Page 12 - October 2018

Parchutes And Their Uses

Originally published in WAR in the AIR Part 16 in 1936 By Major Oliver Stewart, M.C., A.F.C.
Readers will not need to be reminded of the inestimable value of parachutes in saving life,
But this chapter gives interesting and not generally known particulars of the history and
The recent developments of the art of parachuting. British authorities were late in discovering
The value of the parachute, but the success of the post-War experiments has led to a marked change of outlook.
Considering how long ago they Satisfactorily, and as a result 28ft. in diameter for training and
were invented, it is surprising that British casualties were higher than exhibition purposes; and 22 ft. in
parachutes have taken so much they need have been. diameter for use in training in
time to become standard conjunction with the 28 ft.
Parachutes are now used as life
equipment for military aeroplanes. canopy. There are five types of
savers, for dropping supplies and
pack: on seat, on lap, on back, on
Before the aeroplane existed the for dropping flares for illuminating
parachute was a known device, a stretch of country at night. This chest and secured to the basket of
a balloon. The canopies are
and Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings chapter will deal mainly with
formed of triangular gores, the
of parachutes show that the lifesaving parachutes.
technique of the parachute decent warp pf the fabric being placed at
In its simplest form a parachute is the angle of45 degrees to the
was fairly well understood at the an inverted, bowl-shaped canopy
th
end of the 15 century. A centre line for strength. The main
of silk (cotton has been used), with rigging lines are of silk, and have a
parachute decent was made in
rigging lines leading from its lip to breaking strength of not less than
England as early as 1802.
the “harness” which carries the 400 lb., and a weight of not more
Parachute descents were popular man. When the parachute began than 1 lb. for every 70 yards. The
as spectacles during the ballooning to be seriously as equipment for harness is fitted with a quick
period, and it was then that the service aeroplanes, two entirely release in front of the wearer,
method of overcoming the swing different types were proposed: the which enables him to discard the
by leaving an aperture in the top of pack type and the fixed type. The parachute directly he has landed,
the canopy was developed. pack type of parachute had the and so to avoid being dragged
canopy folded up in a particular
Yet, although the Germans were along the ground for some
way and stowed in a pack which
using their Heinecke seat type distance by the wind.
could be worn by the pilot; the
parachutes, the War of 1914-18 It happened that the writer was th
ended without the aeroplanes of other type had a canopy in a the Orfordness station at the time
container fixed to the aircraft.
the R.F.C. and the R.N.A.S. being when a great deal of experimental
equipped with the parachutes. It The canopies of service parachutes work was being done there, and
was on omission which the air staff are made in three sizes: 24 ft. in the number of types was large.
has never succeeded explaining diameter for general use;

SAFE IN THE PARACHUTE’S KEEPING
This photograph shows one of the thrills of the Cabham Air Circus display. Slowly the big machine circles above the landing ground. Standing on a
small platform on one of the wings a tiny figure can be seen. A flutter of white, and the parachutist is dragged into space. A gasp from the awe-
struck spectators – changed to cheers at a perfect landing below.