PZ-81 Parawing

[airtwardo 7]

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to talk to too many jumpers from back in the day that were in the 250 lbs range jumping these parachutes.

  Quote

I've been 240 + - since I was 18...the mass has shifted a bit, but the gross weight remains the same.

I can't ever remember getting shit-hammered by an opening the way the terminal T-Bow thumped me.

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

[Krip 2]

  Quote

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to talk to too many jumpers from back in the day that were in the 250 lbs range jumping these parachutes.

  Quote

I've been 240 + - since I was 18...the mass has shifted a bit, but the gross weight remains the same.

I can't ever remember getting shit-hammered by an opening the way the terminal T-Bow thumped me.

Hi MR T & B

Since you Men are talking about your weight range and the opening characateristic's on the T-bow, maybe weight could be a factor. The little boys I knew back in the day jumping the T-bows were light weights.

I guess you can test the weight theory if you know any little/young people that want to jump a really neat canopy fom "back in the day". Just point the arrow on the canopy back to the dz.


R.I.P.

[skydiverek 63]

One reserve ride on it .

[riggerrob 643]

Which works better on a PZ-81: toggle flare or rear riser flare?

[Beatnik 2]

  Quote

Which works better on a PZ-81: toggle flare or rear riser flare?

The parachute doesn't have rear risers and the manual said not to flare it. I personally never gave it a try, I know what the other parawings I have jumped did when that was tried. Overall the landings really aren't that bad at all. Unfortunately, I can't give you descent rates, I broken my neptune and haven't got it back yet.

I am going to get some video of this parachute in a stall this weekend. Should be good fun if it is anything like the Paradactyl.

[2cmyzx 0]

So thats how ya stall it! He He He

[Beatnik 2]

Fun was had, even if it wasn't expected. After almost 870 jumps, I got to use a reserve for the first time. (I know beer) Wasn't quite expecting it, but I guess that is what happens when someone turns into you and doesn't watch where they are going. LOL.

Just so everyone, who wasn't there, knows happened. We tried to get a triple shot of a Delta II, Paradactyl and PZ-81 in the air at the same time. I was jumping the Delta II (red/white and blue) and a friend was jumping the PZ-81. The paradactyl was the low man and we tried to get down. I was watching him turn and then he stopped, then I went. I was almost at the Paradactyl level and stopped and was looking for the PZ-81. Then I found it as it went crashing through my lines. End result was both cutting away and landing under reserves. The old gear still worked fine and gave no trouble in the whole process. However, I could have lived without landing on the down oscillation of the reserve. Extra altitude is nice when it isn't from you bouncing back in the air after landing.

I will post the videos when I get them.

[377 22]

Was that a Capewell cutaway Beatnik? Man, what a scary picture. What altitude did the collision occur at?

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[DavidB 0]

Oops...! Glad to hear it ended well, & I agree on the "landing on the down oscillation" part. BTDT, but only on T-10's.

When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

[Beatnik 2]

  Quote

Was that a Capewell cutaway Beatnik? Man, what a scary picture. What altitude did the collision occur at?

Good to hear from you my friend. The rig was a Irvin container. It had R3s and a chest mount reserve. The altitude was around 1000 ft.

Here is a link to the video. I just wish the camera man could spell the canopy's names right.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=S8wET-7GmHc

[377 22]

incredibly complete coverage! Wow.

What were the two reserve canopies?

Sure glad it all worked out OK.

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[Beatnik 2]

  Quote

What were the two reserve canopies?

One was a 26' Guardian and the other was a 26' LoPo

[airtwardo 7]

The old gear still worked fine and gave no trouble in the whole process.

  Quote

I dunno...the Plan B for 2nd cut away sure looked like it was shedding a ton of ole dust & cobwebs as it was opening!

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

[Krip 2]

Hi Beatnik

Any damage to the main canopies

To bad about the wrap But the since everything turned out ok. The jump was a perfect combination of old tech jump gear and hi tech video, audio, editing so we could all see the old stuff flying again, twice.

Thanks
R.I.P.

[mjosparky 4]

I would say they make pretty good CRW canopies.

Sparky

See Attachment:

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[airtwardo 7]

Any damage to the main canopies

  Quote

You know damn well Krip ya need a chainsaw to cut anything on those badboys!

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

[Beatnik 2]

The Delta II has a little bit of damage but nothing bad. Three 2" patches and it will be back in the air. The PZ-81 is fine.

[Krip 2]

  Quote

The Delta II has a little bit of damage but nothing bad. Three 2" patches and it will be back in the air. The PZ-81 is fine.

Easy for you to say

Canopy abuse! Canopy abuse!!!

The video OTOH A 10!!!!!

One Jump Wonder

[Beatnik 2]

  Quote

Easy for you to say

Canopy abuse! Canopy abuse!!!

The video OTOH A 10!!!!!

LOL! Believe me that wasn't the plan at all in this jump or anything like it.

That Delta II is in the worst shape from the ones I have. That is relatively speaking. It isn't in bad shape overall compared to some of the vintage gear I have seen and the many I have saved from going to the landfill. It is unfortunate that this happened because it really is making me think about letting others jump my vintage gear. There was no reason for this to happen and it comes down to someone losing situational awareness. That is lucky that was the only thing lost.

[pchapman 279]

I finally jumped a PZ-81 this past weekend. Beatnik has covered the canopy well, but I can add a few pics.

#1 shows the canopy while being packed. It is side packed, nose on bottom, tail on top, but after stacking, fabric is pulled outwards to make it flaked to both sides instead of all to one side.

Four little pockets on the trailing edge must help pull the tail outwards during inflation.

There's no rolling or wrapping of the pack job from the state shown in the photo. Just push the sides inward to match the container.

#2 shows the canopy starting to go into the pack tray. Lines are stowed in the packing tray and the bottom most part of the canopy plus a couple folds of lines are wrapped with elastics to at least keep the deployment a little bit organized, given that there's no bag. (3 regular elastics, cut in half lengthwise, double wrapped, according to the eastern European guy who helped me out)

#3 shows a landing. The one steering line per side just feeds into the suspension line going to the back corner of the canopy, about half way up. This is different from say Paradactyls where there are more normal steering lines cascading to cover parts of the trailing edge. (On landing I did try a flare although it isn't recommended. Even a short flare did seem to increase the rate of descent.)

The canopy does fly nicely, with a lot of toggle range and no sign of instability or sudden stall, although I didn't push it to the stalling point.

The PZ-81 is quoted at 290 sq ft, compared to a single keel Paradactyl at 240.

[Nelyubin 0]

Mistake in #2

[pchapman 279]

Hi Nelyubin:

Any hint on what is wrong in photo #2?

Remember that it is a little odd looking since it is a belly mount container for a 3rd canopy. and there were no line stow loops on the backpad. Yes, the bottom of the canopy was at the top of the container, not the bottom, so that was reversed. But that is trivial.

[Nelyubin 0]

The top part of lines is mounted incorrectly.
If it is interesting, to Monday I shall send a photo.

[pchapman 279]

Thank you.
When you have time it would be interesting to see!

(I have a Slovakian manual, but even with the drawings in it and Google Translation, it isn't clear what the issue is.)

[riggerrob 643]

Thanks for posting the photos.

Photo #1 reminds me of the way I pro-stack square reserves.

Photo #3 reminds me of the steering lines on Precision P-124A canopies (installed in Aviator Pilot Emergency Parachutes) in that they help steering but contribute little to flaring.

If you post any more photos, I might be tempted to air out my PZ-81.
Hah!
Hah!