Parachute cable question...

This dragster is my first parachute car. I have changed the layout of the handles to suit me better, and was test-firing the chutes today, when it occurred to me that I don't know how much of the "rib cord" wire to put through the little string loop. Obviously I want enough to keep it from shaking out, but not so much that I need a ton of travel in the handle. How much do you guys use?

-Scouder

 

Mine has about an inch and a half sticking out when it's ready to race.

 

Same thing here....

 

At rest i have about 3 inches sticking thru (during the burnout), then i move the levers vertical after my backup (so i can reach them better) and at that time i have about 1 inch sticking thru.

 

Hey stranger, good to hear from ya again. Thanks for the input. I hadn't thought about moving the lever after the burnout.

-Scouder

 

parachute levers

Greg's idea of giving yourself extra length on the burnout it a good one but I am afraid to touch mine until I need them. If you have ever had a premature chute deployment it is a true bummer- sort of all dressed up and you can't go. I generally also leave about an inch and a half of the cable sticking through but I do another thing- I put a little kink in the cable just past the loop of the parachute. That way it opens only when you really want it to. Dave Germain

 

careful moving before making a run you dont want them falling out it hard to judge how for to move them i leave about a 1/2 past the edge of the groument so thats about an 1-1/2 through the loop

 

We have about 2 inches of travel. There is nothing worse than "premature ejection'

 

a trick to help the cute from poping out is to twist the string on the pilot cute when your packing it so that the string pull's down on the cable

 

Also, make sure that when you pull the cable it goes partway into the outer sheath. If there is any still sticking out of the sheath when it is pulled it will find a way to keep your chute from deploying. I also recommed putting an aluminum AN nut threaded onto the end of the outer sheath to make sure the loop in the chute can't get pulled onto the sheath when you pull the chute. I had that happen once and almost took a trip into the hay bales.