New Britain herald., 1928-04-14

lliih III l. N'of'l nl Jn1s N 70. lo recently returned from Il trip to the West Coast. gave 10 the Her
 Hid today an interesting interview
 on the possibilities and qualities of q
 new parachute for aviators in which
 the local company is substantially
 interested. His enthusiasm for the
 contrivancc. which he asserts has a
 much greater margin of safety than
 he ordinary parachute. is reflected
 both in his words and in tho fact
 that the investment in the company
 was made. Incidentally. Mir Sloper
 tells some sidclights on sky jumping
 and makes d prediction regarding the usa of parachutos which sounds
 as fantastic HS the stories of Jules
 Verne, some of which have since
 been realized. must have sounded
 years ago.
 The "chutc.' as the big safety de-
 vices arc faniliary called in aNia-
 ton circles, Was invented and pat
 "ntcd by James M. Russell, of San Diego, Calif., an army aviator during the war. He was financed by II. F. McClintock, q friend of Mir. Slo- per's, through whom Judd X Co. be- came interested. The advantages of the Russell parachute are several. principal of which is the method of lnsurinG it's opening after the rip cord has been pulled. The knap- sack or container is entirely rcmov- cd from the chute by the action of
 the cord. q patented feature. In the ordinary parachute springs or rubber bands are supposed to eject it from the bag in which it is car ried. These contrivanccs do not all ways function and the chute remains in, or partly in, the bag, which has caused many fatal accidents. As an additional factor, to insure opening, the Russell parachute is catapulted away from the body of the iurTAr immediately when the rip cord is pulled.
 Two other features, wherein the Russell chute differs. are in the shape of inc parachute and the in corporation of patented valves in the canopy. The canopy, which con tans 70 square yards of Japanese silk. is so shaped that it has Iobcs surrounding the central canopy through which the air circulatcs, preventing oscillation of the human freight as if drops through the air tfa hn I, I., Iii feet, not being brushed sideways against the earth. with no more shock than if he had jumped from q height of six feet, it is claimed. The tube. inflated, has the appear ance of large automobile tire, rather than a half globe. Another scheme which has been incorporated is the manHcr of opening the chute which cccks the fall of body gradu- ally. l"Ssening tc jerk on opening. This is taken care of through the use of a series of patented valves about midway between the center and out CT edge of the parachute canopy. When the jumper has released his aerial lifc-savcr they immdiat,ly al- low the air which is rushing past th" extended canopy 10 enter through the sides and balloon out the top of the chute, Nh"rcupon the lohes of the canopy. referred to, gradually arrest the fall so that there is very little jar. even though q person were to fall three or four thousand feet before pulling he rip cord. The worlds record for q free fall of approximately 4.5o0 feet was made recently by q jumper in an- other type ot parachute. When the chute opened the shock transmitted the harness straps broIi" both of his thighs and arms. The saIne man recently jumped equipped with 1sass"ll parachute and fell | f,"o" feet before pulliI1s he cord, | unhurt.
 Mr. Slopor states that the com lnonly accepted idea that person falling shortly becomes unconscious ! and IS dead before striking the earth | ls ia'lacN. Parachute jumpers. h" | says, stat" That when they jump | from a high altitude they can not | l1"aSur" ihc rat" of their fall and | they ar" not conscious Of he drop. | Rather 1t seems that when they look |, town, th" earth Es rushing to- | ward ih'ni. He talked with sailors | from tn" North Island naval station ! it san Diego who, jumped for him | with Russell parachut"s. iron, an air l plane 5000 feet in the air. He asked | 'h"'i 1T th"y were not Frightened at 1 in" prospect of jumping and they | ,pt h a sIIrttI hin, Ina. not S,I,, ,.-,,,