Just a thought on ballistic parachutes. I'm with Ira that ground up
approach may be the best way. That said I have quite a bit of experience
with accidental drogue chute deployments, and boy as far as getting plane
upright and out of a spin happensawful fast. I make inexpensive
small parachutes with sewing thread and a lolly pop on them. I fly a 4'
span flying wing with a pusher prop, mount two slight forward canted
dowels on top of wing and pack chute and put lolly pop on top. Climb and
shut off motor(have folding prop) roll upside down and pull some
negative Gs. 9 out of 10 times it works fine and the kids have a great
time,, 1 out of 10 times it tangles in the prop at climb out somewhere
somehow. Instant that plane straightens out and becomes so controllable an
amateur can control it.In other words instead of a chute that can
carry the entire plane down, perhaps we should consider a much lighter
drogue chute. Stall/spins and loss of control in IMC is far more common
that aeroplanes breaking up. I believe a properly sized and positioned
drogue chute could get the plane kinda flying without the need to do much
else, perhaps just keep ball in center, can steer with just rudder and
flare at the very end. What's your thoughts? a side benefit would be you
would probably have a good attachment point to tow up a light weight
glider. May be able to size so you could fly with power?? Could have it
releasable?? Could tow a mini banner too?? Ya know in WW1 I think Germans
had a parachute, or personal slowemdown device that was essential nothing
more than a long roll of toilet paper, I forget how wide but it was a roll
of fabric you were attached to, hmm. Anyone have a model Europoa so
testing can begin immediate? Start small and work way up.
Ron
Parigoris
|