gowlerk 2,249 #1 July 16, 2013 I received some tandem gear with FCI 425r reserves. I can't find any documentation on these, and I'm not familiar with them. FCI has not answered mt inquiry yet. So I'll throw it out here. Anyone know anything about these? The only reference I can find using search is for 425 mains. KenAlways remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrigger1 2 #2 July 17, 2013 Ken, They are pretty good reserves. First TSO'd circa 1991. They were first used in the Jump Shack Tandem, some people prefer them to the PD Sigma reserve (me for one), and are also used by the Military. I was present during the heavy drops and can assure you that they are very tough. Packs like any other reserve BTW... MELSkyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnSherman 1 #3 July 17, 2013 It is the same reserve we use today in our tandems. We call it a 400. We also originally called them 425. However later consideration indicated it was smaller. FCI originally made them for us and made a few for themselves. They tested it and we tested it. It has been around for over 20 years. It was the first canopy I designed and it doesn't have a Notre Dame Airfoil. PM me for TSO data. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gowlerk 2,249 #4 July 17, 2013 Thanks Mark and John both. Documentation is nice, but info from people who really know is even better. That's enough for me to go on, a manual would be nice as a back up, but I suppose that the Racer tandem manual has packing info in that case. KenAlways remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiggerLee 61 #5 July 18, 2013 Help me out with my history here. Wasn't there an issue with the line attachments of some of the early canopies? A QC problem where they missed the tapes when they sewed the line attachments on? I think Pilon had one of the canopies. I seem to recall they made a change so that the line attachment is now formed by a tape that runs all the way up the rib? It has been a LONG time since I've seen one. LeeLee lee@velocitysportswear.com www.velocitysportswear.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrigger1 2 #6 July 18, 2013 Quote Help me out with my history here. Wasn't there an issue with the line attachments of some of the early canopies? A QC problem where they missed the tapes when they sewed the line attachments on? I think Pilon had one of the canopies. I seem to recall they made a change so that the line attachment is now formed by a tape that runs all the way up the rib? No, not that I am aware of. MELSkyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RiggerLee 61 #7 July 18, 2013 Hmmm. Let's see what I can remember... Jack Pilon,now the south west rep for USPA, Had one of the first Racer tandems in Texas. He was a big boy and pretty well tested the limits of there gear. He jumped at a different drop zone so I was not his rigger most of the time. I want to say that the line attachments were made in the standard way but with a piece of type 4 tape. As I recall he was telling me how he pulled several of them off on an opening on his main. I beleave he said that... ether the tape or the line attachment or the bar tack was in the wrong place and some of the attachments were just loading the fabric. The scary thing was he said that they found the same problem on the reserve when they opened it up. later at peach state I was talking to... it must have been ether Joe or Chris. And they were talking about going to a Rib tape for the attachment and how bomber it was going to be. Later at the 95 Rayford attempt I sweet talked Chris into building me a base reserve for my sorcerer with that type of line attachment. I still have that rig and canopy. So the issue had to have been pre 95 if that helps. Did they ever make that change on the reserve? By the way Pilon always liked the canopies. They treated him very well even maxed out on weight. He was a big boy back then. Have you seen how trim he is now. I didn't recagnise him. LeeLee lee@velocitysportswear.com www.velocitysportswear.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrigger1 2 #8 July 18, 2013 Quote Hmmm. Let's see what I can remember... Jack Pilon,now the south west rep for USPA, Had one of the first Racer tandems in Texas. He was a big boy and pretty well tested the limits of there gear. He jumped at a different drop zone so I was not his rigger most of the time. I want to say that the line attachments were made in the standard way but with a piece of type 4 tape. As I recall he was telling me how he pulled several of them off on an opening on his main. I beleave he said that... ether the tape or the line attachment or the bar tack was in the wrong place and some of the attachments were just loading the fabric. The scary thing was he said that they found the same problem on the reserve when they opened it up. At that time GPI/FCI was only building the reserve, so I do not understand the connection between the main and reserve unless the main that was built by Jump Shack had the same exact same issues. MELSkyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
