During the past couple of years, I have been flying a scratch-built replica of the Mark II Rock-A-Chute model rocket, which most of you are aware, is the design that set the standard for the hobby as we know it today.
To date, the model has flown ten times, all being recovered on a square red plastic parachute to keep things historically authentic.
To my delight, I have found that the square 'para-sheets' have performed very well, despite being so simple. Along with the Mark II, I have taken to using them in other small, light LPR birds in the fleet, notably the Astron Alpha clone.
Once deployed and filled with air, they descend just as slowly (and sometimes even more so) as hexagonal or round parachutes of the same surface area.
On one particular Alpha flight, I was even able to run under the descending bird and easily catch it before it reached the ground. And that's not an easy feat at my age!
Recently, I have been on a kick of building a bunch of new parachutes, as my inventory of them had become somewhat depleted.
On this go around, I've decided to construct square chutes on anything twelve inches and smaller.
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| A whole slew of 6, 8, 10, and 12 inch square chutes ready for assembly. |
Since constructing chutes is one of my least favorite aspects of the rocket building process, it is a delight to knock these babies out in quantity. They are easy to lay out and cut to size and require the attachment of only four shroud lines.
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| A square 12-incher, veteran of eight rocket flights. |
Elegant simplicity!