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