Prospects for the development of parachute systems

Every year on July 26 in our country amateurs and professionals of parachuting celebrate the Day of skydivers. The structure of the holdingAviation equipment »Rostec State Corporation includes the Research Institute of Parachuting, which is one of the few enterprises in the world that independently carry out the full cycle of creating parachute systems.

Today, the Aviation Equipment holding company of the Scientific Research Institute of Parachute Engineering is the lead developer of parachute systems for various purposes: rescue, landing, sports and training, landing brakes, antispin, cargo, for unmanned vehicles, for dropping combat equipment and calculations, for space and other types parachute technology.

Over the years, more than 5000 types of parachute systems and more than 1000 samples have been introduced into mass production at the institute. Vladimir Nesterov, honored test parachutist, who has about 13 thousands of jumps on his account, told about the achievements of Russian parachute building, the current industry trends and the challenges facing specialists.

Vladimir Nesterov not only conducts tests of parachute equipment, but also takes direct part in the development of parachute systems. The tester has several patents. Recently, Vladimir Nesterov received a patent for the human parachute system for parachutist dropping of heavy oversized cargo.

“With the development of equipment and weapons, the paratrooper's equipment is constantly being improved,” says the tester. - The weight of equipment is growing, respectively, and the load capacity of the parachute system should increase. Not all equipment paratrooper can place on yourself. " The tester says that a significant part of the cargo must be placed in a special container, landed together with the parachutist. Place a person and a parachute system with a container inside the aircraft is quite problematic because of their size.

“Therefore, an idea arose: to place a cargo container on the back of a parachutist, and remove the parachute from it and fasten directly to the cable that is inside the aircraft. It turns out that the parachutist takes the same place, but can take with it much more workload, ”says Vladimir Nesterov.

Testing of all parachute systems manufactured by research institutes, according to Vladimir Nesterov, is carried out very carefully. “Both civilian and military parachutes undergo a specific development cycle: from a draft design to flight testing,” says Vladimir Nesterov. - Flight tests precede ground. The programs are typical, but depending on the particular design of the parachute may vary. All physical and mechanical indicators, the order of entry into operation of elements, closing and opening devices, strength characteristics are checked. In each of the programs check the order of 20 different items. "

The principle of testing - from simple to complex. First, the parachute system is tested with a dummy, and then the test paratroopers start work.

One of the novelties of the research institute of parachute building, in the development and testing of which Vladimir Nesterov took part, is the promising parachute system D-12, also known as “Leaf”.

“Its main advantage will be that it will allow the parachutist of a greater mass to be landed,” says Vladimir Nesterov. “Accordingly, he will be able to take more equipment with him.” The advantage of the D-12 will be a new reserve parachute, which, in the event of a system failure, will ensure the safe landing of both the parachuter and the cargo.

“For a paratrooper, a parachute is, first of all, a means of delivery to a war zone,” the tester notes. “In any case, he should not just be saved, but accomplish the main task.”

In the future, it is planned that this parachute system will replace the D-6 and D-10 parachutes that are in service with the Russian Airborne Forces. The parachute showed good results during the tests.

Now the research institute is finalizing the insuring device for the D-12 reserve parachute. This will be a special electronic device that automatically activates the "reserve". The block independently monitors three parameters: a sharp uncontrolled increase in the rate of decrease, a sharp process of the flow of turbulence and an increase in pressure in the aneroid device.

Vladimir Nesterov spoke about parachutes for landing cargoes and systems for returning space objects. Among the developments that are currently being conducted by scientific research institutes, he highlighted the new system for landing airborne equipment of the Airborne Forces (self-propelled artillery installations, BMD, etc.).

Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces, the Institute creates multi-domed parachute systems for landing combat vehicles. For example, the ISS-350-14М (for landing the self-propelled gun "Sprut-SD"), the ISS-350-12М of the 2 series (for landing BMD), as well as parachute complexes of military equipment with the crew of the Shelf-1 and the Shelf-XNUM ".

The research institute is proud of the development of the D-10P parachute system, which was first demonstrated at the MAKS air show in the 2013 year, exactly by Vladimir Nesterov.

This system is designed to solve the tasks of special divisions, as well as the provision of emergency assistance. The parachute allows you to jump from a height 70 m. Thanks to the additional device mounted on a parachute, it opens independently, without the participation of the paratrooper.

The urgency of this task, according to Vladimir Nesterov, was dictated by life itself. Model D-10P will help in the service of parachutists, rescuers, Emergencies Ministry and the Air Force. “Now there are two types of parachutes in the service of the army and other departments: with a hemispherical dome and planning,” says Vladimir Nesterov. - Planning to perform jumps with a very strong wind on the ground and with very high precision landing. For them, the minimum jump height is 500 – 600 m. ”

Parachutes with a hemispherical dome do not allow to overcome a strong wind, because they have a low horizontal speed. At the same time, they have several advantages: you can jump from extremely small heights. In some cases, especially when carrying out evacuation works, systems are needed that allow jumps from a height below 200 m.

“The reliability of parachutes for such jumps should be very high. As a rule, increased reliability is achieved by simplifying the design, ”says Vladimir Nesterov. - They took as a basis the usual modern parachute of the type D10. Simplified his scheme. Conducted research. During the test, we reached the height of 70 m. "

The Institute, part of the holding "Aviation Equipment", has been and remains the world leader in the field of parachuting. There are all conditions for the development of the industry and the expansion of the range of scientific, design and technological prospects. The holding specialists with confidence declare that they will make every effort to strengthen Russia's leading role in the field of world parachute engineering.

Comments

[jPilot]

On the day of everyone who jumped at least once, and especially test parachutists, they do a great job risking their lives, I know this very hard work not by hearsay, and I know these guys, I also jump, although this is not welcomed among the pilots. Health, good luck, soft touchdowns!

[CB activist]

Taking this opportunity, I want to break one "figure of silence" and bring on my head a dozen furious "minuses" from visitors. So, having crossed ourselves, let's get started.

Some enthusiastically design a combat vehicle "for the landing", proceeding, in essence, from my tank-tractor design worldview and being within the framework of the tradition once set by the BMD-1. Despite the increased weight, dimensions and reinforced armament, this is still the same BMD-1, only much matured, a tin can, which in a real battle will be opened with two hits from an RPG-7.

Others get involved and enthusiastically create great parachute systems for dropping all this heavily heavy iron. Moreover, with a crew inside, which, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable, this is a dead-end path. You don't have to teach a parachutist at all, but put him in a ready-made iron box and throw him away in a madhouse. Of course, if you give a soldier 5 p / jumps for the entire service life, then only D-5, D-6, D-10 are suitable for him, it is impossible to give him a "wing", tk. it is impossible to explain and make to fulfill the simple requirements of the "wing" - approach for landing against the wind, you cannot maneuver near the ground, you cannot extinguish the speed to zero (like on a paraglider, if you brake, it folds and collapses). The accuracy of the landing of the crew on the "oaks" is not at all, then really, than to teach this way (5 jumps), it is better not to teach at all, but to drop in the car collectively. But there is another way - to bring individual parachute training up to 100 p / jumps at least, teach each fighter to drop on the "wing", ensure accuracy due to high individual and collective parachute training of the crew.

Then others connect and report that according to the principle "higher, further, faster, ... and also beautiful" they have created a magnificent jet liner, capable of lifting all of the above into the air. But in the structure of the Airborne Forces (Ground Forces), of course, it is impossible to give it, tk. jet airliners must be operated within the Air Force, and this, by the way, is not even a different branch of the armed forces, it is a different type of the Armed Forces. Do you get it?

Further, at large exercises, everything created, overcoming organizational problems (different types of aircraft), is gathered together and a grandiose show is arranged, designed to show that the Airborne Forces exist and can be used for their intended purpose. And the purpose of the Airborne Forces is the implementation of the principle "from the sky - into battle" !!! I ask potential opponents not to forget about this. But the high military commanders observing this window dressing understand that, being of sound mind, none of them will dare to repeat this in combat conditions. That is, everyone understands that in its current form, with the available aviation, parachute and airborne armored vehicles (each individually can be good), with the existing level of parachute training of the bulk of the l / s, the implementation of the principle "from the sky- into battle "is impossible. They understand, but they are silent, whoever says it first will be "killed" on the spot. Here it is, the figure of silence. The Airborne Forces, in fact, like 80 years ago, remain an experimental branch of the military. Experiments with the Airborne Forces continue, but when it comes to real military operations, "motorized rifle prose" begins - everything is loaded onto railway echelons and goes to the front-line station.

[CB activist]

So what, the principle of airmobility ("from the sky - into battle", when the landing is directly included in the combat plan, is an integral part of the airborne forces) to bury? As it is actually done by the army dunce with large shoulder straps, as well as "romantics" who are enthusiastically engaged in their favorite narrow task and do not want to look at the problem as a whole.

I am sure that this principle "from the sky - into battle" has great potential. But it is necessary to radically revise all the links of its implementation, i.e. links: parachute - combat vehicle - airborne aircraft - airborne combat aircraft (which the IL-76 is not at all, it is a liner on which you can fly to Mediterranean resorts, and not into battle). The airborne combat aircraft must work in conditions of enemy opposition, the military transport IL-76 (and all aircraft of this class) are suitable for purely transport tasks. He can solve the tasks of airborne landing of the Airborne Forces conditionally, in a peaceful environment at window dressing (exercises).