Where do rigger patterns come from?

[hackish 8]

I'm guessing if you had to do something major like replace an entire cell the canopy would go back to the manufacturer.

What if a master rigger wanted to construct a PC or drogue or something like that? Where do they get the patterns? I've heard of some guys flying homemade canopies but who knows...

-Michael

[skybytch 273]

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Where do they get the patterns?

They make them.

[Jeffrey 1]

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What if a master rigger wanted to construct a PC or drogue or something like that? Where do they get the patterns?

They would get them the same way we get them. By creating them there selves. Or if your clever, you can build that stuff without patterns.

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I've heard of some guys flying homemade canopies but who knows...

And I would be one of them you speak of. Through the late 70’s early 80’s.

Jeff

[hackish 8]

So in other words you really can't "buy" a parachute pattern? Or a pilot or drogue pattern?

-Michael

[stratostar 5]

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So in other words you really can't "buy" a parachute pattern?

Sure you can, what kind do you want to buy? I make you one or sell you the instruction sheet on how to build your own for the right price.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[Jeffrey 1]

You sound like your really itching to build something. what is it?

Jeff

[diablopilot 2]

You can buy any product you want, pick it a part without having jumped it and then you have a pattern.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[hackish 8]

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You sound like your really itching to build something. what is it?

Not really itching to build something - I did consider it would be cool to build a smaller scale model of a complete 9 cell chute but that would consume time I don't have.

-Michael

[deathtrap 0]

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You sound like your really itching to build something. what is it?

Jeff

Hi Jeff, I'd like to build a Mirage

[AggieDave 6]

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So in other words you really can't "buy" a parachute pattern? Or a pilot or drogue pattern?

There was a canopy manufacture in TX a number of years ago that offered a "do it yourself" canopy. You could buy the pre-cut kit and sew it together or you could get the patterns with basically a roll of F-111 and do it all yourself. The people I've talked to over the last few years that did that had some pretty "good" stories about the process and the finished product.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Jeffrey 1]

Hi Jeff, I'd like to build a Mirage

I could do that, but I will have to give this some considerable thought first. Um, um, NO.

Jeff

[Jeffrey 1]

reply]Not really itching to build something - I did consider it would be cool to build a smaller scale model of a complete 9 cell chute but that would consume time I don't have.

[deathtrap 0]

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Hi Jeff, I'd like to build a Mirage

I could do that, but I will have to give this some considerable thought first. Um, um, NO.

Jeff
Come on, I have a nice Singer 31-15 with a folder that I got from ParaGear & I do really nice work

[hackish 8]

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If you’re ever in Deland, stop in and see me. I will take to into the shop and show you how you can do that yourself.

Maybe next winter I will be going down to Deland so if I do then I'll definitely have to look you up. Being new to this sport I don't really know anything about mirage.

I can appreciate how much nicer the PD280 flies when compared to the Parafab 284 in the pile of student rigs so I can see why the secrets held in parachute patterns are not exactly that "available".

-Michael

[stratostar 5]

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I can see why the secrets held in parachute patterns are not exactly that "available".

For a dollar 95 @ Jo Ann's fabrics you can get you a seam ripper and learn to use it, there is your "pattern maker" you can pick the stiches of any canpoy you want a pattern for and there you go instance pattern.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[skybytch 273]

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For a dollar 95 @ Jo Ann's fabrics you can get you a seam ripper and learn to use it, there is your "pattern maker" you can pick the stiches of any canpoy you want a pattern for and there you go instance pattern

Don't forget to add some seam allowance.

[stratostar 5]

Good point.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[riggerrob 643]

Back in 1986, I bought a kit parachute from Lone-Star/Para-Kit, sewed it together, then made 250 jumps on it before I got to fat to land a 210 square foot, 7-cell made of F-111 fabric.
Then I bought a kit for a 220 square foot, 9-cell from Para-Kit and made 350 jumps on it before ZP fabric came into fashion. Both canopies are still stored in my attic.

[riggerrob 643]

Main pilot chute patterns are really easy: just draw a circle "X" number of inches in diameter. Main bridles are a bit more complicated, but even with kill-lines,. they are essentially one-dimensional.

Reserve pilot chute patterns are a bit more difficult because of springs, aluminum caps etc. The most complicated reserve pilot chute is found on a Vector with six curved panels, a padded cap, and aluminum cap, a spring, etc.

Tandem drogues are so complicated that I have never seen a home-made drogue. Maybe it has to do with the various bridle configurations or the threat of nasty lawsuit if anyone gets hurt while using non-compatible, non-TSOed components.

[mark 107]

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For a dollar 95 @ Jo Ann's fabrics you can get you a seam ripper and learn to use it, there is your "pattern maker" you can pick the stitches of any canopy you want a pattern for and there you go -- instant pattern

Don't forget to add some seam allowance.

Uh, are canopies cut and sewn together without a seam allowance these days?

Mark

[MrBrant 0]

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For a dollar 95 @ Jo Ann's fabrics you can get you a seam ripper and learn to use it, there is your "pattern maker" you can pick the stitches of any canopy you want a pattern for and there you go -- instant pattern

Don't forget to add some seam allowance.

Uh, are canopies cut and sewn together without a seam allowance these days?

Mark

I think what was meant is that if you scale down a canopy, it will shrink the seam allowances. These will have to be re-increased since you'll still need the same allowance for your seams, whether the canopy itself is smaller or not.

[JerryBaumchen 1,422]

Hi Rob,

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Tandem drogues are so complicated that I have never seen a home-made drogue.

Actually, Jamie Woodward's wife ( a Master Rigger ) made a lot of drogues for his Strong tandem rigs. He actually got some form of 'FAA-approval' to build them.

Strong fought it vigorously but in the end Jamie built his own.

JerryBaumchen

[riggerrob 643]

Hee!
Hee!
Jerry,

We did not talk about that - very loudly - around Snohomish.
when Ted Strong came to visit - far an accuracy competition - we quietly shoved all those "suspect" rigs in the back room.

Hee!
Hee!