How to Fold a Model Rocket Parachute

[kkeenn123]

All of the comments are replies 0_0

[EHvicefaction]

thanks man, U helped me fix my science project :)

[MartySchrader]

@EHvicefaction Glad to be of service.

[edwinshap1]

after reading your comments, it seems like you're too interested in the way you do it instead of listening to others, one of the things you say drove you away from rocketry.

I scratch built a short bird that according to the sim software, but i took it to a small launch, and the guy running it asked if i string tested, i said i didn't know how, and he said, "you're supposed to read up on the engineering before coming to a launch." and wouldn't let me fly...

you just need to relax

[MartySchrader]

@edwinshap1 Hmm. Perhaps you didn't read enough of my comment responses to realize that I do, in fact, know what I'm talking about. I have built over a hundred rockets, flown for dozens of years, and made thousands of launches. "My way" is a proven method for having good chute deployment, but I never claim it is the only way or that other methods are wrong.

By the by, short rockets are a source of endless stability headaches unless done correctly. The LSO was right to block your launch.

[jacktheripped]

completely wrong about the attachment of the shroud lines to the parachute. Estes has perpetuated this method because they think people are idiots and can't possibily do it the correct way. The first shroud line should go across the chute to the opposite side then the 2nd and 3rd atttached to either side of the 1st in the normal holes next to each other way. this gives you 3 hanging loops that line up equally. The Estes way you automatically have 1 twisted pair.

3rd level Tripoli flyer :)

[MartySchrader]

@jacktheripped Okay. That's fine. By the way, I gave up on rockets a couple years ago because the hobby was filled with pigheaded, stubborn, bossy, asshatted know-it-alls who couldn't be bothered with anybody else's take on anything. I'm sure you aren't one of those, eh?

[jacktheripped]

@MartySchrader then there are those who won't listen to a better way inspite of proof before their very eyes. Yeah, I know lots of people that fit your description. Like the guy that sniffed at the two timers in my 3rd level rocket. He said, "this was intended for altimeter deployment." I retorted, "NASA doesn't use altimeters for events, everything is timed to the microsecond."

Informing people of a better way is not asshattery. It's information, same as your video.

[MartySchrader]

@jacktheripped You have done the lower levels and have built and flown an HPR of M power or greater? Okay, you also know that redundant recovery deployment is a *requirement* of L3.

I object to the characterization of simple shroud line attachments to cheap plastic parachutes as being "completely wrong." It is not wrong, it is just not not optimum. Big difference.

By the way, you might want to tell Top Flite that they are making their ripstop nylon chutes wrong, too. The do it the simple way.

[jacktheripped]

@MartySchrader I cut the lines off of mis-attached shroud lines and resew them  :)

[david1513]

@jacktheripped i noticed this too on my chute, after tieing the end i wround up tieing another knot just to compensate for the twisted lines not good, you should make a video because this was the case on all three of my sky writer rockets i built,estes tied the lines to the chutes not me..! Dave*

[jacobew2000]

I have always sprinkled taclum powder on my parachutes to aid in keeping them from sticking together.

Nothing wrong with this way of folding a parachute, but there is other ways of doing it.

I sometimes loosely wrap a single tissue of flameresistant wadding around the parachute, in addition to the wadding between the engine and the paracute, in order to help protect it against any wayward gasses. That single tissue should fall off when the parachute deployes.

[MartySchrader]

@jacobew2000 Sure. Just like one of those Nomex 'chute bags.

By the way, I dropped model rockets a couple of years ago. The costs were continuing to climb, the phun level was continuing to drop, and my fellow rocketeers were getting to be an ever-increasing PITA. Too bad.

[MartySchrader]

@thecravenator42069 Glad I could be of help. I actually got out of model rockets because the costs kept rising, the availability of fields kept shrinking, and my fellow rocketeers kept getting more crotchety. A bad combination.

Now I do R/C aircraft -- in my front yard! Try that with your Big Bertha. Heh.

[nealshireman]

@MartySchrader now lets try them both, at the same time

*explosion*

[MRrandumb101]

great and works fine!

[MartySchrader]

Glad I could be of help.

[DireSpitfire]

Very Helpful, Thanks!

[MartySchrader]

My pleasure. To be honest, I haven't folded a model rocket parachute myself in a year and a half. My radio control model airplane flying has supplanted rocket flying completely. Probably because I can fly electric R/C airplanes in the front yard, and rockets...well, I can't.

[stymye]

we don't normally "fire " model rockets like a gun ... instead we launch them

[MartySchrader]

I'm too lazy to go back through my own long-winded piece to see if I referred to "firing" a model rocket, but we do often refer to firing an engine, since it is a flammable propellant device. Firing a rocket is a logical extension of that.

I always correct people who talk about "shooting" a rocket versus "launching" one. Gotta make sure they know the difference between the NAR and the NRA. Heh.

[MartySchrader]

Hmm. I guess that depends upon the type of material the chute is made from, the shape of the chute (flat disc, flat X, dome, etc), and prolly the number, size, and anchoring type of the shroud lines.

The easy way to make sure the chute deploys is to use a piston. Google [rocket recovery piston parachute] and you'll see all kinds of solutions for that.

I am guessing that a 58" thin-mil Top Flite could probably be deployed out of a 2.56" (BT-80) tube. EMRR and other sites might have more info.

[janosparag]

I don't think it's ripstop. It's just an easy thin nylon with about the radius of 1 meter and it has a hole on it's top to prevent to big forces. I could make a vid about it or some pics if you'd like it but nowadayz I'm quite busy in the school so I can't promise quick reactions :)

When I had had a working water rocket the canopy didn't open in time because of bad folding. I'm quite sure it will.

[janosparag]

Thank you, man! It was useful. I've made a similar one out of nylon. Mine it's far bigger and not precise but I think it gonna work on mine also. Can't wait trying it out! I should only make a working water bottle also... lol

[MartySchrader]

You are putting a ripstop nylon parachute on a two liter bottle rocket? How?

[OCDADVENTURES101]

how do i get the parachute to deploy?

im using kno3 rockets and im building a big one, should i put a charge behind the nose cone?

[MartySchrader]

Well, there are as many different answers to that one as there are kinds of rockets available. I suggest you do some Google searching for ["model rocket" parachute deployment methods] or some such and see what comes up.

[busterhymanout]

dude you talk to much

[MartySchrader]

Who is this "much" with whom I am supposedly conversing?

[MsLJuliusson]

Hi, I am going to make a parachute for a plane that launches with a huge rubber band. I am wondering, how do I attach the parachute once it is folded, so that it doesn't deploy when the plane is going up? Is there a specific way I should place it, or place I should put it, or is this not even going to work? I plan to launch the plane straight up. Thanks!

[MartySchrader]

The only passive mechanism I can think of would be a "folded wing" arrangement, where the 'chute is held between some spring loaded fins that are folded up to the airframe for boost. There were a bunch of rubber-launched balsa airplanes made in the '60s that used this feature. You pinch the fins between your thumb and forefinger while drawing back against the rubber band for launch. During upward flight the airflow holds the fins closed. At apogee the fins pop open and the 'chute comes out. Eh?

[MsLJuliusson]

Thanks Marty! I'll see if I can figure this out!

[alexsapps]

Schweeeeeeeeeeeet thanks!

[MartySchrader]

Glad I could help.

[alimad89]

gave me an idea about parachutes....im trying to use a shower curtain to land my RC plane cause im not good enough yet to land it safely lol... needed to know how to fold it....even thu it's a rectangular shape...

peace !

[MartySchrader]

You know, there are some commercial outfits making emergency parachutes for general aviation planes, so why not for models?

[ncs93]

it looked like it'll work perfectly for my physics project in school...

thanks Marty...!!!

[MartySchrader]

Glad to be of service.

[dc54321x]

I've tried a number of different methods of folding, which have been successful most of the time, but since I've been folding my chutes this way I haven't had a problem at all.

Thanks, Marty!

But I agree that this video is too long

[MartySchrader]

Maybe I'll get a chance to remake this one when I do some of my other "how to" stuff.

[syedjaafar]

this can help me... :D..and my school too.. XD

[MartySchrader]

Happy to be of service.

[ghostplanes]

will this work for toy parachutes

[MartySchrader]

Define "toy" parachutes. Model rockets are as close to toys as you can fly and still be subject to federal laws that can get you a Very Small Room in Marion, Illinois.

Yes, the technique should work with stuff like those Top Flight parachute figures and things like that. You'll probably have to add some lead length to get the lead wrapped up in the center of the chute as I show it here.

[Gymnast580]

That is a ugyle parachates\

[MartySchrader]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[skizzile]

helpful but way too long try to shorten it up

[MartySchrader]

Yeah, I realized that kinda after the fact. The next version of this will be much shorter and less noisy.

[totality]

thanks ,we look forward to more instructional videos

[MartySchrader]

I was thinking about some stuff on rear engine boost gliders. Think anybody would be interested?

[totality]

Most Welcome Marty

Keep posting while i subscribe to your videos

regards ashish

[gohanblaze1991]

Thanks ALOT !! This Video Taught me how to fold a parachute. What makes even more perfect is that I have to make and egg land safely without breaking and I was like ummm... how do I get the parachute to deploy which acording to the teacher was the hardest part not anymore well for me atleast. I had to build a rocket from scratch using a pepsi bottle and poster board with other materials.

Great Video

~Gohanblaze1991~

[MartySchrader]

Great! Glad I could help. Good luck with that egglofter. That's one of the hardest classes of competition out there. You might want to do some searching here and on Google for ["model rocket" egglofter] and see what comes up.

[auburntaco]

I usually just wad the parachute up and stuff it in the rocket body. About half the time, the ejection charge melts the parachute and I get a ballistic recovery.

[MartySchrader]

Right! Well, then, there you go. Who needs wadding?

[battlebauble]

The funky jazz sound track really helped me to stay focused. I'm so easily distracted. Huh?

[MartySchrader]

Earthworks will do that to you. Bill Bruford was allowing influences from free jazz and all kindsa things to come into his compositions during this period. He felt the structure of progressive rock (UK, Bruford, Genesis) was still a little too constricting. It's phunny that Earthworks sorta developed a "sound" that could be identified despite the fact that Bruford was trying to get away from all that order and structure. Oh, well.

[arabiantxn]

NOW if my parachute fails to oepn i can refold it and pull the cord again Lol

but thank you!

[MartySchrader]

Remember, it's not the fall -- it's the sudden stop at th

[arabiantxn]

Thank you !

[Pippilly]

Hey that's awesome! Where can I get one of those plastic parachutes?

[MartySchrader]

You don't want one of those. I only use those cheapo chutes on low-effort models (less than 3 hours of work or so). For more important stuff I use something like Top Flite ripstop nylon chutes. This is the same material as is used on human-capable parachutes, but thinner and lighter.