What the hell is this....?

[hardarch 1]

Old gear heads.....here's a vid from a vintage gear meet.

Anyone recognize the main canopy at 4:59..looks like only the top half of a seven cell....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nn0W2oOyfk&feature=related

[pchapman 279]

"Slots"

There is a thread somewhere on it. Someone in the UK had developed a number of single surface canopies with unusual shapes, back in the '80s, including a few versions of the Slots canopy with rows of curved single surface panels with large lateral gaps between them. He also did a canopy in the shape of the Olympic rings.

[slots 0]

To be more accurate that was Slots 3, a single layer square parachute I designed though that one was made by Barry Jeffries when he was the rigger at Bad Lipstatt.
Yes I dis also make the Olympic Rings PARASHAPE, also two other PARASHAPES, WALLY and The Volkeswaggen Logo. All three PARASHAPES and Slots 3 are presently at Tuege though I think only Slots 3 has been jumped. More pictures should be available under my profile.
Dick Gays D1310.

[slots 0]

And what the L is this (see photo)

[councilman24 37]

Still learning something new every day. I had never seen photos of these.

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

[piisfish 140]

Quote

Yes I dis also make the Olympic Rings PARASHAPE, also two other PARASHAPES, WALLY and The Volkeswaggen Logo. All three PARASHAPES and Slots 3 are presently at Tuege though I think only Slots 3 has been jumped. More pictures should be available under my profile.
Dick Gays D1310.

you SIR, are one of THE canopy GODS.

Lots of admiration about your work, would love to learn more.

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

[mccurley 1]

some of those canopies are awsome.

Watch my video Fat Women
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRWkEky8GoI

[piisfish 140]

Quote

And what the L is this (see photo)

one of the L's of the WALLY "canopy"
www.parachutehistory.com/other/wally.html

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

[ludwigschmude 0]

Yes I dis also make the Olympic Rings PARASHAPE, also two other PARASHAPES, WALLY and The Volkeswaggen Logo. All three PARASHAPES and Slots 3 are presently at Tuege though I think only Slots 3 has been jumped. More pictures should be available under my profile.
Dick Gays D1310.]

Hi Dick,

at Teuge 11.& 12.10.2008 your Slots 3 was jumped once by Andrew Hilton and the other one was jumped twice saturday by myself.

I have bought mine back in the eighties from Barry Jeffries, by that time Master Rigger at RAPA Bad Lippspringe (not Lippstadt) and so far we put about 145 jumps on it (out of which it malfunctioned 8 times in the beginning). Bill Sharp, Norbert Meier, Meinhard Josupeit and Dirk Mehrmann, just to name a few, enjoyed jumping it. The pack volume is minute - the sink rate impressive - it easily fits into a 150 container.

Last lift saturday night we decided to do a demo straight in front of the bar as shown on that video. The three individuals from the left are Michael Rast (Paracommander) from Skydive Soest-Germany, Ludwig Schmude (Slots 3) and Bill Sharp (Papillion) both from RAPA Bad Lippspringe-Germany (a DZ from the British Forces in Germany).
On sunday the weather was not that good - so your PARASHAPES could not be jumped.
Overall that weekend a lot of different old round & squares were displayed - check out "vintage weekend teuge 2008".

Later on Henny Wiggers had a go at your slots 3 aswell.

Thanks again Henny for your work to organise everything and run it safely ! No reserve rides or injuries, only one off landing !

Ludwig Schmude D4990
Bad Lippspringe - Germany

[airtwardo 7]

Is that a sleeve on it?

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

[slots 0]

Hello Ludwig,

Yes I often get place names wrong, getting confused between my canoe slalom days and skydiving days. Your Slots 3 might have had more use than mine. I only did 115 on Slots 3, never counted the other people who tried it. It also went on loan to America twice, once to Rigging Innovations and once to Pioneers, no idea how many times it was tested but Pioneers asked me nicely if they could re line it which they did.

I do remember Barry ringing me up about all the malfunctions asking what was wrong. Between us we got it sorted but I can’t remember what the problem was, it must have been about1982. I did have one jump on yours probably the following year.

After all this time, one or two people are getting interested in it. One rigger in Canada is making two of them and another rigger in the UK recently requested the plans.

I regret now not doing more work on Slots 3. I just simply made it; it worked so I left it as it was. I had intended to experiment with altering the gap of the slots; after all I wasn’t likely to get it just right straight off. What put me off making alterations at the time was the thought that I might not be able to tell the difference. Only years later did I think that if I made changes to one side only, I would know if it was better or worse by which way it turned “hands off” I had quit jumping by then so it never happened.

[slots 0]

All the panels (and there are only six of them) are completely flat with all edges a dead straight line. Only when inflated are they curved.

[piisfish 140]

please pardon my ignorance, but is this Slots 3 canopy used/useable at terminal speed ?

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

[andrewhilton 1]

"please pardon my ignorance, but is this Slots 3 canopy used/useable at terminal speed ? "

Yes, it can be used as a normal canopy at terminal velocity.

"Is that a sleeve on it? "

Of the two currently in existence, one gets packed in a normal ram-air deployment bag, the other in a short cotton sleeve. It works with either system.

The "Slots 3 Henny.JPG " picture if of the one made by Dick Gays, being jumped by Henny Wiggers at Teuge in 2009 and is pictured with a sleeve on it.

[piisfish 140]

do the plans of the Slots3 still exist somewhere ?

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

[slots 0]

Yes, I still have the plans, they are available with either metric or imperial measurements. Please contact me at richard.gays@ntlworld.com for further details if required.
Currently four riggers have the plans with the intention of building one each, but I am not aware of their progress.
Dick Gays

[jonstark 8]

I bet with today's materials one of those would pack up small enough to fit in your watch pocket!

jon

[piisfish 140]

thanks Dick, emailing you right away

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

[fswr06 0]

I recently came across this. I tried emailing Dick, but the message got kicked back saying the account had been closed. Anyone know how I could get in touch with him? Or how I could get in touch with anyone who has the plans? That's what I'm after.

[piisfish 140]

unfortunately can't locate my plans. Anybody ?

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

[Beatnik 2]

Well unfortunately, you won't get a hold of Dick anymore. He passed away. I have plans for the Slots 3 that Dick sent me. PM me with your email and I will send them to you.