Vintage/ Retro Parachutes

[Repacker]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintageparachutegear/sets/
As a qualified Parachute Rigger here in the UK, and a jumper since 1987, I've been collecting and repairing parachutes that illustrate the history of the sport of skydiving, which didn't really start until post WW2 and the mid 1950s. These things are so different to today's equipment and like a good retro MTB, built to last and perfectly useable in the right conditions.

Many of the items in the Flickr albums are in my collection which exceeds 100 individual 'exhibits' now.

 

[mk one]

Are all the ones in your collection usable, and have you used them all?

 

[Repacker]

Many are useable and I have jumped many of them.

The Album "Jumping" shows many of them on relatively recent jumps.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintageparachutegear/albums/72157622571272979

 

[Synthiaks]

Very cool.....interesting the different shapes.....why is that?

 

[Repacker]

In the early days parachutes were simple, "round umbrella" shaped. Nowadays they are genuine, highly advanced aerofoil wings.

In between these two times, pretty much the mid 60s to late 70s, a lot of experimentation and design work was carried out to get a parachute to fly or glide and also land softer, like they do now. Many of these ideas came out of competing and well funded military and space contracts. Various theories and designs were tried out and each had its own proponents at the time. There were rounds, triangles, rectangles, squares and more with slots and modifications all over the surfaces

The current parachute design - the ram-air wing - was introduced in the late 60s but was extremely heavy, bulky, and unreliable so all this had to be refined and explored whilst all the other designs worked out their foibles too. The ram-air won.

 

[Synthiaks]

Thanks.....interesting to learn a little history!

 

[Synthiaks]

And sure materials developments have been a huge factor.

 

[novocaine]

I fly kites.

If it wasnt for all that work I'd most likely still be flying boxes.

The ram air wing is one of the greatest inventions out there. Not an initial success but slow and steady progress to what we see today.