Jumpers test new F-35 JSF parachute system

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Test parachutists from the 418th Flight Test Squadron recently performed 10 jumps to test a new parachute system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The jumpers donned the IGQ type 6000 parachute and jumped from a Twin Otter aircraft to make sure the canopy performs to manufacturer's specification.

"The test parachutists performed specific maneuvers to characterize and evaluate the performance of the parachute," said Franz Ravelo, 418th Flight Test Squadron missions systems engineer.

The IGQ type 6000 parachute system has a diameter of 23.4 feet and when it spreads out it looks more like a dome making it aeroconical, Mr. Ravelos said.

"What they are mainly going for with the design is to try to have a parachute that will operate at different speeds," Mr. Ravelos said. "If you have low-speed ejection the parachute would inflate rapidly or if you have a high speed ejection, it minimizes the shock for the aircrew member by preventing the parachute to open at higher speeds and waiting to go at slower speeds."

Unlike the F-16 Fighting Falcons, where aircrew members wear their harness, walk into the plane and hook in, the IGQ is different, said Tech. Sgt. Shawn Studer, 418th FLTS test parachutist. The harness is actually incorporated in the JSF. The new system also has a single point of release in the body's midsection, while the F-16s have two points of release at the shoulder area.

The canopy also has different fabric and a special slot that goes around the canopy allowing air to spill out, Mr. Ravelos said.

The team started Oct. 10 by performing a hanging harness test, a procedure to ensure the test gear is configured properly, Sergeant Studer said.

"You also do all the emergency procedures in case something happens out of the ordinary," he said.

Unlike a pilot or aircrew members' parachute, a test jumper's parachute system also incorporates a reserve parachute in case of main parachute failure, bail out or ejection, Sergeant Studer said.

The team also performed land drags Oct. 11 where the test jumpers were hooked behind a truck. Each test jumpers performed three overall drags which consist of being pulled on a harness at speeds of five, 10 and 15 mph.

"This is to simulate if they are coming down with high winds and are getting dragged by the parachute," Sergeant Studer said. "While being dragged, they have to release the parachute to get away from it. We are making sure that it is going to work properly if it is in a high wind situation."

The team started the actual jumps Oct. 13 at California City, Calif. The parachutists jumped from 5,000 feet above ground level.

"The parachutists go out on a static line configuration," Mr. Ravelo said. "Normally and operationally, if you are to eject from an aircraft, the parachute would come out of the head box on the ejection seat. Since we don't want to destroy an aircraft by ejecting out of it, and we don't have a fixture to simulate an actual ejection, we must have the test jumpers go in a regular skydiving airplane and simulate the ejection by having them out of the static line."

The test jumpers did maximum effort turn in different directions, flew in a box pattern at each cardinal heading (north, east, south and west) and performed parachute landing falls.

"We look at it and make sure the parachutes are not damaged," Mr. Ravelo said. "We have (global positioning system) instrumentation packages that record descent rates, turning rate, horizontal velocity and other parameters."

One good indication the parachute works, is the safety of the aircrew when they come down, he said. The manufacturers of the parachute also have established specified criteria.

"They wanted the parachute system to fall at a certain rate," Mr. Ravelos said. "We look at the values for these parameters and as long as they line up with the requirements then it is working."

"I think the testing is great," Sergeant Studer said. "We are here for the aircrew member -- that is the biggest thing. We are here to ensure all the air gear they have is sufficient enough to sustain their life once they bail out, or eject, from the aircraft."