Thanx for putting the photo up Coff. I am cr@p at this sort of thing. I could just about manage to programme PADS and JPADS.
Well spotted By the Back door. Even to note the sequential iteration.
This really was an interesting project with many ground breaking and innovative features both procedurally and technically. Not everything was brilliant and a few issues remained unresolved or less than satisfactory. It gave the opportunity to test a few concepts that spun off into future systems.
Firstly we had a proper Design Authority and CDA in Boscombe Down AED and Irving Air Chute Company. A Chinese wall between the T&E Organisation. The project was a fine example of team working and collaboration. An early CTT and forerunner to the LTPA
I had first seen the platform at CAP Toulouse in 1995. It was supposed to be cheep but turned out not so. The CSUPS was just a spin off and not part of the requirement but enabled us to undertake trials and systems development and most importantly training and currency without the need for a water DZ. One of the early sequential drops onto land was at West Frugh. I admit to jumping out of my skin. The second platform landed, I turned around to say to my colleagues "well that worked" when there was an almighty bang, and then another. I thought the aircraft has gone through the sound barrier or crashed. But it was just the delay of the thunder after the lightening as these flat bottomed wood, foam and fibre glass boards slammed onto the hard concrete.
The platform separated from the Soyuz Capsule after extraction. It came down under the 7ft extractor and was required to sink on ops. All attempts to make it sink failed.
The 7ft extractor became the Mk2. strengthened to resist more drops into salt water that the Mk1 which was close to the limit. A sequential deployment bag was developed and the bomb rack bag redesigned to stow a longer strop (the rationale was to use the 7ft in lieu of the S80 for AGE with a very forward load - Why? No one realy knows other than we had an eye on using this for CDS on the J as an alternative to the retrieval winch.
The requirement was for two loads, Split (separate DZs) or Sequential AML had strengthened the old ULLA ARM but retained the 3 levers but we only had two lengths of Bowden operating cable.
The sequence went thus: Bomb rack activated (not sure if we still had the Safety line to remove or it had already gone by then - another daft legacy carry over from the stone age). Good extractor - pull the lever having removed the safety pin. The first platform is extracted. A static line deploys the main parachute. A second static line pulls a curved pin out of a Kevlar loop to separate the Soyuz Capsule from the board. Attached to the front of the fist platform is the extractor for the second (if it were a sequential) If it was a split a second extractor is loaded in the bomb rack. Pull the second lever to release the load. If we were quick I think they would finish up 300 yds apart.
the advantage over the previous ME system was that the load was fully restrained by Skydel and the ARM without the need for additional chains or any grunting or climbing to shift the load. Two could be dropped without going round again and compromising the DZ location.
The spin offs were in the opportunities to test and develop the Nora Batty Static Lines. The DB34 bag for the SC15, The release for CDS from the J was a development of the Kevlar loop based on a 3 ring release.
Also note the floatation buoys for the Capsule.
Ping pong balls were used to get the SG of the contents about right
All of the components were reusable. Apart from the bungee cord that was an essential element of every AD System.
I never saw the system adapted for the J or A400M but feel certain this was achievable but probably not with the state of the latches and springs on the dash 4a in the state they were. Would probably have needed a bigger extractor to overcome the breakout loads. This would have been too much and would have pulled the table cloth from under the crockery and cutlery. As nearly happened with one of the cradle developments to make the platform sink.
Last edited by dragartist; 5th Aug 2014 at 16:28.
Reason: S80 not 10ft - S80 was cotton and the chemicals for rot proofing were banned by the EU hence unsupportable