Re: [sabre210] How fast can a chute open (static line)
Hey,
Tom's described it perfectly. You want to release the brakes from the set as quickly as possible with a fast downward motion. Then let them up in a very controlled manner. You'll need to feel that out a bit, but the idea is that if you let the toggles up too quickly, you'll actually put energy into the canopy's natural forward surge. If you let them up too slowly, well, you won't get forward speed as quickly as you could. Somewhere in between is the optimum.
What comes to mind for me is "critical damping" in suspension systems, for example. If your shocks weren't stiff enough, every time you hit a bump you'd bounce down the road for a while afterward. If they are too stiff, the springs never really get a chance to do their job, since all the force is translated straight into the car. Somewhere in there is "critical damping". Basically the idea is that when you compress the spring, the shock will let the spring unload at the fastest possible rate without "overshooting".
Let me know if this is helpful, or possibly I have just bungled the explanation. :)
Michael