The canopy in question.
Posted on 07/13/2011 6:14:25 AM PDT by markomalley
The Army has suspended the use of its new square parachutes because of problems found after a Fort Bragg soldier died during a training jump.
The Fayetteville Observer reported Wednesday that the T-11 parachutes initially were praised as safer. Tests had shown the new parachutes provide a slower, more stable descent than the traditional mushroom-shaped style.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
See here for more details.
Well I hope they get this resolved....Paratrooper Jr is on orders to 82d
My son is stationed at Bragg as well. I don’t like reading things like this.
Don;t worry, Dad. He’ll be STRAC
The canopy in question.
The 82nd Airborne Division still mainly uses T-10 parachutes, said Connolly, the division spokesman. The suspension of the T-11 won’t affect the division’s ability to conduct airborne operations, he said.
The new parachutes are supposed to replace the old ones in about five years.
Parachuting is inherently dangerous. In 1989 the 2-star commanding general of Walter Reid died from a liver laceration after a jump.
Sounds like an issue with the people packing the chutes, or their procedures, rather than a design flaw with the chutes themselves.
Somewhat, but packability is part of the design process, too. They don’t create the chute and then consider the packing configuration later.
That sure as hell loks like it was designed by a committee of government bureaucrat dumba$$es
as a PHYSICIST I cannot see any benefit here (unless they thought it “holds more air” (which would only help if they heated it)
My son’s not part of 82nd Airborne but he has done a few jumps.
Fixing things that aren’t broken again.
More so than a deficiency in the canopy/deployment system...
***********
Pack it right.... it'll open!
Is this still a widely used tactic in the field?
Obviously, the slower rate of decent will result in fewer injuries, but doesn't that also give the bad guys a better opportunity to blow you away if the DZ is not 100% secured? Probably not very good if it's windy either, since you are more likely to be blown off the DZ. Oscillations do tend to be a problem with the T-10 and this seems to be more stable in that regard.
My son withthe 173rd mentioned the new chutes and seemed to like them. Never really had a problem with the old ones myself but I did not do that many jumps.
I’ve jumped with the old PA-TU-32 (civilian) and this one looks like might be more steerable and oscillate less.
The round ones were fairly easy to pack, no idea how to deal with the corners and mushrom shape of this one.
You are quite right. I suppose most of us don’t realize it because we don’t do it.
My son is a paratrooper with the 82nd and I asked him once, shortly after he got there, how was your jump? He responded by saying something like, “Any jump you can walk away from is a good jump.”
He then went on to tell me of a JOAX that he was part of where all over the drop zone there were many paratroopers calling for medics. Apparently after every jump there are injuries. Many are “simple” injuries like twisted ankles, but some are more severe like broken hips, arms, and backs. If I remember correctly, he said that they tend to hit the ground anywhere from 20 to 30 mph (depending on wind and if someone “steals your air”).
The risks and pains that so many people take on a daily basis to provide for our freedoms is mind blowing when you really begin to look into it. I say this as a Navy submarine veteran who has forgotten how soft I have had it for the last 20+ years.
As a side note, he jumped the next day after the paratrooper was killed using the T-11. I asked my son if he has used the T-11, and he said not yet.
I thought the state-of-the-art was the para-sail type?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.