alexey

Not count as good :) Lexa

Looking for manual for BA-18\BA-22 Or - any system that incoprorate quarter-bag. Or good photos of it. Lexa

SkyWideSystems (SWS) Maker of Fire h\c, Edge BASE h\c Alexey Sharadkin Kiev, Ukraine www.sws.aero info@sws.aero fb: SkyWideSystems DZ ID: alexey Lexa

We droptested 500 kg at 135 knots, vertical speed after full opening - 25,5 fps. Lexa

1. What percentage of the PEP rigs that you repack/maintain have a square canopy in them? We have about 10% now and the number constantly growing 2. Have you never packed a PEP with a square canopy in it? Do that all the time :) 3. Do you ever recommend a square canopy to your PEP owning customers? Do that all the time :) They are safer (IMHO) then heavelly oscillating C9. About damage on square: while droptesting our rig we almost torn in half russian-made reserve K-15. (we call it K7 and K8 now, when new riggers learn, trying to fix the parachute). It had top and bottom panels holding only on reinforcement. Despite that - the canopy was flying straight. About square reserves for high speed: we succesfully static-lined Skylark Reserve with SWS Fire h\c at 400 km\h (216 knt) and 165 kg (366 pounds) from Ilushin 76 heavy transport without problem, numerous times. We (Skylark and SWS) dont have TSO, so that mean nothing in US :)) SWS working now on PEP with opening speed 600 km\h. Lexa

ParAAvis from Russia use them too Lexa

For a while we did not make pockets for reserve repack card on our rigs (local regulations require the full size "rig passport" (Cypres manual size). When we started to actively sell our rigs in EU\US\... - we've made this pocket. Lexa

It IS PZ-81. Reserve (PZ-81), main (Po-16, Po-17), and container was marked with same stamp (Talka), when it was produced like a system. When PZ-81 was make like belly-reserve - it was stamped PZ-81 Lexa

Reserve back risers were sewn only to 3-ring junction (about 7 cm). 4 point W pattern didt have upper horizont line. There was AAD deployment, student was in back to earth position and head low. Deployment destroyed W stitch, both back risers came free, and reserve collapsed. Vertical velocity was more then 10 m\s stright down, so he dont have any chance. Lexa

Can you make some photos how they do it now? Thanks Lexa

SB was removed from the site, right? Cant find it now Lexa

Cutters are not the same. There are few with (close to) 25 years successfull history. Lexa

yep. And top and bottom loops made from elastic (like a safety stow but thicker). its looks and packs ... hm... strange. And all the rig looks so old-school. Like Strong DH :) Lexa

Thats was mine. 1000+ jumps and I dont know how many more now. Lexa

Hmmmm. I think Ivanovo made about 1000000 systems till the end of USSR :) Not sure, how many US manufacturers can compete with that :) Lexa

Update your info: early Talons were made with ZZ... But you can call us crazy russians anyway :) Lexa

Actually - all sport equipment that was made by Ivanovo (from T-4 to Po16\17) was constructed from that webbing (I can compare it to T8\T6) and was sewn 308 ZZ on Minerva machine. I dont remember thread number. It was a "kapron" (nylon) and little thicker then #69 but I/m not sure about streight. It was very comfy harness, BTW. Much better then on modern gear :) And I dont remember any problem with it for all the history of USSR skydiving. Only gear that was constructed from heavier webbing with heavy cord (like 5 or 6 US) were para-troop rigs - D-1.5, D1-5U, D-5, D-6... Webbing calls LTKM kr P 44-1600, and is like T13 webbing. 1600 means kg. But I'm not sure, is it tensil streight or working streight - it is VERY strong. We tow ZIL 131 many times by that webbing without any problem. Only on Talka they made harness from that webbing too and heavier thread and "some kind of 4 point WW". And it had a major flaw - non-slotted D-ring and no top horizontal line on WW block. That makes any reserve opening not on the belly very un-desirable... And, AFAIK - they still produce "old sport line of equipment" with thin webbing and ZZ, as it was back in 60-70-80... Lexa

I saw Talon. Its not a Talon in anyway - it was their own construction. For example - there were no top main flap - loop on the bottom then bottom flap, sideflaps, protective flap. Protective flap usially opens right after exit, and then you had half of the main d-bag sticking out. And - it had cordura main PC pocket. About harness - till the "Impulse" line (96+-) all Talka (Talka, Talka M, Talka 3,...M) had 2 reserve risers for PZ-81 reserve (like on rounds). There were few "strange" systems - like "student" system with round reserve without PC. Lexa

If you have any questions about ex-USSR parachute equipment or training programs - fill free to ask. Lexa

Little Russian history here: Before 1990 all skydiving equipment in USSR was constucted by "Research Institute of Para-drop Equipment" (NII Paracutebuilding in russian) and was produced by 3-d Sewing Factory (Ivanovo town). In USSR all the parachute system have same name. Mean "Po-17" - contain h\c po-17, reserve canopy PZ-81 (but marked Po-17 because of system). So, Ivanovo produced - -para-troop systems (D-5\D-6\D-10) -round sport canopies (T-4 (round canopy with holes) UT-15 (like Para-Comander)). Thats bacause in USSR\Russia army there is no AFF programm, and sportsmans jump rounds before squares. Lesnik-1 - smokejumper round canopy with drogue. -square systems (Po9, Po16 with reserve on the chest, Po-17 with reserve on the back and spring-loaded main PC). Lesnik-2 - smokejumper square canopy with drogue. After 90 Ivanovo created their own line of parachute equipment: Talka - with their own h\c (vector1 clone), PZ-81 reserve (sometimes marked as Talka too) and Po-16 main canopy (sometimes marked as Talka too). It was accuracy system. In 93 they created Talka-3- skaled down container, main canopy Radar (knock-off (bad) of Raider with lengthered lines "for stability") and PZ-81 reserve. Sometime later they make Impulse line (they changed reserve canopy to Radar). Yes, that sound weird - 2 (bad) mains in one system. Anyway - from 95 no one actually buy Ivanovo production - it were VERY poor quality of workmanship and many construction flauws. Ivanovo sell para-troop and sport equipment to goverment only (and after that it sometimes came to civilian market). NII Paracutebuilding before and after 90 made some sport rigs, like Po-21\23\2xx (for accuracy), canopy with crossbrases (Po-25, actually, I'm pretty sure that they cross-brase design was before PD, I saw some photos from, like, 85..) And - before they stop production (96-98) they used reversed 3-ring (KZU), so, if you saw modern-like h\c with hand deploy PC with reversed 3 ring - most of the times it was NII AUS designs. Sorry for bad English. Lexa

Is there any secret address of Para-Concents (different from http://www.para-concepts.com/contact/)? I've drop them few e-mails with inquiry but didnt recieve any reply. Thanks Alexey Lexa

Its a good speech about gadgets. What about rig itself? Lexa

Is there any info about that tandem rig? Awesome is not enought :) Lexa

Question for Old-timers: Need manual, esp. for 4-line release mod. And any other info for that canopy. Thanks Lexa

Racer Lexa