RESCUE PARACHUTES RSQ
The square construction of the reserve parachute allows for quick opening, lower descend rate and significantly faster damping of the swinging after its opening. The canopy material is manufactured by French Porcher Sport. In autumn 2017, this design was successfully certified in the RSQ 120 variant by the Air Turquoise according to the EN standard.
The basic RSQ 100 model as light as 1,3 kg
– it is the result of modern square construction, precise production process and top materials.
The two main performance factors of the reserve parachute are the descent rate (vertical speed) and the stability. Both of these factors can be significantly influenced by a suitable canopy design. Designers of reserve parachutes have been tuning their products for many years and try to balance these parameters with the requirements for the smallest possible weight, price and packed volume of reserves.
If we stick to the construction of the reserves which cannot be controlled and the main parameters in the selection are low weight, small packed volume and reasonable price, we get to the recently (for paragliding) discovered, square (or also cross) construction of the reserve parachute canopies.
Due to the higher drag coefficient of the square against the circle, the descend rate is slower at the same surface load. The openings in the corners of the canopy “leak” air whose flow helps to stabilize the flying / falling system against unwanted swaying / rocking. Even on a reserve parachute with a theoretically acceptable vertical speed, the landing can be hard if it takes place in the unfortunate phase of the pilot’s swing under the canopy. From this point of view, the cross constructions of parachutes clearly play a leading role.
Unfortunately, the speed of opening of the reserve parachute, a parameter that many pilots ask about, is hard to test accurately and independently. Therefore, in specifications list of reserve parachutes is not given in numbers, but only as a more or less subjective comparison of observations of competing structures. In the world, square reserves have been used and tested for some time, and it has been shown that, compared to standard circular reserves, they open a little faster. Most likely, the irregularity of the shape for folding during packaging, helps. They simply have more folds of fabric that can begin to fill with air – similar to the so-called double-skinned circular parachutes.
The procedure for packing a square parachute is almost the same as for a round one, and an experienced packer will master it during a short training session. So there is no reason to worry that we will not find someone to repack our parachute.
Sizes and technical information
| El Speedo RESCUE SYSTEM | RSQ 100 | RSQ 110 | RSQ 120 | RSQ 180 | RSQ 220 | RSQ 290 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. load according to EN (kg) | – | – | 120 | – | – | – |
| Certified maximum load (kg) | 100 | 110 | 140 | 180 | 220 | 290 |
| Sink rate at max. load (m/s) | 5,5 | 5,5 | 4,93*/5,5 | 5,5 | 5,5 | 5,5 |
| Surface area(m²) | 23 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 50 | 60 |
| Weight (kg) | 1,3 | 1,6 | 1,79 | 2,3 | 2,8 | 3,1 |
| Material of the canopy | Porcher marine 9081 | Porcher marine 9081 | Porcher marine 9081 | Porcher marine 9081 | Porcher marine 9081 | Porcher marine 9081 |
| Material of lines | Liros RL Safety Line Dyneema 1.3 | Liros RL Safety Line Dyneema 1.3 | Liros RL Safety Line Dyneema 1.3 | Liros RL Safety Line Dyneema 1.3 | Liros RL Safety Line Dyneema 1.3 | Liros RL Safety Line Dyneema 1.3 |
| Certification | company | company | EN 12491 | company | company | company |
| Price | 459 € | 499 € | 539 € | 699 € | 799 € | 899€ |
*RSQ 120 is certified for loads of 120 kg, but in our experience it can also be used for loads up to 140 Kg. In this case, the descend rate will be 5.5 m/s.
The maximum opening speed is 32 m/s. The recommended repack and check interval is 6 months. At the age of 10, we recommend replacing it with a new reserve parachute.
The model of the El Speedo RSQ 120 reserve parachute is the name for the Czech market. It was certified under the Sky Country SQ-33 name.