HB876 - 'gas motor' and cutting of shroud lines

[ASD]

Morning. Re: the image of the inert HB876, below, can anyone tell me more about how the strop that tethers the drogue retarder to the SM body (thus restricting the deployment of the main retarder) is cut by the gas motor? In particular, where on the line of the drogue is the cut made? Or, as the description reads ''Upon receiving a signal from a timer, a gas motor cuts through the eye of the drogue strop where it is attached to the SM . . . Another gas motor, initiated on ground impact, cuts the retarder free from the SM.'
I've only ever encountered these on the ground - after the chutes have beed detached - so this feature is an interesting diversion on a Saturday morning! All the best. A

 

[ASD]

So, having now read the text correctly, this is the phrase the significance of which I failed to grasp first time around:
' . . . gas motor cuts through the eye of the drogue strop where it is attached to the SM' The image below shows the eye of the strop where it is attached to the SM. Immediately below it is a brass 'piston', set into which is a full-width cutter (indicated by the yellow arrow). When actuated, this would be forced upwards and, er, cut through the loop or 'eye'.

 

[stuff]

l do not know if this will help or hinder, I recently picked up a HB876 test unit.

It has a bright orange drogue and a heavy wall turned aluminium body.

The main drogue ‘cutter’ is a dummy.

The drogue release drogue has a ‘live’ cutter, I assume this was a test bed to see the function of this cutter.

It looks to be an electrically initiated device similar to explosive bolts or CAD (cartridge activated device).

I have dismantled the unit as far as I am able without damaging the unit, once dry it will get a coating of renascence wax and I will reassemble it.

I have left all of the hand written test numbers intact as it is part of this items history.

 

[ASD]

l do not know if this will help or hinder, I recently picked up a HB876 test unit.

It has a bright orange drogue and a heavy wall turned aluminium body.

The main drogue ‘cutter’ is a dummy.

The drogue release drogue has a ‘live’ cutter, I assume this was a test bed to see the function of this cutter.

It looks to be an electrically initiated device similar to explosive bolts or CAD (cartridge activated device).

I have dismantled the unit as far as I am able without damaging the unit, once dry it will get a coating of renascence wax and I will reassemble it.

I have left all of the hand written test numbers intact as it is part of this items history.

Thank you for posting the images: very useful. I've seen a few with the Al body but never been entirely certain what they brought to the party. As a matter of interest, have you weighed the Al body? I'm just wondering if reduced all up weight was seen as an advantage during certain phases of testing. Image attached of an item for sale on www.

 

[ASD]

Item sold but was on <>

l do not know if this will help or hinder, I recently picked up a HB876 test unit.

It has a bright orange drogue and a heavy wall turned aluminium body.

The main drogue ‘cutter’ is a dummy.

The drogue release drogue has a ‘live’ cutter, I assume this was a test bed to see the function of this cutter.

It looks to be an electrically initiated device similar to explosive bolts or CAD (cartridge activated device).

I have dismantled the unit as far as I am able without damaging the unit, once dry it will get a coating of renascence wax and I will reassemble it.

I have left all of the hand written test numbers intact as it is part of this items history.

You may have already seen it, but this is an interesting site <https://collection.sciencemuseumgro...pMKTU2p_gCuPyeqb-k_aem_iAKocUYWEOyBvHVqYmGeGg>