US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Richard John Benney

Glen J Brown

Todd M Grenga

Marc N Tardiff

George N Moorachian, Jr

William S Ricci

A multiple bundle sling load system including a sling for attachment to an aircraft, a support system suspended from the sling for carrying a plurality of bundles, a load release mechanism interconnecting each bundle with the support structure, a parachute associated with at least one of the bundles, a parachute release mechanism interconnecting each parachute with the support structure. And an actuator for remotely operating each release mechanism for selectively releasing each load release mechanism and not releasing the associated parachute release mechanism for an air drop operation and selectively releasing each load release mechanism and each associated parachute release mechanism for a land drop operation.

Multiple bundle sling load system

A soft landing assembly for a parachute includes an altitude sensor mounted on the parachute and a control assembly mounted on the parachute for activating parachute landing velocity affectors at preselected altitudes detected by the altitude sensor. A first of the parachute landing velocity affectors is an automatic riser slip actuator for providing a riser slip, and thereby horizontal velocity reduction at an optimum time and in an optimum direction. A second of the parachute landing velocity affectors is an automatic pneumatic muscle retraction actuator for providing vertical retraction of a parachutist, and thereby vertical velocity reduction of the parachutist, at an optimum time prior to impact with ground.

Soft landing assembly for a parachute

A parachute assembly includes a canopy central panel of square configuration, a rectangular canopy outboard arm fixed to each side edge of the canopy central panel and extendible outwardly therefrom to form a cross configuration, each of the canopy outboard arms having two outboard corners. A suspension line is fixed to each of the outboard corners, the suspension lines being of equal length for initial deployment of the parachute assembly. A first suspension line fixed to a canopy first outboard arm at a corner thereof is extendible to cause a spinning motion and increased rate of descent of the parachute. A second suspension line fixed to a canopy second outboard arm at a corner thereof closer to the first suspension line is extendible to influence the spinning motion, rate of descent, and horizontal velocity and direction.

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Stow, MA, United States of America

Richard John Benney