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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0782.PDF
NOVEMBER 26. 1925 THE HOLT "AUTOCHUTE AN interesting demonstration of the Holt " Autochute " wasgiven at Stag Lane aerodrome on November 18—the first to be given in public. The Holt " Autochute," we need hardlyremind our readers, is a life-saving parachute for airmen, and is not by any means a new invention (as past issues of FLIGHTwill testify), for Col. Holt, its designer, constructed the first model as long ago as 1918. The model demonstrated onNovember 18 was, of course, a modern version of this device. It may be of interest to note that the American parachutewith which the Air Ministry is equipping the R.A.F., although of recent design, suggests to all intents and purposes identityto the early type Holt " Autochute." In fact, Col. Holt claims that this American parachute embodies not only thefundamental principles of the " Autochute," but also several features which Col. Holt abandoned as unsatisfactory. before the main parachute opens, but the distance fallen in thattime. A free parachute that takes four seconds to open and falls 150 ft. is better from every point of view than one thatopens after three seconds and falls 200 ft. in that time. Several models of the " Autochute " are made, according torequirements, that demonstrated last week being one in which the pack is worn so as to form a seat—or cushion for the airman when he sits down, thus relieving him of the weightof the parachute and also avoiding any alteration being made to the fuselage of the machine. The "harness is made in onecomplete piece of tubular webbing, and the leg loops are formed by loops of the life-line itself and take the shock ofopening, so that there is practically no strain on the harness itself. The " pilot " parachute opening mechanism is globular in W: w. m The Holt " Auto- chute " : A de- monstration of the life - saving parachute invent- ed by Col. Holt, who is seen on the extreme right, was given at Stag Lane Aerodrome o n November 1 8 . Our picture shows Capt. Spencer, who made the drop, adjusting the harness, and, on the left, descend- ing from the D.H.9, which had carried him up to about 1,000 ft. * Hi Before referring to the demonstration at Stag Lane, itwould, perhaps, not be out of place if we gave a brief descrip- tion of the Holt " Autochute." The " Autochute " belongsto what is known as the " free " parachute system, that is, the pilot or passenger jumps from the machine with the parachute,which is released when clear of the machine. In the " Autochute " the main parachute is carried in acontainer attached to the body of the airman. Attached to the main parachute is a smaller, or " pilot " parachute, andwhen the airman jumps from the machine the " pilot " is released from the pack, either positively by the airmanhimself or automatically. The " pilot " parachute then pulls the main parachute out of the pack, and the descent ismade with the main parachute. In some models of the " Autochute," a third parachute is introduced between the" pilot " and the main. This is called the shock parachute, and its object is to reduce the velocity of fall and consequentlythe shock and the strain on the main parachute when the latter opens. It must be remembered that in the free para-chute system, the important thing is not the time taken form, so that there are no points or hooks to catch in the aeroplane and the parachute lines. It weighs only 4£ ozs., and there are no joints or rivets to get rusted and jammed. The umbrella-frame mechanism for opening the pilot parachute was tried by Col. Holt some years ago, but was abandoned. The main parachute is fitted with silk tubes, into which the rigging lines are inserted before folding the parachute. This avoids any possibility of the lines getting entangled, as they do not leave their tubes until after the pilot parachute has withdrawn the main parachute from its case. A " jelly-bag " device is fitted inside the parachute to hold the mouth open and a frangible diaphragm covers the mouth of the vent hole in the crown to obviate suction. It should be noted that the main parachute is held firmly in the pack, and does not leave it until actually pulled out by the shock parachute. As regards the release mechanism, this works through a hand release in parallel with a long static lanyard attached to the aeroplane, so that if the airman loses his head and fails to pull the hand release, the pilot parachute will still be released automatically by the long lanyard. Except in the 782
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