Introduction: Paracute Folding Tutorial for Small Cloth Chutes

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Has anyone else had the problem of small (~9") nylon chutes not opening properly? I certainly have. At NARAM-55 I had a rather eventful launch of my LOC-Precision Legacy on a D12-3, which ended in a close to the ground deployment and both a lawn dart and a core sample when the tiny nylon chute refused to open and the booster and heavy payload section reached the ground at high speed. For my next flight (on an E20-4W) I came up with a folding method, which I have never seen before, that I hoped would open faster. And it did! What follows is that method.

Step 1: Fold in Half

Untangle the shroud lines an fold the chute in half. Amazingly enough, the rest of the steps aren't much more difficult that this one.

Step 2: Fold Corners In

Now fold the corners in. I'm pretty sure there's an origami term for this, but I decided to draw a diagram in 30 seconds or so. Explains everything, in my opinion.

Step 3: Fold in Half Again

Fold the chute in half again, the other way this time, to get a narrower wedge.

Step 4: Roll

Roll 'er up, then gatherup the shroud lines and lay then next to the chute. Don't wrap them around the chute, as that will slow the opening, then place it on the chute protector (if using) as shown.

Step 5: Roll Again

Only necessary if you're using a chute protector. Fold over the edge of the aforementioned chute protector, then roll the whole thing nice and tight.

Step 6: Use It

And you're done! Not only does this method deploy fast, it also fits well inside skinny tubes. I'm fairly sure I invented this method, but if you've ever seen it documented please tell me.

Now that I've gotten the hang of posting Instuctables, I can post the Ol' Squirter! (muahaha)