Stratostar Specs

[Spooky52 0]

Does anyone have a copy of the Stratostar Owners Manual that you could copy and send me? I'll happily pay for copying and postage. I can't find mine anymore, if I ever had it. Bought the canopy from George Morar at Yolo, way back when and just don't remember having it. Failing that, perhaps someone could tell me the square footage of the canopy. Any assistance will be appreciated. Thanks,

Jim Chandler, D4501

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[pchapman 279]

Poynters says approx. 180 sq. ft. for the 'Star.
I don't have a manual and I've only seen a later Strato Cloud manual about (at ukskydiver.co.uk).

[JerryBaumchen 1,367]

Hi Jim,

I seem to remember that some came with a manual and some did not.

Eventually, Para-Flite published a generic 'Ram Air Owner's Manual' that was supposed to cover all of the canopies that they built. It included typical side-packing photos, details on wrapping the tail, stowing the slider, setting the brakes, etc. It was a sort of 'one size fits all' manual.

Anything in particular that you want to know?

JerryBaumchen

[Quagmirian 40]

[inline strato_star.jpg]

[Spooky52 0]

No, Jerry, I just thought it would be nice to have a copy of the manual if I can find one. At least knowing that it is approx. 180 sq ft let's me know that if I should get a wild hair and decide to pack it up and go fling myself out of an airplane again, it'll carry my big ass (195 lb +/-). I've been getting the urge again and the only thing that is holding me back is the amount of cash I'd have to lay out for the "re-training" class at Perris. Maybe I can just talk someone here at Apple Valley into letting me jump their aircraft. :-)

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[Spooky52 0]

Thanks, Quagmirian. That gave me more than enough information. That ad had to be for the later 'Star because mine came with those God awful ropes and rings. I changed it to a pilot chute controlled slider for nice easy openings when carrying a camera.

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[JerryBaumchen 1,367]

Hi Jim,

Quote

That ad had to be for the later 'Star because mine came with those God awful ropes and rings.

That ad is very interesting as that looks like a canopy that originally came with 'those God awful ropes and rings.' Note the cotton patch in the very center, which was to prevent the ropes 'n' rings from burning the nylon.

JerryBaumchen

[Spooky52 0]

Wow, you're right, Jerry. I didn't even notice them. After a few jumps I took mine to Perry Steven's loft one day when I was working toward my Senior rigger ticket and took the ropes and rings off and added a pilot chute controlled slider that I built. I really like it. The first jump on it was a little unnerving though. It seemed like it took forever to open but it sure is nice for when I was carrying a camera, which was quite often. That nice, dragged out opening took all the stress off of my neck. I just ran the pilot chute bridle through one of the holes, left I think, and made the line just long enough so that the PC sat on top of the canopy when open. Made my own deployment bag to fit from material of the same colors, black and gold.

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[JerryBaumchen 1,367]

Hi Jim,

Quote

The first jump on it was a little unnerving though.

Nothing can compare to being your own test jumper on your own R & D rigging.



BTDT many times,

JerryBaumchen

[councilman24 37]

At a 195 lbs be sure to fill you divot after you land, and come back from the hospital.

Note the span and chord. This when square MEANT square! This isn't a 180 Maverick, or a Raven I, let alone a PD 190 or 170. It's a five cell brick.

Okay, great at the time. But I jumped a Phantom 28' round not to many years ago and wouldn't have thought of jumping a Strato Star.

Your mileage may vary.

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

[tkhayes 348]

Stratostar had specs? wow...whodathunk?

[Spooky52 0]

Yeah, I'm the kinda guy that wouldn't ask anyone else to do something that I wouldn't do. I feel like if somebody gets hurt testing my stuff I'm responsible for their care. If I get hurt it's my own fault. Besides, nothing is better than first person critique of a piece of equipment.

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[Spooky52 0]

The last time I flew it (1983) I was about the same weight and had two really nice stand-ups. I have only had a couple of landings that hurt and those were because I did something stupid too close to the ground. The last one ended up with me in surgery and in the hospital for nine days and in a cast for a while.
That was a low altitude, fifty feet or less, stall over asphalt at the Oakland Army Terminal in 1979. Don't want to do that again. It still hurts at times.

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[BigMark 1]

Retraining class will be less at taft and much less eye rolling and much more back slapping.

[Spooky52 0]

Got any numbers, BigMark? That is probably about the same driving distance from Apple Valley. Elsinore would be another choice but I haven't been there since '73 so I don't know much about their operation.

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[FastRon 0]

I weighed about 190 , when I jumped a Stratostar up to 1980. If the flare was sone right it was actually a pretty easy landing. IIRC it had a significant sink rate in brakes- more like a traditional accuracy canopy maybe? On the other hand, the ram-air options were pretty much the 160 Sq. Ft. StratoFlyer, the 180 Ft. StratoStar or the 230(?) Ft. Cloud- all in bulky pre-F111 material. I think Jerry called it taffeta or some such? I felt the Star was much easier on the landing gear than any of the rounds we had. But compared to a 240 Navigator it was indeed a lawn dart.

[JerryBaumchen 1,367]

Hi Ron,

Quote

I think Jerry called it taffeta or some such?

I don't know if I am the 'Jerry' that you're referring to; but all Para-Flite canopies were made of ripstop.

The actual material varied over the years. It's called progress.

JerryBaumchen

[accumack 14]

The Strato Flyer was made with Para-Flite developed proprietary high fiber count 30 denier in both directions(30/30) light weight fabric. George Harris later developed his F-111 which had a lower fiber count and had less strength. Up until this time the fabric was 30 denier in one direction and 70 in the other (30/70) originally developed for hot air balloons.

FastRon

I weighed about 190 , when I jumped a Stratostar up to 1980. If the flare was sone right it was actually a pretty easy landing. IIRC it had a significant sink rate in brakes- more like a traditional accuracy canopy maybe? On the other hand, the ram-air options were pretty much the 160 Sq. Ft. StratoFlyer, the 180 Ft. StratoStar or the 230(?) Ft. Cloud- all in bulky pre-F111 material. I think Jerry called it taffeta or some such? I felt the Star was much easier on the landing gear than any of the rounds we had. But compared to a 240 Navigator it was indeed a lawn dart.

[FastRon 0]

I stand corrected. I was under the delusion(?) that it seemed the same material as my Mark1 PC. It definitely seems heavier and bulkier than F111 and ZP. Probably leaks a lot more air too. Don't have the Mark1 any more. Star is in the attic somewhere. There was a thread a while back about building a Mark1 with new material. Is that still going forward?

[JPDECHENE 0]

I have one original issue of the Stratostar flight manual I received when I bought mine.
As I have no use of it, I will be more than happy sending it to you.
Just PM me your postal address and it will be soon on its way. Have fun with your Star,
JP

[Spooky52 0]

PM sent.

I haven't had any fun with it since 1983 but the itch is getting stronger on a daily basis. I just have to find the extra bucks for the re-learn class and find the time, with all the other crap I have going on. Thanks for the offer of the manual.

Jim

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!