Photos - inside a Cypres 1

[pchapman 279]

While Cypres 1's have been expiring for some time now, I've never seen photos from inside one, so I ripped one apart.

Within the plastic Cypres 1 box with its metallized inner coating, the electronics are in thin soldered metal shell. This can be peeled off to show the electronics boards, two stacked ontop of each other. Under the metal shell were thin plastic shields presumably to prevent any shorting out. The shields were already removed before the photos were taken.

Everything inside is potted in a gluey, rubbery gel that can be pulled off.

I'm not into the details of chips, but the microcontroller is a Motorola MC68HC7.

The pressure sensor from this 1997 Cypres is a US made one from Data Instruments, but shown as being part of their Next Sensors line. Next Sensors was created only in 1994, operated in Germany, and was later merged with Data Instruments. Given that Cypres' were on the market in about 1991, it suggests that Airtec did change components when something better came along (or perhaps something was no longer available).

The "sensor side" pic shows the pressure sensor as the large black box at the right. Normally such sensors have two barbed connectors for tubing, but these were simply cut off to fit into the box.

To the left of the sensor one sees 5 shiny bars which are just the cut-off heat sinks of what I guess are transistors. Airtec presumably slimmed them down to fit, not needing much ability to absorb power.

To be kept in mind is that the Cypres 1 is basically a late 1980's design.

[councilman24 37]

(slapping my forhead!!!)

I've got a few laying around but never thought about cutting one up.

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

[Balu 1]

  Quote

Given that Cypres' were on the market in about 1991, it suggests that Airtec did change components when something better came along.

Yes, that is part of their maintenance program and it is all included in the maintenance fee. Without extra costs you always have a Cypres that is as modern as it can be from the technological point of view.

1300 Sprünge, 100er Wingsuit Formation, viele nette Menschen kennengelernt, keine Unfälle. Schön war's!

[blazetailman 0]

We have a few sitting around. Thanks for taking it apart, now I don't have to.


It is amazing, just like tape based cameras the tape and battery are the biggest parts of the camera. Not much to the unit over all. If they could find a better battery solution the units could be considerably smaller.

www.canopyflightcenter.com
www.skydivesac.com
www.guanofreefly.com

[Nelyubin 0]

Any manufacturer usually cares of perfection of the product. Continuation of this process release in sale Cypres-2 was logical.

[erdnarob 1]

Speaking about Cypres I, I have recently used a Cypres 1 cutter of more than 12 years old to test the pilot chute launch out of a Wings parachute system. The Wings system has the reserve loop cutter located at the bottom of the reserve container (like the Javelin) and therefore, has the maximum length of the closing loop to be extracted from the several flaps and pilot chute.
To do so I used two 6 volt capacitors of 2200 microFarad soldered in parallel. I charged them with a 6 volt lithium photography battery for 30 seconds. The reserve has been closed in a normal way and the launch was successful though the pilot chute jumped 2 feet high (vertically) or so. In comparison, years ago, with a Vector III, using a flat hook knife (and pull cord) with blade around the reserve loop while the hook knife was placed on the other side of the reserve floor (between the reserve floor and the back pad) I got a launch of more than 5 feet vertically. Pictures of this and article have been published in Skydiving magazine few years ago.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[piisfish 140]

why don't you compare with the same rig ?

I have a Wings and a Cypres, does that mean that this combination will only give me 2ft spring launches ?

Would I be safer with a Vector and a hook knife ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Skybear 0]

As far as I know Airtec is the only AAD manufacturer who test all containers on the market with their AAD. They tested the Wings container in 1998 and had no problems with it. Neither me nor one from Airtec to whom I talked about it this morning, has any knowledge about changes of the container meanwhile. Every manufacturer is invited to send a container to Airtec when modifications are done, to make sure that the cutter is still placed in the best way.

However there are many more parameters which have influence on reserve container opening:
-age of the PC
-position of the PC and the fabric
-length of the loop
-routing of the bridle
-size of container vs. size of reserve

Especially the last point requires attention, because many container manufacturers moved on to small reserve containers for a better look. But slim reserve containers require real small reserves for a good opening without snags. This is a problem of the container not of any AAD.

[piisfish 140]

Dear Skybear, I do trust my 2 Cypreses, as I trust my Wings and my Talon.

I was just being cynical about Ednarob's comment.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Skybear 0]

I know mate, thanks. I just wanted to comment it to give some thoughts to other readers. An AAD is fine, but it is only one part of a whole system that has to work.

[TreeRat 0]

Been flying a wings for years and have had to blaze the reserve a couple times.........don't take this wrong i like my wings but.......every one knows the wings and the javelin have the worlds weakest reserve springs..... take that for what its worth!

EarthBoundMisfit

[piisfish 140]

mine works pretty well thanks.

so what you are saying is that if the reserve PC has a weak launch, it is due to the weakness of the spring.

Apparently some canadian rigger is implying that a hook knife would give a better launch than a Cypres cutter

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[TreeRat 0]

yes in most cases the spring strength has allot to do with it ......take your talon one of the strongest springs it will bloody your nose if the closing loop breaks on repack......

EarthBoundMisfit

[Beatnik 2]

  Quote

Apparently some canadian rigger is implying that a hook knife would give a better launch than a Cypres cutter

I don't think that is what he is implying at all. I think that is what you are taking it as. I think he preformed similar tests on two different rigs. Except that with one he used a CYPRES cutter and the other one he cut the loop using a different method. A comparison of the pilot chute launches shouldn't be affected by the method the loop was cut nor should it be the focus.

[erdnarob 1]

Sorry but I didn't have a 100 Euros cutter to fire when I did the experiment onh the Vector III. The brand of the cutter or the use of a flat hook knife to cut the reserve closing loop is irrelevant here. I used a Cypres cutter because somebody gave me one which was over 12 years old.

The idea was to test the launch of the pilot chute of the Wings system because that system has the cutter located at the very bottom of the reserve container (as the Javelin has). What I needed in both case was a device to cut the loop and that's it.

Why I have performed that experiment. Because in the DC9 at Rantoul on the ground when the pilot pressurized the airplane, I have seen in front of me a NO LAUNCH of the pilot chute when the AAD fired on a rig having the cutter at the very bottom of the reserve container.

The same problem happened some years ago to 3 Russians doing FS while opening low. After landing they discovered that their AAD have fired but there has been NO LAUNCH of the pilot chute. That prompted Mirage (the 3 of them were using MIrage system) to change the location of the cutter from right above the reserve (below the pilot chute) to above the pilot chute.

I spoke to Mirage people at the time and they told me they have been able to reproduce that malfunction (NO LAUNCH of the pilot chute) while having a too long closing loop.

Therefore, my experiment of the Wings system was positive since I got a launch of the pilot chute but not as high as some other rigs. Spring strength is certainly a factor. I hope it is more clear now.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[erdnarob 1]

Thanks to point out that aspect. I think that what we need is a pilot chute able to go thru the burble (or partial vacuum) and to get that, it seems that a strong spring pilot chute give less chance for a pilot chute hesitation.

Now there is a difference between pulling your reserve rip cord and having the AAD firing in order to get a good launch of the pilot chute. The difference comes from the length of the closing loop remainder ie. longer it is and more difficult it is to extract the remainder from the several flaps which are no longer aligned.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[piisfish 140]

Hi Andre,

Sorry too, I certainly have overreacted to what seemed to me a Cypres bashing.

What I understand now is that you were doing a comparison between "top mounted" and "bottom mounted" cutters.

If this is the case it would have been better (in my opinion) to create a new thread.

Bonne journée

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[erdnarob 1]

It's OK. I agree that I always had a preference for Vigil and Vector but my experiment was to feel better after what I have seen in the DC9 when the firing of an AAD wasn't able too launch at all the pilot chute (having the cutter at the bottom of the reserve container). As I had to do it, I wrote a letter to the Technical and Safety committee chairman, to the rigger who packed the reserve and to the manufacturer. The manufacturer blamed the rigger and the rigger blamed the manufacturer. But at least I had done my job. But I wasn't happy. The person involved with such a problem was a friend of mine. Then recently that friend asked me to pack his reserve (we are not living in the same town) and since I had that overdue Cypres cutter I decided to do the experiment. With 2 friends of mine at the same time, we took 3 videos of the launch and I was very happy with the result since we got a launch but as I said the pilot chute didn't jump very high.

What happened in the DC9 ? Maybe the packing with misplacement of the bridle or a too lose closing loop, who knows ???

Now when you mention "top mounted" and bottom mounted" you have to understand there is 3 locations (as far as I know) of the cutter.

1) bottom or floor of the reserve container (like Wings and Javelin)

2) top of the reserve (1rst flap) below the pilot chute (Vector, Quasar II and most of the rigs...)

3) on the top of the pilot chute (Mirage) Note. To make the cutter not showing up under the flaps, Mirage designed a pilot chute top plate slightly curved to make room for the cutter

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[mjosparky 4]

  Quote

yes in most cases the spring strength has allot to do with it ......take your talon one of the strongest springs it will bloody your nose if the closing loop breaks on repack......

Test figures do not support your statements.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[RiggerLee 61]

Work is force times distance and the Stelth spring is long. Does any one have a number for the pc in the old Eclips? I seem to recall it beeing very stiff.

Lee

Lee
lee@velocitysportswear.com
www.velocitysportswear.com

[airtwardo 7]

Thanks for doing that, I forwarded a link to this thread to an old jump buddy that always maintained there was nothin' in there but a Keebler Elf with an altimeter and a hook knife..."ever seen INSIDE one?"

~Well, now I have!


"gotta send it in to feed the Elf not change the battery!"

~Always DID kinda wonder about that one!

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

[TreeRat 0]

to mjosparky: a manufacturer would never say there rigs have weak points . untill you see or ride a reserve from a wings you wont understand ..... i have an older wings around the 2000 model ..... and never has it launched past 4 foot

EarthBoundMisfit

[Coreefdiver 0]

Cool
Thanks for sharing

DS#727, DB Cooper #41, POPS #11065, SCR #13183, FA #2125, SCS #8306, HALO #309 SRA #5930

[dima39 1]

10+ reserve rides on PD-R 113 with Wings-W1 (smallest one). Without problems

[mjosparky 4]

  Quote

untill you see or ride a reserve from a wings you wont understand

I probably understand more than you think I do.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals