Testing, Testing and Refining
Kevin Passmore and his friends spent a couple of afternoons testing the new prototype recently above Janet’s cabin near Seral Pass South of Copper Mountain, Colorado. The friends took time away from BC hut adventures to photograph and video Kevin as he tried out the latest UpSki design from John Stanford. John and I were in Dallas together at the time and got some fresh insights by cell phone from Kevin on the sunny porch at the Hut. Those comments sent us back to John’s construction notes to reflect on how to adjust future versions.
Kevin took the new canopy back to his home and weighed components carefully at the lab where he built the carbon fiber control systems. The big weight reduction was in a control center which weighted over 4 pounds and now weights 2.6 pounds. The canopy weight, because of the “Zero-P” coating, is heavier per square yard but reductions in other component weights have kept that even. Kevin, John and I have all weighted the new canopy at around 10 pounds (ranging from 9.6 pounds to 10.3 pounds) with full rigging and control center.
Kevin Passmore testing above Janet
Kevin reports that the new anti-inversion line attachment system is working well with some length modifications needed in the final version. That was my observation as well.
Weighted components of Test canopy 2009-II
Kevin says the canopy still had some water on it from melted snow.