRich 4]

I had them on my Paracommander, but since I bought it used, I don't know if that was original equipment, or an after-market modification.

[councilman24 36]

As mentioned earlier if you had a stevens lanyard, think RSL attached to the rip cord handle, you needed cross connectors to keep from firing your reserve if only one side cutaway. A likely occurance with capewells.

Not on all round reserves, only chest mount round reserves. Needed in case one snap was left unsnapped or failed. A round would be fine with one side unsnapped but with the cross connector holding it together. You can't put a ram air in a chest mount because a ram air connected by one snap and cross connector would be spinning.

But piggy back rigs had round reserves in the beginning, and some still do, and they didn't/don't have cross connectors because they didn't have snaps to be left unsnapped. (a few exceptions exist) And none of the pilot rigs I service have cross connectors.

So, cross connectors (load bearing,not CRW) are a function of a chest mounted reserve or a reserve deployment system. NOT that it's a round canopy. BUT, because it has cross connectors and snaps on a chest mount it SHOULD (MUST) be a round canopy.

The lap rig I have with riser integral to the harness could have a ram air in it if the manufacturer allowed it. He doesn't.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[drjump 0]

After market! I never saw a new PC with factory installed X-connector straps, and I sold a hundred new PC's in the 70's.

[firemedic 7]

I jumped a UPT cutaway rig so I could demo a skyhook. The chest mounted reserve had a PD 143 in it. I guess the manufacturer can ok a ram air in a chest reserve.

[obelixtim 100]

The thinking was that a cross connecter on a main would result in a broken neck.....

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[pchapman 261]

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The chest mounted reserve had a PD 143 in it.

Cool. Then there were also those US smoke jumpers from the Bureau of Land Management who have (had?) a belly mount square, a 270 MT-1S. They use some sort of droop risers so they are suspended from a higher point under reserve.

Edit: Their reserves appear to hook on to risers built into the main harness, using lockable climbing carabiners. So there's no worry about accidentally knocking a snap open.

So what kind of reserve hookup was used on that UPT cutaway rig? Regular snaps, or something that could be locked?

[steve1 5]

I remember the Steven's Cut Away system back in the mid 70's. I think it was for mostly students. You cut away your shot and a half capewells, and the cross connector kept your main inflated. A cord ran down from that to your reserve ripcord handle of the belly reserve. I think there were some snaps to hold that line in place.

I put a new belly reserve together, back in the 70's. I hadn't been a rigger very long. I had it all packed up, and went home. That night I got to thinking....I wonder if I put the cross connector on....I woke up, drove to the airport, and upacked that reserve. Sure enough I had forgot the cross connector. It made me realize how easy it is to make a mistake. If one of the butterfly snaps had come unhooked, the reserve would have been worthless....

[chuteless 1]

As some of the other replies: The Stevens cutaway system required a cross connector on the main, and I used that system without any negative effects. I also had two reserve openings on which one of the snap hooks came off the D Ring on the harness. Without the cross connector, I would have been killed on both of these Jumps. ( Can you really die twice?????? )

One other reserve opening after a cutaway, the reserve didnt want to come out of the pack so I thumped it with my fist and there it was, a beautiful white blossom above my head.

Bill Cole D-41

[longtall 0]

I have cross connectors on all 3 pc's.

" 90 right, five miles then cut."---Pukin Buzzards

[councilman24 36]

Yeah, but who's chest container was it? I don't know that Bill ever had a TSO on a chest container. Of course it's a minor change from a Wonderhog.

Hmmm... Of course I don't know that the third canopy needs to be TSO'd. If jumping intentionally you need a single harness/dual parachute or dual harness/dual parachute (tandem) system. Nothing in the regs about intending to open both parachutes. It's just kind of a good idea.

I'm with Peter, not sure I'd want a ram air - last chance to live - on regular snaps. See post above.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[mjosparky 3]

All chest mounted reserves have or should have cross connectors. Chest mounts were originally called QAC which meant Quick Attach Chest. An air crewman would walk around with just the harness on and if they had to bail out he would grab it on the way out. If he failed to get both snaps hooked up the canopy would still inflate. Once you are open lean forward and run the little short risers up behind your arms and shoulders. This will set you upright in the harness for landing. As some mentioned the Stevens system was almost exclusive used by students.
The one I know that use cross connectors on his main was Al Krueger.
The third canopy/container on a cut away rig does not need a TSO. When I was doing a lot of testing I would wear a MIL-Spec harness under the test item with a TSO’s chest mount attached to it.

Sparky


http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp55/mjosparky/CrossConnector-1.jpg

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Andy9o8 0]

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Once you are open lean forward and run the little short risers up behind your arms and shoulders. This will set you upright in the harness for landing.

See? Who sez DZ.com ain't useful?

[chuteless 1]

I did have a cross connector on the 25 foot risors with a Para Commander....and after the bone crushing opening and the risor twists that followed, I wish I had left the cross connector off.


Live and learn.


Bill Cole D-41