SUSPENSION LINES

The suspension lines form a net or skeleton for the canopy and absorb much of the shock load. Therefore, when being assembled, they must be placed under a 20-pound tension, marked, and cut as a group to assure equal distribution of the shock load. The 28 suspension lines counted at the links are actually 14 lines, 75 feet 4 inches in length. These lines run continuously from link to link; that is, each line is secured to a connector link on one side of the canopy, runs up and over the canopy, and down to a link on the opposite side.

Type III nylon suspension line (with a minimum tensile strength of 550 pounds) is used on all main canopies and vane-type pilot chutes. This line consists of a loosely woven outer covering called a sleeve, and several strong inner cords called the core. This core provides the greater portion of the strength of the suspension line.

The suspension lines are attached to the connector links by tying a clove hitch, then a halfhitch, and completing the attachment with 2 (1/2 or - 1/4) inches of zigzag stitching. These lines are attached to the lift webs with removable connector links. One of the four removable connector links is shown in figure 1-9. See the four links (the ends of the suspension lines without the lift webs) in figure 1-5.

To prevent the canopy on the 28-foot parachute from slipping along the suspension lines, each line is anchored by zigzag stitching at several points to the radial seams through which it passes. One-half inch of slack is allowed in the vicinity of the skirt between the zigzag sewing points to relieve the strain during opening shock.

PARACHUTE CONTAINERS

The parachute container is designed to house and protect the pilot chute, main canopy, and suspension lines. There are as many different styles of containers as there are parachutes. They all have the same basic opening procedures. There are four flaps: top, bottom, left, and right. These flaps are held closed by two or four ripcord pins inserted through locking cones. To open the parachute container, the ripcord pins must be removed either manually or automatically. This allows the flaps to open and the pilot chute to spring from the pack. The pilot chute then pulls the canopy out.

Figure 1-9.-Method of attaching suspension lines at the link.

PARACHUTE HARNESS

The harness is the part of the parachute that holds the parachute to the wearer. It is designed to absorb the largest part of the opening shock, with chest, leg, and back straps added to prevent the jumper from falling free from the chute on the way down. Personnel parachute harnesses are made of 1 3/4-inch-wide nylon webbing, which has a tensile strength from 6,000 to 8,700 pounds.

The Navy uses two types of harnesses. The first is the quick-fit harness. It is made in three configurations: seat-type, back-type, and chesttype. The other type of harness is the integrated torso harness. It combines the harness, lap belt, and shoulder harness into one integrated garment. This harness improves the individual's comfort and mobility; it is more secure and is easier to put on and take off. It also reduces the number of exposed straps and overall bulk and weight.

RIPCORDS

The ripcord is a manual releasing device used to allow the container to open. It consists of locking pins securely attached to a length of 3/32-inch diameter corrosion-resistant steel cable. The ripcord handles are made of steel tubing in the shape of a cloverleaf or a trapezoid, and they are attached by passing the cable through a small hole drilled in the grip and then swaging a retaining ball or clamping a small sleeve onto the loose end of the cable. The pins are swaged in place and tested to withstand a pull of 300 pounds.

HARNESS HARDWARE

Parachute harness fittings (hardware) are small metal devices usually made of cadmium or chrome-plated steel. They are designed to join the parachute and harness and to afford easy and rapid adjustment of the harness to the wearer.

The many types of parachute harness fittings include adapters, snaps, D-rings, V-rings, connector links, and Koch release adapters. Some of the more common types of these fittings and their tensile strengths are illustrated in figure 1-10.

Figure 1-10.-Harness hardware (page 1). 1-11

Figure 1-10.-Harness hardware (page 2).

ADAPTERS

Two types of adapters are used with a regular quick-fit type harness. They are the regular harness adapter and the friction adapter. The harness adjuster adapter is used to adjust the harness to the wearer, and the friction quick-fit adapter has a grip slide bar, which allows the wearer to make quick adjustments to the harness.

SNAPS

There are several types of snaps used with parachutes. They are the plain harness snap, the quick-fit snap, and the quick-connector snap. The harness snap is a plain hook-shaped, springactuated guard, which snaps over a V-ring to secure two parts of the harness together. The quick-fit snap is similar except that it has a grip slide bar. The quick-connector snap is similar to the harness snap and is used as a means to quickly attach the Navy chest-type parachute to the two D-rings on the Navy chest-type harness.