Eats 'chutes and leaves...

[dannytherat]

Good morning all,

 

I've been playing around a bit with the CG-4A and I was wondering about the drogue parachute.

 

Historically, did pilots deploy the chute while still airborne (to allow a steeper approach if needed) or did they only deploy it only once on the ground?

 

When I've used it only after the glider has landed, it doesn't seem to do a huge amount (presumably because the airspeed is already low enough that it doesn't provide much drag), and when I've tried it while making a steep approach it has proved much more effective and I've been quite surprised how controllable the glider has remained.

 

Any ideas? ?

[Gavrick]

5 minutes ago, dannytherat said:

did pilots deploy the chute while still airborne (to allow a steeper approach if needed)

Yes. Climb rate increases from approx. 400 fpm (2 m/s) to approx. 700...1000 fpm (4...5 m/s).

[EAF19_Marsh]

I would suspect shortly before touch-down as having much higher strikes me as asking for control issues.

 

Tangential, but scroll to near the end: https://www.military.com/video/aircraft/military-aircraft/top-secret-c-130-with-rocket-boosters/912500478001 

[AndyJWest]

The original manuals are available online, and well worth reading:

 

Waco CG-4A Pilot Training Manual:

https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/items/show/57893

 

USAAF Glider Flying Training manual:

https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/items/show/57892

 

[Jaegermeister]

 

I think you need the tail parachute when you have the Bulldozer that was dropped on D-Day in the back of your glider. 

 

 

WACO Bulldozer

 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Jaegermeister

[jollyjack]

Now i would like to drive that bully around the Normandy map LoL.

And behold: finally a tool to remove all them trees in wrong places too, like on the beaches of Rheinland, in the middle of some road,

or even just clear out some Cologne backyard wild growth.

Edited January 9, 2024 by jollyjack

[Avimimus]

On 12/20/2023 at 10:32 AM, EAF19_Marsh said:

Tangential, but scroll to near the end: https://www.military.com/video/aircraft/military-aircraft/top-secret-c-130-with-rocket-boosters/912500478001 

 

The Germans actually fitted some variants of the DFS-230 with a cluster of nose mounted retro-rockets... (and investigated worse ideas).

[EAF19_Marsh]

40 minutes ago, Avimimus said:

 

The Germans actually fitted some variants of the DFS-230 with a cluster of nose mounted retro-rockets... (and investigated worse ideas).

 

Krazee!