I. S. Hoffman
Published: 1969
Total Pages: 28
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In conjunction with the low-altitude preflight drop test phase of the NASA Supersonic High-Altitude Parachute Experiments (SHAPE) program, canopy-load-distributed measurements were made on each of three types of parachute during deployment (by means of a mortar) from an aircraft-dropped payload. Loads were measured with miniature load cells at various locations on the canopies and in the suspension lines of 30- and 40-foot-diameter (9.14 and 12.19 meters) parachutes, with a total of seven measurements of this type being made on each of seven instrumented parachute drops. Out of a total of 49 such individuual measurement attempts, there were six individual load-cell problems, which included one of lead-wire breakage during parachute deployment. Total parachute load measurements were also made during each test by means of a tensionmeter in the main riser line. In addition, for the total parachute instrumentation program, data from approximately 40 percent of the channels were not obtained due apparently to onboard telemetry malfunction.