COMMANDO WITH AFTERBURNER

27/10/2014

Peter Bernabiuk
cinematographer: Peter Bernabiuk


AD-95 series 3 is a structure unique. This parachute landing with the control and the inclusion of "Drive".

Skydiving, one of the most fascinating areas of extreme sports, and also a great way for recreation, growing by leaps and bounds. With the civil achievements and experiences eagerly use the armed forces - both sophisticated and modern technology, fast and secure systems training, and experience as athletes, even as extreme as Felix Baumgartner. Examples include systems HALO (High Altitude-Low Opening) and Hahoe (High Altitude-High Opening), allowing soldiers after the jump even with the amount of 10 thousand. I open the parachute just above the ground, or when you open it immediately and after a long passage to be there, where no one expects them. For the development and implementation of this formula in the GROM unit leader Lt. Col. Jaroslaw this idea handful (now in reserve) was awarded the mace "Polish Armed".

Low or high
The quintessence of military parachuting, however, are not long-haul flights and jumping from high places, but which are the prose of life "mass landings", involving provision of elite troops to the area of operations. Discharge must be made ​​secretly, beyond the reach of the enemy impact on planned and prepared as much as possible zrzutowisku, then formed the soldiers after finding himself on the ground as soon as they form an array and go to the task. This simple on the surface, however, the procedure is not without pitfalls.


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Years ago, faced with the first phase of the stroke, in which a threat to the proper opening of the canopy were air turbulence resulting from the construction and operation of flight propellers. Perfect solution used in our army turned out to be "jumping to stabilize." At a time when the only soldier was air, rather than a big bowl opened a small spadochronik - stabilizer, which served to reduce the rate of descent of about 200 to about 160 km / h and "pose" jumper silhouette in a convenient position for the opening of the main parachute. Another crucial element in the landing was the height from which the dump was made. Logic suggests a simple rule: the faster the soldier reaches the ground, the less it is exposed to detect gunfire. Less is then also scatter jumpers, so shorter may be dropzone. During World War II, for example, practiced a very low discharge landings - in the "Market Garden" with a height of 600 feet, which is the only 200 m. For the amount was time to parachute opened up, filled the air, inhibiting the rate of descent, a jumper after stabilization of the figure, prepared for landing.

According to Colonel. dir. Thomas Piekarski, a former deputy commander of 6 Brigade Airborne instructor championship and still authority in matters of military parachuting, be careful with excessive undercutting height: "A soldier must have time for it to hang out, cool down, orient in space, check for proper canopy opening, to see if someone or something there is not, drain tray lines and prepare for landing. If you open the parachute in the 100 meters, run him all this time. " Experienced instructor also points out that the determination of a safe landing height is influenced by many factors, including the parachute opening time. Over the years, however, the parameters of equipment were getting better: "When I started skydiving, jumping from 800 meters when finished, the stabilization force of 600 m. Now the amount of training is 400 m. During the exercise, in accordance with the rules, you can perform jumps with 200 m, but in practice, for safety are made ​​of 300 m ".

The impulse for change
Amphibious paratroopers to stabilize, with a safe height and considered to be reliable parachute AD-95 lasted still, if not for the introduction of the Polish Armed Forces new "means of delivery", ie aircraft CASA and C-130 Hercules. Both aircraft on the one hand, increased significantly the possibility of dropping the whole sub-units with weapons and equipment, on the other hand, however, forced to return to jumping "on the line", among other things, due to the increased speed during landing.

With this method, the system is attached to a parachute landing ropes attached to the board. When the soldier leaves the machine, automatically downloading cover the bowl and start opening it. Added to this, however, in a rather unfavorable conditions, causing air turbulence odśmigłowych streams - when the jumper is in the nearly horizontal orientation. Furthermore, during the jump from the side rather than the back of the ramp, the parachute may rub against the side of the aircraft. In total, the process of opening is quite unstable. There are, inter alia, the "cauliflower", ie the opening half as a result of passing cables through the canopy. There are no hopeless situations, but are a threat for the jumper. Especially during a jump from a low height is little time for him to "fight with links", in a critical situation - for the opening of the reserve canopy.

The introduction of new aircraft, and also changes in procedures assault was an impulse to think of new solutions used so far in AD-95 parachute. Its design, popularly called champignon or, more bluntly, glebotłukiem is more modern and constantly refined version of the Soviet parachute D-5. "Depiątka" Although long since reached the age of retirement, but proven in millions of jumping bowl, critical safety parachute was previously considered to be safe and secure. And in such a sensitive area, if something is good, rather avoids the far-reaching experiments. However, the time comes when changes are necessary.

Certainly like to think Americans, of whom so willingly take an example, because after almost 60 years, in 2009, replaced his parachute landing T-10 completely new design - T-11. The canopy has changed shape from round to square unprecedented anywhere, with tucked edges. This approach has proved successful and soon began to use this design in training in the US Army Airborne School. Except that the Americans did not rush the withdrawal of "historic" T-10. They gave themselves 15 years in the rotation, or do not consider this a parachute useless in modern conditions.

Lt. Col. rez. Jarosław handful that after the departure of GROM remained in the parachute industry and today works at AIR-POL, which is the only manufacturer of parachutes for landing troops, ensuring that the Poles sensed the right time for such a change: "For a long time we all realize that the AD-95 must be replaced by more modern design. This was due to the experience of the manufacturer, consultation with the direct users, as well as from observations of global trends. With the participation of engineers from the Institute of Aviation began work on a new solution. We prepared two draft wedge bowls, because we knew that these soldiers were waiting. "

Inspiration from Bangladesh
Soon, however, there was a new option, different from everything that was previously used in the armies of NATO. The third project, a parachute with a completely new design, created after a visit Jaroslaw Garstka and Darius Banaszkiewicz, constructor AIR-POL, yet jumper experimental, in the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Responding to offer local forces, they wanted to sell Polish products. The parachute type wing for special forces gained full acceptance of the hosts, but landing the AD-95 did not meet their expectations: "They told us that they do not even buy the best parachute in the world, if it does not match the methodology adopted by the army training and the system jumps. After returning home, postponed to the side already advanced projects. Dariusz Banaszkiewicz sat down at the computer and created a completely new type of dish - in the shape of a cone. The world had already been in use like parachutes, but the one that came out of his hand, turned out to be unique. Although open on a long road, but without dynamic jerking jumper fell sedately, with a speed that surprised even us. Everything worked perfectly. "

Within two months will test a new parachute - from discharges from dummy after jumping test performed by the jumper experiment. According to Yaroslav Garstka was not yet complete satisfaction "bothered us a little way too long to open, but did not want to shorten to a perfectly working canopy does not spoil anything." The solution came the same when working on a backup parachute. We found that the addition of side pockets to accelerate the opening of the canopy without causing growth dynamics.

Another solution, which guarantees safe lowering of the aircraft jumpers such as CASA and C-130 Hercules, was to use dual screens canopy, as well as the elimination of "Slajder", which is, even in the construction of a new generation of foreign element reducing the load acting on the jumper at filling the bowl. The Polish prototype achieved a satisfactory result by selecting the appropriate fabric and tapered shape of the bowl. Also increased, as expected the army, "capacity" of the parachute, the current 120 to 185 kg. However, experienced desantowcy believe that there really is no justification for tactical, it is difficult to imagine that after landing the soldier moved to the 100-pound weight on his back. Ensure that proposed earlier by 6 Airborne Brigade capacity of 165 kg is sufficient. A difference 20 kg is also the need to increase the canopy surface of 20 m2.

Two in one
The solution has not been seen anywhere, and at the same time were arguing with the idea of the construction of the parachute assault, the use of control joints in AD-95 Series 3 "Desanciak" should ensure the safety of soldiers trained only to perform simple actions, according to the procedures associated with the opening of the canopy, removing the "cauliflower "normal touchdown and, in an emergency, open the reserve parachute. And this, according to Yaroslav Garstka, force designers to set out the approach: "When you jump school and fighting with a relatively small amount of jumper will not find too much time to control the canopy. He has to jump and fall safely. So we have prepared a parachute canopy niesterowalną, where you can make a jump almost without a soldier. The combat may happen, however something unexpected, such as dump proves inaccurate or zrzutowisku designated only on the basis of aerial and satellite imagery will be obstacles that threaten health and even the life of a soldier. We found a way. Paratrooper can open a gap in one motion drive, canopy obtain the forward speed and very high maneuverability, making it easy wybrnie jumper with a difficult situation. Just above the ground to close the gap and land safely. And how not to close? The more land safely. "

Col. Thomas Piekarski also believes such a solution worthy of note: "The new design is a definite qualitative change, because the established ability to control the canopy without disturbing the generally concept parachute assault."

Cat in the bag
Parachute AD-95 Series 3, despite significant changes, refers to that used in the military since the nineties design AD-95. Therefore, no additional treatments may be used in the new casing and the bowl. The company, it comes out to tender, wants to give the army a 10-20 long panels, jumpers made ​​sure to practice on their instruments. The second step would be to introduce a new dish to already purchased by the army, and not yet delivered parachutes AD-95. Military, deciding on possible purchases, would not take the cat in the bag.

Despite having the required tests and certificates, as well as demonstrate the advantages of this construction during the presentation, which was attended by representatives of the manager of the and military specialists, only User Rating after more jumps would be fully conclusive. The problem, however, is that both the design and the possible check of the finished product, contacts, and thus cooperate with military specialists, limit rules.

Work on the new parachute permanent plant AIR-POL for several years. The current concept was adopted in 2012. A serious problem for the designers was the lack of definition of technical requirements and expectations of the new construction on the part of the army. Well, people write the rules, and be more sensible to perform tests to see how the parachute works in practice rather than later to deal with the problems.


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