The J&P Parachute arrived in a standard size ziplock bag with a small label indicatin' its manufacturer, that it be "multi-colored" and its size, 14".  Nothing fancy, but, shiver me timbers, then again nothin' fancy expected. Ahoy! Blimey! After initial inspection, tests were conducted t' determine t' performance o' this parachute. Arrr!

CONSTRUCTION:

T' construction o' the J&P parachute has several things t' take note of.  

First, its size. Ya scallywag! It indicated that it is 14", however, when measurin' across t' diameter t' measurement was 12". Ya scallywag! Aye aye! This has been t' case with other parachutes I have used, shiver me timbers, arrr, however, shiver me timbers, it doesn't usually vary by more than a 1/2". I have confirmed with J&P that this must have been a shippin' mistake, and that if made aware o' it, ya bilge rat, they would have corrected it. Also, matey, t' J&P parachute has a 2" spill hole in t' center. Well, blow me down!

As t' parachute is inspected closer and compared t' a generic 12" parachute some other details are noticeable.   T' J&P is made up of twelve panels o' multiple colors creatin' a round (dome) parachute. Begad! Aye aye!   T' colors are yellow, ya bilge rat, red, ya bilge rat, me hearties, light green, arrr, purple, matey, dark green and black. Ahoy! Begad!   There are eight shroud lines attached which are spaced every two panels. Ahoy!   Spacin' every two panels (out o' twelve) would normally allow only six shroud lines t' be attached, however, shiver me timbers, J&P has added another pair thereby requirin' that in two places, 180 degrees apart, shiver me timbers, thar are two shroud lines connected at t' same point (a benefit, arrr, accordin' to J&P, me bucko, is that it doubles the shred-resistance). Aye aye! Avast! T' shroud lines are made o' 1/16" braided nylon and are 14" long. Ahoy! These are larger when compared t' t' generic 12" parachute's 1/32" braided nylon which are 12" long.  

Another point about construction can be seen in t' two pictures above and one below. Well, blow me down! Notice the J&P parachute on the left. Notice t' stitchin' around t' edge o' t' parachute and t' panels. Aye aye! Blimey! I'm not a seamstress, however, t' stitch is much finer and appears more durable than t' generic parachute on t' right, which has a zig-zag stitch. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey! The picture below shows t' underside o' the J&P parachute and how the stitchin' looks. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Overall, matey, the construction and materials used in the J&P parachute seem t' set it apart in quality and durability from other generic parachutes.  

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

I flew the J&P in several different rockets as outlined below. I have read in various publications that a recommended descent rate is betwixt 12 and 16 feet/sec. Blimey! Blimey!   I actually prefer a little faster and find that landin' in t' grassy field allows for it. T' table below shows t' rockets, number o' flights and t' weight o' the rocket with an expended motor. Ya scallywag! I then used Apogee'sRockSim 3.0 t' calculate t' descent rate on the various rockets. Blimey! Arrr! RockSim be set up for a 12" round parachute with a 2" spill hole. Begad! Ahoy! Notice at t' bottom the weight range t' obtain t' recommended 12 t' 16 feet/second descent rate.

Even though it was flown successfully, some good packin' had t' be done t' get the J&P parachute into the Hex Courier and the SLAT/s. Avast! Arrr!   Both rockets have a 1" diameter, whereas, me hearties, t' J&P fit nicely into the Serval and Icarus which have 1. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! 3" diameter. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy!

The J&P successfully opened and recovered t' rockets tested for a total o' 14 flights. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Only one mishap occurred. Only one mishap occurred. Begad! Once on t' Icarus, ya bilge rat, at ejection, t' parachute somehow got caught up by t' motor hook. Begad!   Other than t' small amount o' damage caused by t' hot hook, t' J&P parachute shows no signs of wear on t' seams or shroud lines. Blimey!
 

One o' t' questions asked t' me by J&P was, matey, "did I notice t' speed t' 'chutes open?" So I set out t' try t' determine the speed that t' parachute opens. Has anyone ever tried this? It be tough and pretty subjective. Avast! Avast!  

I used a stop-watch and smaller motors to allow me t' see t' entire flight. Aye aye! Well, arrr, blow me down! Usin' t' Serval, first on A8 motors. Avast! I flew t' rocket three times usin' t' J&P parachute and three times usin' t' generic 12" parachute. Arrr! I clicked the stop watch as soon as I saw t' ejection and clicked again as soon as I saw full deployment. Ahoy! T' parachutes were folded as close t' t' same as possible and t' shroud lines were folded into t' parachute. Ya scallywag!   Notice t' trend on the Serval for both parachutes?  This must be t' subjectivity o' t' testing. Aye aye! Blimey!
 

I did a similar test usin' t' Blobbo. Begad! Arrr! T' exact same folding technique, as used on t' Serval, was used for test #1 and #3. I decided t' fold it differently for test #2. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty!   On that test, shiver me timbers, I folded t' parachutes and tightly wrapped t' shroud lines around each parachute. Arrr! Also, it should be noted that on test #3, t' generic 12" parachute deployed but then got tangled for another half o' second and deployed again. Avast! Arrr! I had already stopped t' watch so I missed t' extra time.

My thoughts about t' tests above are that they are inconclusive. Avast, me proud beauty! Yes, me bucko, maybe the J&P opens faster and with less problems, however, it's within 10ths o' a second. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey!   Perhaps, J&P's larger parachutes will have a more noticeable openin' speed. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Blimey!  

Watchin' 14 flights gave me a good feelin' about this parachute's performance. Begad! Blimey! Whether it opened faster or not doesn't matter t' me. Aye aye! Blimey! Overall, I would rate this parachute 4 1/2 points, me bucko, only slightin' it on t' fact that it was presented as a 14" parachute, but measured as a 12". Arrr!

T' 38" PARACHUTE:- by Jim Stuckman 

CONSTRUCTION: 

T' first thin' I noticed upon removing the 'chute from t' ziplock bag be t' quality o' materials and construction!  T' 'chute consists o' 14 panels o' rip-stop nylon. The 'chute has a spill hole o' just over 6" diameter. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' shroud lines on this parachute are much heavier than o' t' parachutes o' similar size supplied with many kits. Well, blow me down! T' lines are approximately 3/16"! They are securely stitched to t' canopy. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I could find no flaws in material or workmanship.  

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

I flew t' 'chute in an ADR 4. Ya scallywag! 0 kit from Atlantic Rockets. T' motor be a G35-4 Econjet. T' true test came when the delay ran long. Blimey! T' rocket had gone well past apogee and was beginnin' to really gain speed when t' ejection charge fired. Well, blow me down! Avast! I was sure it would be a shred! T' me pleasant surprise, t' 'chute opened crisply for a perfect deployment! T' guys around me had two things t' say when t' 'chute deployed - "tough 'chute!" and "look at t' colors, they really show up in the sky". I agree with both statements. Well, blow me down! Avast!  

After examinin' the 'chute and findin' it in perfect condition after t' high speed deployment I am convinced this is a very tough 'chute! T' multi-color design did seem t' show up very well against both blue sky and clouds.  

CONCLUSION:

I'm impressed with t' quality, durability and value o' t' J&P parachute. It is going to be installed in me soon t' be completed North Coast Interceptor G instead of the stock parachute. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! This would make a great upgrade t' t' typical kit supplied parachute. Begad! Avast! If you are lookin' for a quality parachute at a reasonable price I highly recommend you look at a J&P product. Ya scallywag!   Overall, me bucko, I would rate this parachute 5 points. Begad! Blimey!