Originally Posted by Chas Russell

For what it is worth, many moons ago, I would sometimes reef a large parachute using a plastic button. Usually a button with four opening through which two of the shroud lines would be threaded. While prepping the 'chute, the button would be pushed up to the canopy. When deployed, the button would slide down the lines and slow the opening of the parachute. Sometimes it would take a few seconds to open fully, while other times it did not really seem to make a difference. Most of the time I was flying competition, so I wanted the parachute to deploy immediately.
I did not do a lot of experimentation with rings or other devices.

Chas

Originally Posted by CPMcGraw

Reefing a chute refers to a means of delaying the canopy from opening immediately, with some sort of mechanical "ring" around the lines up near the canopy itself, which slowly slides down to the common point of attachment as the air fills the canopy to its maximum spread. The ring "regulates" the opening time, and is supposed to reduce the chances of instant-explosive-opening incidents.

Originally Posted by JRThro

Bill, I forgot to ask earlier, but did you file a MESS report on that motor? Here's the online form to file electronically: http://nar.org/NARmessform.html

Originally Posted by A Fish Named Wallyum

The problem wasn't the Kevlar, but the half second delay on the Estes E9-4. [snip] It was a perfect flight up til then, no matter what RocSim said.

Originally Posted by CenturiGuy

(chuckling) There are *some* things that even RockSim can't foresee.

Remember before I bought RS that I said I didn't think it could simulate our Scram-Jet shock cord separation? I seem to recall that Somewhere in the Bowels of RockSim 7 or 8, you can set the "Chances of Failure," or something to that effect. I'll have to hand it off to somebody else to actually find it, though.