Landing Drag Shoot, The Hows and should we?
 

Ok, So I have been doing extensive rebuild of my Carf Eurosport after my JetCat Titan Locked up after take off. While most of the damage was in the front 1/2 of the fuse, I was thinking of a cool way to add some weight to tail of the jet to offset some of the exstra fiberglass I added.

I was thinking of adding a semi scale landing drag shoot.

Questions ??

Have you used one and do they actuly help slow the jet down?

How do you get it to deploy? Air Cylinder, or spring with servo controlled door are my thoughts so far.

Any pictures of your install

What is needed, I have seen that Details 4 scale sell some really nice shoots but I want to put these in 2 jets, My Carf Eurosport and Skymaster F100 so price is a concern.

I have been too 2 different rocket parachute sites, and it seems like I can get a nice 2 foot shoot nlylon with bungee cord, and swivel for around $35 each but they don't have the holes cut in the shoots like the full scale and Details 4 Scale products. Are these holes necessary for what I need?

Anyone install one and thought it was a total waste of time?

My boy has one in his BVM F100 and it came out while in flight and ripped off, I have been able to get a hold of him to get pic of his install, but do you build it with a weak link in the line just incase this happens?

Thanks Mike

I have a Details4scale 'chute in my Euro. Mine is a single pipe version of the Euro, so the chute is housed in a small compartment inside one of the scale nozzels. I have a servo to release the door and a spring-loaded (actually a rubber-band loaded) plunger forces it out. My mechanism is a bit "fiddly" though, so I get a good deployment about 80% of the time. If I did it again, I think I'd use an air cylinder fired plunger like Details4scale uses - more reliable.

I've never had an in-air deployment, but I make darn sure not to hit the switch when flying! :D

Bob

Had one on my last F16, thought it was probably the biggest waste of money I spent. I will never do another. First time I used it it was cool, and did slow it down, but the chute was dragging and twisting across the runway, and yes I had it on a swivel mount. I shortened it a little to try and keep it infated, that worked but while I was taxiing the jet back one of the cords broke. That was it for me, seemed like the only way to protect the chute would be have the spotter go get it and lay it up on the fuse after stopping. And that is a no good,,just my experience.

I have not had that kind of difficulty with mine. I did have a few cords come loose, but threading them back into the chute and hitting them with a drop of thick CA fixed that. Mine is quite dirty and a bit frayed from use, but actually, that's scale...

The chute is kind of fun, but its a scale detail used for its cool-factor, not to stop the aircraft. I only use it when I'm doing a flight at an event or demo, for day-to-day flying, its not worth it.

Packing the chute with a bit of talc on it gives a very satisfying "puff of smoke" when the chute deploys which the spectators seem to like. I don't drop my chute, but simply drag it back to the flight line and then pick it up and carry it back behind the plane to the pits after shutdown. I only use it on hard-surface, not grass for that reason. Whether or not it stays inflated on taxi back depends on the direction and strength of the wind vs. the turbine exhaust. If its *really* windy, I don't use it because the wind will blow it back into the airplane on taxi-back and it can get wrapped around things like the landing gear...

Bob

wow ok thanks, so you think grass is harder on the shutes vs concrete?

Sounds cool

any Clips?

Mike,

To your questions..

Have you used one and do they actually help slow the jet down?
- Yes, I notice it especially for the first half of the the roll out. But.. in my case it's a pretty big chute... 2-3 feet across.

How do you get it to deploy? Air Cylinder, or spring with servo controlled door are my thoughts so far.
- Hah.... well all 3. Getting them in and out of the plane is a challenge. Servo safety pins on the doors, air cylinders to open them. servo operated release to pop loose a spring loaded floor, then lastly a servo driven cut away.

To your 'break-away' question, the part of the chute that I call the 'lanyard' is braided leather, and I have no doubt that if it deployed in air, would break. I will break one of the 3 cords in the braid on a fast landing at times. However, I can braid a new one in short order, and it saves the chute. I got my chute from Details-4-Scale, and Dan did an awesome job with it.

I think I get better service out of mine for 2 reasons though... being a twin, I'm not blasting hot exhaust into it. Secondly, when deployed and moving quickly as you see it's off the runway. I've also got a separate channel to cut it away, when turning into the pits, to minimize it's wear. And yes, I'd think grass would be really hard on a chute.... it's not that tough of a fabric and I don't think would stand up to getting tugged about on tufts of grass.

They are a pain to use, but I think look cool. Biggest trouble I have is if I have a heavy cross wind, is turning around after coming to a stop, for the back taxi. It will pivot the lanyard behind one of the running engines and want to burn it through. Yet another reason to have the lanyard long enough to not put the chute itself at risk.

Lance
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191576

Lance's chute in action at 2:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUMCSK0o20I

Awesome video....thanks so much for the link!

I have run them on several planes They do slow down the plane on touchdown. I use servo actuated door and tube with spring to push out the back. Also the use of 5 lb test fishing line provides a good break away if needed. I needed it oncehttp://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191627http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191628

Yes, as Lance said, dragging the chute through the grass where it would get caught would be very hard on it - unless its "golf green" type grass like at Joe Nall, which most grass model fields are not...

Bob

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191679http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191678

See, the chute adds that extra distinctive touch to a beautiful model! :)

Bob

Thanks Bob!!! Too bad i don't own the plane any more, It was sold to a Retired F-100 pilot that flew them in Vietnam.

I'd love to own another bigger one from ELITE Areosports some day.

Hello, one question, is elastic the first zone of the cords in the real parachutes ?
thanks in advance.

Someone has pictures of this detail zone ??

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...9c2703702f.jpg

not something i would want to try, but it seems that in flight deployment is a possibility...
around 1:41

How far behind the jet is the ideal situation for the deployed chute? I am about to use mine for the first time and would appreciate your input. I am using a Details4Scale chute and it has about an 80 inch (2m) length of cord from the chute to the attachment point on the jet.

JanR

I really miss details 4 scale .. sorry to see them go. Dan was such a good guy.
If anyone is interested, I have recreated much of the function of his hardware "autochute" controller in a lua app for Jeti since the hw is not available anymore.
PM if interested.
Dave McQ

I try to deploy the chute on my Hunter just before touchdown, whilst in the flare, just like the full-scale does at times. No bounce at all and the model just sticks at touchdown.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...49dcd64bc2.jpg



https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...21f295c8f2.jpg


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...0aa0f392d2.jpg


However, on one of my early flights with the chute I accidentally knocked the switch while at about 20' on finals - it did not end well:mad:, with the model slowing dramatically and pitching very steeply nose down before hitting the ground with serious damage. I since fitted a 3-position locking switch to my Tx (stowed/ deployed/ jettisoned).

Regarding chute riser length, I just found a good side view showing the plane with the chute deployed and scaled the riser length from that using the known fuselage length. I used the same view and method to derive the chute diameter also.


Paul