RiggerLee 61 #301 November 30, 2014 Looking pretty awesome there. Can't wait to here how it flies. How wide is your double needle? It looks a little skinny or it may just be the pics. In most cases I doubt that it would be an issue but it makes the bottom seams look a little tight in tolerance. Have to catch the tape, and seam with the attachment point all under the top row of stitching. If you catch bottom skin in your bartack you can get a little tear but it generally just stress releaves and then it's fine. I wonder about the strength of an attachment point like that. It seems that the tape might be a bit less effective at spreading the load if it was mostly above the seam. I'm just rambling. Go jump the thing. Are you keeping any kind of track of the labor you have invested in the sewing of this build? Keeping in mind that you don't have machines and stations set up for the different processes. The price of some of the new canopies, even just straight up I beams, has just gotten out of hand. Once a design is established it's not that hard to build. I wonder if we will see a resurgence of do it your self projects. Order a design from a company, say Wayper Enterprises, And get a tube in the mail with four patterns, top, bottom, rib, and stab rolled up in side. For a little more send them a materials set with a roll of fabric, a spool of line, and some tape. Don't laugh. They sell airplane kits that way. And people build home built ultra lights and full on air planes from nothing more then that. Companies are founded on such premise. LeeLee lee@velocitysportswear.com www.velocitysportswear.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #302 December 1, 2014 It's finished. I built the whole thing on my single needle. I'll see if I can kite it a bit today. Yes, I am still offering a cash/beer reward for jumping it. Earliest will probably be Friday, but I'll try and get some pictures and possibly a ground launch in by then. Also, what is an acceptable line tolerance for canopies of this type and size? [inline 503_small.jpg] [inline 504_small.jpg] [inline 507_small.jpg] [inline 508_small.jpg] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DHemer 0 #303 December 1, 2014 Awesome, Congrats We await footage of the test jump now Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiggerLee 61 #304 December 1, 2014 Line tolerance is a very relative term. Remember higher performance canopies then this are flown with line shrinkage up to three inches on the outer lines. Openings may be harder and turns may be twitchier but they still fly fine. Errors front to back are more critical. But even there you still see differential shrinkage, example: the A line on a tandem shrinking more then the B by enough to suck it through the grommet. Larger canopy I grant you but that's a critical position. And keep in mind that Dacron is not that dimensionally stable. It's a little stretchy. Rules of thumb- .25 inches +/- is considered acceptable on most canopies at least at production. Some high performance canopies are more critical and have slightly higher standards but more importantly for them is maintaining dimensional stability over the life of the line set. That was part of the push for lines like vectran and hma. It's great if you can build your line sets to with in .125 of an inch which is a pretty high standard for what is involved but it all goes out the window when they shrink by more then an inch. Honestly I doubt you would even notice if your lines were off by .5 of an inch even front to back and depending on which ones you could probable get away with more then an inch on a canopy like this one. Go jump the fucking thing. And if you don't want to jump it send it here and I'll pull a rig out of the closet pack it up and put some jumps on the thing. LeeLee lee@velocitysportswear.com www.velocitysportswear.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #305 December 5, 2014 Trust me, I trying to get this canopy jumped as soon as possible. For now, you'll just have to look at these kiting pictures. [inline 511_small.jpg] [inline 512_small.jpg] [inline 514_small.jpg] [inline 515_small.jpg] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turkeyphant 1 #306 December 8, 2014 How did it fly? Can't wait for the jump report :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #307 December 8, 2014 I haven't flown it yet, just kited it. I would ground launch it, but the winds aren't being very co-operative this time of year. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #308 December 8, 2014 ***... differential shrinkage, example: the A line on a tandem shrinking more then the B by enough to suck it through the grommet. .... ................................................................................. Agreed! I tried that once and cut it away. Lesson learned: 5 inch difference across the A lines is too much! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #309 December 8, 2014 That's prettier than my first kit-canopy. Your sewing is also more precise than mine. Now get out and jump it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #310 December 8, 2014 The key - to reviving kit-parachutes - is local CNC shops with computer-driven, cutting tables. www.makerlabs.com in Vancouver has CNC cutters for paper, leather, cardboard, plywood, sheet steel, etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #311 January 7, 2015 Apologies for the lack of updates, just as things were getting interesting. I just missed the last jumping day at my DZ in December, and other DZs I approached will not allow test jumping of my canopy. I'll see if I can can get the canopy jumped this weekend, weather permitting. Also I'm quite proud of my converted belly container, although we may end up just static lining the canopy out of the door anyway. [inline HPIM4485_small.jpg] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 279 #312 January 7, 2015 Quagmirianother DZs I approached will not allow test jumping of my canopy. No issues about rules? Are they just wary of someone (especially one they don't really know) with 90 jumps doing jumps with an extra harness, extra handles, and an experimental parachute? Nice looking container! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DougH 270 #313 January 7, 2015 If you were in the US I would test it for you, but I wouldn't want to risk you having to risk losing it in shipment."The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #314 January 8, 2015 pchapman ***other DZs I approached will not allow test jumping of my canopy. No issues about rules? Are they just wary of someone (especially one they don't really know) with 90 jumps doing jumps with an extra harness, extra handles, and an experimental parachute? Nice looking container! The problem (assuming the DZ's are minded to fully apply the rules as written) is probably that Section 6 of the Operations Manual para 1(1.2) states "Parachutes may only be used if they are manufactured for Sport Parachutists or Military Parachutists, by recognised parachute equipment manufacturers or riggers with the necessary qualifications." As Quag is not a rigger he needs to be a "recognised parachute equipment manufacturer" in order for his parachutes to be jumped... No doubt getting round the rule would technically require a request to Council for an exemption or waiver to allow test jumping of the parachute... Or a DZ that's willing to turn a blind eye... Maybe someone just needs to come up to him at the DZ and say "hey, aren't you that guy with a little project on DZ.com who built a parachute from scratch?" and thus by recognising him he magically becomes a 'recognised parachute manufacturer'? Having said that, I'd be surprised if Council wouldn't be more than happy to grant such a waiver, especially if supported by a CCI/DZO and rigger who'd inspected the canopy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #315 January 8, 2015 I've always interpreted that bit of the ops manual to mean 'certified equipment'. Riggers don't make canopies anyway, only container components and sliders. It's a very grey area. Becoming a manufacturer also interests me. Surely you need facilities and business insurance, but how do you prove that you can actually design and make parachutes, without first being a manufacturer? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #316 March 27, 2015 How time flies. Here's a little update for anyone still following this. The good news is that I went to the BPA riggers meeting in February, and it turns out that you can jump home made canopies after all. However, the minutes of the meeting still haven't been uploaded yet, so I'll have a hard time convincing CCIs at DZs where I don't usually jump. We're also still contemplating what kind of rig and deployment system to use. My backup plan is to take the canopy to the USA. I'm going to Lake Elsinore for some jumping in a couple of weeks. I haven't heard back from the DZO, but I assume they'd be up for it. Anybody here jump at Elsinore? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoso 2 #317 March 31, 2015 I can't answer your question. I look forward to hearing about you jumping it though! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hackish 8 #318 April 1, 2015 I think with such an epic project it should be easy to get someone to jump it. I hope you can get some gopro footage of the event. I don't know CA that well but if you were in FL I'd be willing to bet some of the PD guys would help you out. It might be a business but I've found a lot of the manufacturers to be very generous and willing to encourage new ideas and new people. -Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mcordell 2 #319 April 1, 2015 I'd jump it if I were closerwww.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #320 April 10, 2015 2 years and 9 months later... [inline HPIM4565.png] [inline HPIM4567.png] [inline HPIM4568.png] [inline HPIM4569.png] [inline HPIM4570.png] [inline HPIM4571.png] [inline HPIM4572.png] This was the second jump we did on it, with a short delay. You may notice that it is being landed in rears. For the first jump, Zak from Elsinore took it from the top and did a high pull. I was too excited to take pictures. As for the rig, I rented a container and we packed it up as a main. I should have inside video for both jumps, and outside video and stills for the second jump. I'll upload them as soon as I get them. Today, we might take the canopy on a longer delay or add some weight (it is currently loaded at 1.0). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonstark 8 #321 April 10, 2015 Very cool! Way to persevere! Jon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jerolim 7 #322 April 10, 2015 Congratulations! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3mpire 0 #323 April 10, 2015 Congrats I've enjoyed lurking this thread for years it's really cool to see it in the air. Cheers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiggerLee 61 #324 April 10, 2015 Cool give that guy from CPS a call about that data recorder. I sent you a message about it on your skype. I'd love to see some real numbers on the performance of the canopy. Has he put it through a full set of stability checks? Any thing interesting? LeeLee lee@velocitysportswear.com www.velocitysportswear.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
accumack 14 #325 April 10, 2015 Congrats! How long are you going to be in Elsinore? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
