Every year on July 26 in our country, amateurs and professionals of skydiving celebrate the Day of the skydiver. The Aviation Equipment Holding of Rostec State Corporation includes the Research Institute of Parachute Engineering, which is one of the few enterprises in the world that independently carries out the full cycle of creating parachute systems.
Today, the Research Institute of Parachute Engineering, a member of the Aviation Equipment holding, is the leading developer of parachute systems for various purposes: rescue, landing, sports training, landing brakes, anti-propeller, cargo, for unmanned vehicles, for landing military equipment and calculations, for space and other types parachute equipment.
Over the years of work at the institute, more than 5000 types of parachute systems have been created and more than 1000 samples have been introduced into mass production. Honored test parachutist, who has made about 13 thousand jumps, Vladimir Nesterov spoke about the achievements of Russian parachute construction, current trends in the industry and the challenges facing specialists.
Vladimir Nesterov not only tests new models of parachute equipment, but also takes a direct part in the development of parachute systems. The tester holds several patents. Recently, Vladimir Nesterov received a patent for a human parachute system for landing heavy bulky cargo with a parachutist.
“With the development of technology and weapons, the paratrooper's equipment is constantly being improved,” says the tester. - The weight of the equipment increases, respectively, and the carrying capacity of the parachute system should increase. A paratrooper can not place all equipment on himself. The tester says that a significant part of the cargo must be placed in a special container, dropped along with the paratrooper. Placing a person and a parachute system with a container inside an aircraft is rather problematic due to their size.
“Therefore, the following idea arose: place the cargo container on the back of the parachutist, and remove the parachute from it and attach it directly to the cable, which is inside the aircraft. It turns out that a parachutist takes up the same amount of space, but can take much more load with him,”says Vladimir Nesterov.
Testing of all parachute systems produced by the research institute, according to Vladimir Nesterov, is carried out in the most thorough way. “Both civilian and military parachutes go through a certain development cycle: starting with a preliminary design and ending with flight tests,” says Vladimir Nesterov. - Flight tests are preceded by ground tests. The programs are typical, but depending on the design features of the parachute they can change. All physical and mechanical indicators, the order of entry into operation of elements, closing and opening devices, strength characteristics are checked. Each of the verification programs has about 20 different points."
Testing principle - from simple to complex. First, the parachute system is tested with a dummy, and then the test parachutists begin to work.
One of the novelties of the Research Institute of Parachute Engineering, in the development and testing of which Vladimir Nesterov took part, is the promising D-12 parachute system, also known as "Listik".
“Its main advantage will be that it will allow a larger paratrooper to be dropped,” 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 a safe landing for both the parachutist and the cargo.
“For a paratrooper, a parachute is, first of all, a means of delivery to a combat zone,” the tester notes. "In any case, he must not just be saved, but fulfill the main task."
In the future, it is planned that this parachute system will replace the D-6 and D-10 landing parachutes in service with the Russian Airborne Forces. The parachute showed good results during the tests.
Now at the Research Institute, the safety device for the D-12 reserve parachute is being finalized. It will be a special electronic device that automatically activates the "spare". The unit independently monitors three parameters: a sharp uncontrolled increase in the rate of descent, a sharp process of vortex flow and an increase in pressure in the aneroid device.
Vladimir Nesterov spoke about parachutes for landing cargo and systems for returning space objects. Among the developments that the research institute is currently conducting, he especially highlighted a new system for landing equipment of the Airborne Forces (self-propelled artillery installations, BMD, etc.).
Especially for the needs of the Airborne Forces, the institute creates multi-dome parachute systems for the landing of combat vehicles. For example, the ISS-350-14M (for the landing of the Sprut-SD self-propelled guns), the ISS-350-12M series 2 (for the BMD landing), as well as the complexes for parachute landing of military equipment with the crew of Shelf-1 and Shelf-2.
The pride of the Research Institute is the development of the D-10P parachute system, first demonstrated at the MAKS air show in 2013 by Vladimir Nesterov.
This system is designed to solve the problems of special forces, as well as to provide emergency assistance. The parachute allows you to jump from a height of 70 m. Thanks to an additional device installed on the parachute, it opens independently, without the participation of a paratrooper.
The urgency of this task, according to Vladimir Nesterov, was dictated by life itself. The D-10P model will help paratroopers-rescuers, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Air Force in the service. “Now in the service of the army and other departments there are two types of parachutes: with a hemispherical dome and gliding,” says Vladimir Nesterov. - Gliders allow jumping in very strong winds near the ground and with very high landing accuracy. For them, the minimum jump height is 500–600 m."
Parachutes with a hemispherical canopy do not allow to overcome strong winds because they have a low horizontal speed. At the same time, they have a number of advantages: you can jump from extremely low heights. In some cases, especially when carrying out evacuation work, systems are needed that allow jumping from heights below 200 m.
“The reliability of parachutes for such jumps should be very high. As a rule, the increase in reliability is achieved by simplifying the design, - says Vladimir Nesterov. - We took as a basis an ordinary modern landing parachute of the D10 type. Simplified its scheme. Conducted research work. When tested, we reached a height of 70 m."
The Institute, which is part of the Aviation Equipment holding, has been and remains the world leader in the field of parachute construction. All conditions have been created here for the development of the industry and expanding the range of scientific, design and technological prospects. The holding's specialists confidently declare that they will make every effort to strengthen the leading role of Russia in the field of world parachute construction.
