Skycat parachute launcher for Drones

Dear reader,

We are now live at www.skycat.pro. The development project continues, and updates are added to this blog in random intervals.

We have parachutes launchers available in many weight ranges; optimal 1 - 6 kg and these could be extended with higher impact level up to 11 kg. For larger up to 23 kg multicopters we have XL - series with pilot chute principle.

For those who wants to digest all information available of products, we have left this blog as it is. This blog follows closely main steps we have gone through while developing parachute launcher. Blog might feel like Do It Yourself kind and to be honest, in the beginning it was.

After hundreds of hours thinking, designing, prototyping and testing our patent pending launcher turned to be the most reliable parachute launcher for professional use. We have searched all possible boundaries of technology and from this blog you'll find results of these successful tests but also not so successful tests.

You never know where The final limit of technology is without experiencing it. That's the reason why we have done tests for scenarios which might not be even realistic on flight.

For production versions of Skycat we could proudly to say that we have experienced zero mishaps, never failed a single eject and parachute has deployed every time. This includes rescue scenarios with every imaginable scenario copter could face in air. Check this out as one sample of our test sessions!

Skycat parachute launcher has been tested beyond all imaginable abuses copter possibly could experience in flight. We have sink it to water, it has been heated hours to 90°C and exposed to extensive moisture, we have frosted, defrosted and frosted it again, it has been in mud and snow and still it has worked. Same overshooting tests we have done also for electronics. This is not promise you can use our products outside of submarine but we have tested it so :)

This blog will still be updated as well our Facebook pages www.facebook.com/skycat.pro and Twitter at https://twitter.com/skycatpro

Fly safe - Let's keep our copters flying!

Henri

Skycat.pro

DJI Inspire 1 / Skycat X55-CF parachute integration by www.remotevision.ch:

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Henri April 23, 2015 at 11:50pm

First Skycat parachute launcher installation for DJI Inspire 1:
Henri April 1, 2015 at 8:59pm
This time we are demonstrating how double parachutes (IFC-60-S) behaves in strong wind. On that day wind was way too strong to fly and we saw it good opportunity to test how wind impacts to descent and deploy. We used 1,9m shock cords which were partially wrapped around each other and therefore useful free length were approx. half of the length. This wrapping can be avoided by making two separate folded rope bundles. Here we used one bundle for both shock cords combined.

Results of the test were as expected:
- dual chutes offers steady descent
- wind up in the air pushes copter far away in seconds
- horizontal speed impact is was not too bad but running after copter on the field when it was pulled by parachutes was not funny to perform
- copter could drift far away with too big parachutes for the weight like we used
Here is the video:
Henri February 17, 2015 at 2:46am

Here is a review and drop test video made by AliShanMao. Parachute launcher is X55-CF and parachute Opale Paramodels 2.5m2:

Only Flying Machines – We Make Your Personal Flying Machines
- FlyMeToTheMoon > Henri March 24, 2015 at 12:54am
  
  Hey guys, I need a parachute system for my S900, and was really thinking about Opale Paramodels parachutes. I saw some of them in that topic, can anyone tell me bout their efficience and reliability, quality and all that sort of things, feedback etc.. really want to hear about that! thank you
  - Henri > FlyMeToTheMoon March 24, 2015 at 1:09am
    
    We have tested all Opale sizes from 1.8 to 6.0 and also Fruity Chutes from 36" to 96". Our experience is that whichever manufacturer your selection is, you don't find better.
    
    Differences in numbers are that Opale is slightly lighter but Fruity guarantees higher loads. Efficiency for these both are best in class.
    
    You'll see these all in action in my Youtube channel, there are dozens of ejects: https://www.youtube.com/user/HHFinl
    
    and
    
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvOlWC20dt4cXjZI1uBB9eg
    
    Henri
    
    www.skycat.pro
    
    HHFinl
    - FlyMeToTheMoon > Henri March 24, 2015 at 8:01am
      
      Thanks for your answer Henri, I'm having a look at your videos. Cheers
      - Henri > FlyMeToTheMoon March 24, 2015 at 8:13am
        
        There is one personally favorite video representing realistic very difficult scenarios for parachutes. You'll see on this video
        
        low altitude hover eject (zero speed eject). This in general is difficult for parachutes because speed is lowest possible
        
        low few meter altitude full speed eject copter leaned 90° towards the wind, ie. forewind eject from full speed
        
        upside down eject after free fall
        
        very low altitude eject from full loiter speed. This was only perhaps 5 meters or so and ended to bush.
        
        FlyMeToTheMoon > Henri March 25, 2015 at 2:09am
        
        Very impressive this video, it can convince the more sceptical person about parachute system.
        
        Concerning Opale parachutes, they released yesterday on their Youtube channel a video and they test the mechanical strength of their chutes, like they could have heard me! :)
        
        Here it is:
        
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Henri January 17, 2015 at 10:37am

Here is a photo from our test copter installation. This is made for very easy detach and reinstallation. We usually do 4-6 eject tests in hour with one launcher and therefore launcher is installed only quick mounting in mind. Aesthetics wasn't on our list for this installation.

In general this idea could be used for other copters as well. One screw at bottom is fine if side support is better. We use only a rubber band as side support and so far it has been enough for all shocks launcher has received

Note how properly installed attachment ropes makes copter storage very easy. Copter is hanging from ceiling above head and doesn't reserve any table or floor space.
Henri January 14, 2015 at 10:05pm

Few aerial photography professional customers visited on test flight site and filmed this shot. Landing hit exactly to pin point and copter were catched from mid air.

Parachute was IFC-60-S and copter weight 3.2 kg. There were no thermals for slowing the descent. Temperature was well below freezing point:

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Skycat parachute launcher for Drones

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