Art & Inspiration Tossing the laundry - parachutes in motion thread

I'm making slow progress on my FED, and looking for some inspiration. My Stroud chute is ready to go, but the kids have a hard time visualizing it (not many FEDS in my part of the world).

Popping the chute, tossing the laundry, throwing out the anchor... call it what you will, as long as you don't end up "going to the beach" (hitting the sand trap at the end of the quarter mile)

Please post up your photos of cars on the salt or strip with parachute(s) deployed. I'm thinking pictures like @Deuces avatar, or the similarly composed older photo with Moon chute deployed. Door cars most welcome, but bonus points for a FED.

Cheers,
Harv

 

OK, I'll start.

 

Hey dean how does that thing feel when it opens up? Looks like I can see you Flying forward out of the seat.

 

Nostalgia Nationals, Fremont Ca. May 1986. The chute was 16 years old ! BTW on the next run at 180, it failed to open. Quite a ride for a neophyte.

 

(I hope it's not a 1/4-mile track with a sand trap right at the end of the 1/4 -- if so, you might not need a parachute.

 

Whats the bonus for a Aussie FED Graham Withers did,nt "go to the beach " but did "go into the scrub" after going through the aircraft carrier catch-net at Calder Raceway, just outside Melbourne sometime around 1968.

 

HK Holden Monaro with chute

 

Feels like someone grabbed ahold of the back end and was trying to pull the car backward. Really got my attention the first time I pulled the release ring! That was at 120 +/-. At the Riverside 1/2 mile pulling it at 145 actually got the ass end off the ground!! Sure was glad for the shoulder harness then.

 

Thanks gents - love the photos. Keep 'em coming please.

A couple of free beers any time you are near my place

Spoke to Graham a few years back when I did the research on Impala floor shifters. Struggled to get much conversation out of him. His partner Garth Campbell was a lot harder to find, but awesome to talk to.

Dumb question. My Stroud chute is the cross type. Does anyone still make the "hemisphere" shaped ones like Dean's post above?

Cheers,
Harv

 

My favorite drag photo is of Danny Ongias in Micky Thompsons Mach 1, all four tires are off the ground and the car is a little sideways as the chute hits…

 

The chute on my FED only had to be used one time and I didn't even see it. I watched the race from the starting line and as soon as I saw the ET board light up I hopped the wall and headed back to my pit. It turns out the brake pedal rod buckled when the driver hit the brakes and fortunately had the presence of mind to deploy the chute. We had never even done a practice deployment and I'm surprised it actually deployed at all since the lever was designed to push forward and he somehow managed to pull back on it and got the chute opened. Thankfully, the track we are at had a nice long shutdown area and when the chute finally became relatively ineffective he was able to pull off into a grassy area before the fence and the car came to a stop without any damage.

Needless to say, a much more robust brake pushrod was built!

Lynn

 

The older gentleman who built my FED chassis has been schooling me on good build practice. His view is that if the run goes pear-shaped, then keep your left hand on the butterfly, and try to make everything one clean motion with the right hand. For me, this is right hand up to the rollcage (like a salute) and use the cage hoop to know your hand is at the right place. Run your hand down the bar to trip the chute lever. Keep your hand moving down and forwards to the dash, and push in the fuel cutoff (big red button driving a bowden cable). Magneto switch next to the fuel cutoff. Right hand back slightly, grab the brake handle and keep pulling back.

Pray it stops. Change undies.

Cheers,
Harv

 

Two photos of the Mooneyes parachutes. Unsure which vehicle the black and white photo is.



Cheers,
Harv

 

That's Dean's Glass bodied Devin, the "Moonbeam". He ran 200 in it at Bonneville.

 

Now that was some kind of a tie rod and bent spindle arms !

 

When preparing my Studebaker for my attempt at the 200 MPH club, my buddy Keith Turk told me to sit in the car at home, fully suited up, but engine off, and familiarize myself with everything (Hans device, arm tethers, 'chute, full door net, 2 fire bottles, removeable 'wheel, kill switch, etc.) until I could find it all with my eyes closed. Also, I practiced emergency shut down/bail-out several times. Makes race day a whole lot smoother.

 

Marty -- that's Scotty's Muffler at Fontana. Supposedly the 2nd Chevy fueler over 200. I think that was Snively aboard.