andrewhilton

In my haste to post the pics I forgot to credit Tony Danbury for the photographs I attached. Thanks for all the interesting replies, especially JerryBaumchen's

From the Gary Lewis PC handbook, the Comp PC was shortlined 42" at the factory versus a Mark1. I had a really soft opening on mine - though my last 6 jumps prior to that were on Delta2 Parawings which were quite abrupt stops ; big frontal tuck ; landing quite ok at 185lbs out the door

I had to shorten the lines on this PC by a small amount - about 6 inches - as it had been trashed at the links with a razor by someone who thought it wasn't going to be jumped again. Other than that 6 inches, I think it was the factory original length prior to that. Was the 'Competition' model factory made with short lines to help provide the performance that 'Competitors' wanted?

Yesterday, 14th November, at Langar, UK My Mark3 Competition model PC, colour pattern known as "Sir Knight". Noticably more responsive than the Mark 1, even to this novice.

Got an old one up the attic. In need of much restore work. I understand this to be a UK made, large PC type parachute, as you say, designed for military jumpers with full equipment loads. For sport use they were not well suited as the lack of load on a sport jumper meant they didn't open very fast - if at all. Indeed, the one that I have was last used on a fatal sport jump in the 1971. I have no intention of jumping mine. Report from that accident is attached though not necessarily relevant to the original question.

http://www.square1.com/manufacturers/square1/p1245.asp

For those that might be interested, there have been many additions to the following flickr picture collection lately, many as a result of some recent Parawing jumps. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintageparachutegear/ Hope you like them.

Try Leo Dickinson who made the films - http://www.adventurearchive.com/

Info from ParaFlite here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/43867826@N07/4096369568 I have both a Strato Flyer - configured as a Safety Flyer wrt brakes and lack of pilot chute attachment point ; and a Safety Star reserve - was that a reserve version of the Strato Star? One day I might get round to jumping both. they are in excellent condition.

Bad news about Don. I hope there is chance for improvement. I met Don in 1993 and remember the racoons at Tom Sander's house running off with Don's wristwatch . We all thought he had gone mad as was scurrying about in the undergrowth, sure enough though he got his watch back from them. I also recall a scrapbook he showed me then with newspaper articles from back in the day of that first 8 way. One of them in true tabloid fashion talks excitedly about how one day there may even be as many as 200 skydivers linking in freefall. I can imagine the disbeleif in the readers of the day - including skydivers - at such tabloid garbage, just as they do now. Funny how the papers were right about that one though, by a long way. Best wishes to Don.

If you can't find a dactyl, how about a Russian PZ81 parawing? Packs up even smaller, flies well and should still be possible to get hold of.

"please pardon my ignorance, but is this Slots 3 canopy used/useable at terminal speed ? " Yes, it can be used as a normal canopy at terminal velocity. "Is that a sleeve on it? " Of the two currently in existence, one gets packed in a normal ram-air deployment bag, the other in a short cotton sleeve. It works with either system. The "Slots 3 Henny.JPG " picture if of the one made by Dick Gays, being jumped by Henny Wiggers at Teuge in 2009 and is pictured with a sleeve on it.

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.

I have a Paraplane Cloud also, one of the very few I know of in Europe at present. It has the full ropes and rings system on the top skin and is very very bulky. Its in great condition but I would make a few tweaks before putting it in the sky. Picture of Baby Plane attached showing the long lines

It has been a long time coming, but after seeing these great pics on this post over 3 years ago, I finally have a half-decent set of pictures of my vintage gear and some other items. This is about half of what I have - I am still restoring the rest of my ever changing gear pile. I will update and add pictures to this photosteam when I have more. Hope you like it. Let me know of any problems or inaccuracies - http://www.flickr.com/photos/43867826@N07/sets/ The pictures are arranged into sets - roughly one for each rig or canopy If the flickr location changes, it should nonetheless remain accessible through this common link which also goes to a history of the Scottish Parachute Club which contains lots more old skydiving related photographs - www.timefadesaway.co.uk

It packs like a normal PC - PC manuals available online on ukskydiver.co.uk - http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=278&Itemid=209 There's a few extra tips for the Russian model and its longer centre and the slack in the Gary Lewis Para-Commander Handbook. This brilliant resource is available at the above link and also as per recent link on Dz.com http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3687317;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread Presumably its got regular PC connector links (seperable L links). Keep these on it but ensure that if put on modern 3 ring risers the link can't turn sideways, its needs to be loaded lengthways, so sew or hand tack a narrow channel to the top of each riser leg. Some pictures in here of Russian PCs being jumped recently - http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3361720;search_string=teuge;#3361720 and here- http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2868356;search_string=ahdz;#2868356

Since this thread found a dual keel for the originator, I thought I'd resurrect it. I have a single keel Dactyl but would love to find a dual keel Paradactyl too. Yes, greedy I know. There were very few Dactyls over here in Britain in their time and even less remain now - in fact I know of none in the entire country other than my single keel one. It would be much appreciated if someone could help me in the direction of one for the gear collection I'm growing over here. If you have one to sell, I'd be willing to offer a fair price.

The Starlite Slider (a spider slider) was introduced around 1976, presumably after the ram air slider had been developed. My Starlites came to me in a mixture of short sleeve (slags) and d-bags. I only acquired them in the last 10 years or so - they open really fast whatever the bagging method. My 1975 Piglet main has a diaper on it and no bag - just gets folded into the container like a round reserve would do.

The Jerry Bird reserve was not a pop top but a front-mounted reserve held closed by Velcro®. It was developed when Jerry and The Wings of Orange spent the summer of 1974 in Orange, MA. It had a handle on the closing flap which you pulled up to open the container. The attached picture was posted on Flickr by Jon Guignard, who worked with Jerry on its development. It will bring back memories of the team, some of whose members are no longer with us. HW More Jerry Bird rig pics attached - being used just last year at the Teuge, Holland vintage gear weekend

Some more pictures of another Para Twin from the Teuge vintage weekend last year in Holland My closet is always open to help store and preserve any old gear too. There's quite a few of us out here happy to do that, don't throw it away!!

In case anyone other than me is still interested in this.....Jump Shack have just confirmed this is almost certainly an early Super Swooper by John Sherman. Thanks for the replies and input.

Thanks for the replies so far . The question that remains now is whether anyone can verify this as an original Super Swooper conventional main container? (Not heard back from Jump Shack yet) Is there anything about it that marks it one way or the other as original or copy? Any further help is much appreciated as always

A recent article - last year or so - in Skydiving Magazine regarding an all round jump at Deland shows Nancy LaRiviere jumping an original Super Swooper with no chest strap (that's what had me thinking the rig as per my other thread may be a Super Swooper (I still don't know)). Then again the one pictured as an example in the FAA Rigger manual does have a chest strap

Thanks, the Super Swooper is indeed the rig I had thought this might either be or at least be a copy of.

Strong Stylemaster?