Purpose

The purpose of this test is to test extraction of the main parachutes (booster and sustainer).

Introduction

The tow test will be performed by tying the parachute bag to the back of an SUV, accelerating up to terminal velocity, and filming parachute extraction.  A line will connect the parachute to a stake in the ground.

Who is needed?

Driver, passenger, observer

Testing locations

Location requirements and weather dependencies: dry conditions, not too windy (<5 mph), at least a mile of runway to perform test

Locations: Crow Island Airpark (Stow, MA)

Materials

  1. 1 GoPros with mount, 1 camera with tripod
  2. 200 ft. of line with breaking strength above 200 lbs
  3.  Parachutes
  4. Parachute bags
  5. 1/2 in. stake
  6. Big hammer
  7. Webbing (to mount bag to back of car)
  8. Camp stand
  9. Copy of procedure
  10. Sand bag
  11. Tape
  12. 4+ quick links
  13. Scissors
  14. Folding table to pack parachute on
  15. Parachute packing procedure

Setup

The day before:

  1. Rent car
  2. Measure out and cut 200 ft of line
  3. Pack parachutes (according to packing procedures - Hermes II Soft Goods Packing Procedures)
  4. Pack all necessary materials

Renting car and vehicle requirements: at least a mid-size SUV

Procedures

Preparing for the test

  1. Print all necessary procedures
  2. Check cameras (battery level and memory space)
  3. Pack all necessary materials

Setting up the test

  1. Use line to measure 200 ft. of "runway"
  2. Drive stake into the ground
  3. Mount parachute and go pro to back of SUV with webbing and camp stand
  4. Place a camera on a tripod at the end of the line
  5. Wind line in figure 8 by stake
  6. Make a loop in the line to attach a quicklink that attaches to loop at end of parachute

    IMG_8832.jpg

Performing the test

  1. Start near stake
  2. Drive up to 40 mph
  3. Cameras film parachute extraction

After test

  1. Inspect parachutes for tears
  2. Pack parachutes into bags
  3. Analyze results

Results

  • Succesful deployment of both mains (sustainer main was tested twice b/c didn't deploy on first one)
  • Small tear found in sustainer main (marked with blue tape)
  • For future test: mount parachute bag higher (parachutes hit the ground too soon)

IMG_8834.MOV - booster

IMG_8837.MOV - sustainer

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