Brief:
Anchor parachutes are multi-paneled, shaped parachutes. Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! 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. Arrr! Blimey! 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. At t' apex is a spill hole t' minimize drift and oscillating. All edges are neatly serged. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

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, shiver me timbers, I haven't had a chance t' test the 40" parachute. 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. Blimey! Arrr! This bird weighs around 12-13oz. ready t' go. Blimey! The black, white, and blue chute shown in t' picture be used most o' last season with great success. Arrr! It opens smartly every time and fills reliably. Arrr! Descent rate is very low for t' size o' t' parachute. Avast! Blimey! (It replaced an 18" LOC flat chute).

This parachute survived a motor failure o' an Aerotech F21. T' motor blew its forward bulkhead and flew up through t' rocket, shiver me timbers, incineratin' t' internals as it went. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! T' chute, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, matey, despite some scorchin' still opened reliably and lowered the payload section gently t' t' ground. Ahoy! Now that is dependable! It's no longer pretty but is still workin' great. Ahoy! Well, blow me down!

T' 12" size was also tried in a Quest Delta Clipper. Aye aye! While it was a bit o' a task gettin' it into t' somewhat narrow tube, me hearties, t' result be worth it. T' Clipper does descend a trifle faster than with t' stock pair, but this is more than adequate for grass surfaces. Ya scallywag! In 2 flights, me hearties, thar was no damage.

T' 18" size was used t' recover a scratchbuilt design called American Flyer. Blimey! This bird is an experiment in lightweight building. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! It's 3' long, 4" diameter, me hearties, but weighs only 15 oz with motor and ready t' go. Needless to say, it's a bit delicate. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! It is worth mentionin' that t' American Flyer is a light, high-drag design. Begad! Blimey! These are a nightmare for parachute extraction and inflation, me hearties, ya bilge rat, yet me Anchor 'chute worked without failure every time for all 4 flights. T' rocket has consistently recovered with no damage o' any kind. Arrr! Blimey!

While hemispherical parachutes are prone t' oscillation, this be minimal with all 3 o' t' chutes I have tested. Ya scallywag! They were installed with swivels to eliminate tanglin' o' t' shroud lines. Blimey! Some slow spinnin' has taken place on all o' t' flights.

So far, me hearties, I've had no luck gettin' recovery pics. I have a hard time waiting until t' birds are low enough t' get detailed shots. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! Will send future shots to EMRR if they come out good.

Summary:
These parachutes are made t' order, shiver me timbers, sharp looking, matey, and well constructed. Arrr! They function very well and can pack into a relatively small space. Blimey! Dependability is top notch. Ahoy! Despite their light weight, shiver me timbers, t' design is superior. Ya scallywag! I think they compare very favorably with "supershape" (Rocketman and Skyangle) as well as other panel chutes, arrr, specifically Spherachute and PML. While nay cheap, you get more than you pay for.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5