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emergency parachute
The SK-94 back emergency parachute is intended for emergency jumping from rotary and fixed-wing, powered and unpowered aircraft, and balloons.
The design of the SK-94 parachute includes many novel solutions. By using an external spring pilot chute the time of opening the parachute has been reduced significantly. The canopy uses two kinds of ripstop fabric, to improve stability during the descent. By designing cutouts covered by net in the canopy and two steering lines, active control was made possible. The canopy border was covered by net too, thus greatly reducing the danger of throwing of lines over canopy. The SK-94 parachute has soft, low-profile container, greatly increasing the comfort of use during long cruise flights, and the lack of protruding elements gives the ability to leave the aircraft rapidly. Low weight and small size make it suitable for use by flying crews who need to perform on-board operations (such as drop despatching).
After necessary flight testing, on 9 April 1992 the SK-94 parachute has been introduced into service in the Polish Army by an Order no. 7 of the Head of the Main Combat Training Command.
At the same time certification in Britain has been completed on 3 July 1992 by the issue of Certificate of Registration of Design. Then on 20 December 1994 IKCSP issued the Decision no. BS-50/94, which forms the foundation for recognition of the SK-94 parachute airworthiness in the Polish civil aviation.
SK-94 emergency parachute is now used by units of the Polish Army and Interior Forces, many flying clubs, and innumerable private users both at home and abroad.
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Technical Description
The SK-94 parachute has an 51 sq. m round canopy, made of two kind of ripstop fabric to ensure greater stability. In the central section it uses fabric with certain porosity, while the outer portion employs zero porosity fabric. The canopy is connected to harness by 24 lines. Thanks to provision of three cutouts in the canopy and adding two steering lines the parajumper can actively control the parachute. The cutouts and border of canopy is protected with net in order to prevent the possibility of throwing lines over the canopy or catching parajumper by canopy. Three-point harness with quick-release locks and the container provides an integral unit that overlapping the parajumper. The SK-94 parachute is opened manually, with the ripcord. The parachute service life is 20 years. After a jump the condition of the parachute is evaluated, and on that basis it is allowed for further use.
During operation, time of airing canopy is equal to:
- 4 months (120 days) for a parachutes packed for jumping,
- 6 months (180 days) for a parachutes packed for storage.
Technical data
| Packed dimensions | |||
| length | [mm] | 600 | |
| width | [mm] | 400 | |
| height | [mm] | 85 | |
| canopy area | [sq. m] | 51 | |
| Weight | |||
| weight of assembly | [kg] | 7,5 | |
| optimal suspended weight | [kg] | 100 | |
| Performance | |||
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| [m/s] | 4,4 | |
| rate of descent (weight 70 kg) | [m/s] | 3,6 | |
| min. forward speed | [m/s] | 2 | |
| time of turn on 360o | [s] | 12 | |
| deployment speed | [km/h] | 0-270 | |
| min. deployment height (V = 130 km/h) | [m] | 70 | |
| min. deployment height from balloon | [m] | 80 | |
| min. deployment height from helicopter | [m] | 150 | |
