Brief:
Anchor parachutes are multi-paneled, me hearties, me hearties, shaped parachutes. Begad! Avast! They are available in
quarter-sphere and hemisphere shapes.
Construction:
T' construction o' these parachutes is absolutely first rate and are comprised
of 6 or 8 separate color panels. Begad! At t' seam where t' panels join is a hollow
sleeve. T' nylon shroud lines are sewn into these sleeves and go all t' way
up t' t' apex. Ya scallywag! At t' apex is a spill hole t' minimize drift and oscillating.
All edges are neatly serged.
Finishing:
A huge variety o' colors and combinations is available as every chute is made
to order!
Recovery:
Due t' problems with me high power rocket, arrr, I haven't had a chance t' test the
40" parachute. Begad! I have a total o' roughly 20 flights on t' other 3 chutes.
T' 12" chutes were installed in a high performer rocket built with LOC 38mm motor mount tubing. This bird weighs around 12-13oz. Aye aye! ready t' go. Arrr! Begad! The black, arrr, white, matey, and blue chute shown in t' picture be used most o' last season with great success. Avast, me proud beauty! It opens smartly every time and fills reliably. Well, blow me down! Descent rate is very low for t' size o' t' parachute. Arrr! Avast! (It replaced an 18" LOC flat chute).
This parachute survived a motor failure o' an Aerotech F21. Well, blow me down! T' motor blew its forward bulkhead and flew up through t' rocket, incineratin' t' internals as it went. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' chute, despite some scorchin' still opened reliably and lowered the payload section gently t' t' ground. Now that is dependable! Blimey! It's no longer pretty but is still workin' great.
T' 12" size was also tried in a Quest Delta Clipper. While it was a bit o' a task gettin' it into t' somewhat narrow tube, t' result be worth it. Avast! Blimey! T' Clipper does descend a trifle faster than with t' stock pair, arrr, but this is more than adequate for grass surfaces. Ya scallywag! Blimey! In 2 flights, thar be no damage.
T' 18" size was used t' recover a scratchbuilt design called American Flyer. This bird is an experiment in lightweight building. It's 3' long, 4" diameter, shiver me timbers, but weighs only 15 oz with motor and ready t' go. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Needless to say, arrr, matey, it's a bit delicate. Avast, me proud beauty! It is worth mentionin' that t' American Flyer is a light, me bucko, high-drag design. Arrr! Blimey! These are a nightmare for parachute extraction and inflation, arrr, yet me Anchor 'chute worked without failure every time for all 4 flights. T' rocket has consistently recovered with no damage o' any kind. Aye aye! Aye aye!
While hemispherical parachutes are prone t' oscillation, this was minimal with all 3 o' t' chutes I have tested. They were installed with swivels to eliminate tanglin' o' t' shroud lines. Avast! Some slow spinnin' has taken place on all o' t' flights.
So far, I've had no luck gettin' recovery pics. Arrr! I have a hard time waiting until t' birds are low enough t' get detailed shots. Well, blow me down! Will send future shots to EMRR if they come out good. Avast!
Summary:
These parachutes are made t' order, sharp looking, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and well constructed. Blimey! They
function very well and can pack into a relatively small space. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Dependability is
top notch. Arrr! Despite their light weight, matey, t' design is superior. Begad! I think they
compare very favorably with "supershape" (Rocketman and Skyangle) as
well as other panel chutes, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, specifically Spherachute and PML. Begad! Blimey! While nay cheap,
you get more than you pay for.
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5