Load Measurements in Parachute Cords.

Abstract : An experimental program to study feasibility of using lightweight transmitting load cell to measure parachute cord loads during parachute opening and steady descent state described. The load cell consists of an aluminum tube incorporating a pair of semiconductor strain gages that are used to frequency modulate a 10 mW transmitter operating at a carrier frequency of 228 MHz. The program included a laboratory test program followed by flight tests with the load cell installed in a parachute cord. (Author)