Figure 6-42.—Headrest and drogue container assemblies.
disconnect assembly. The riser assemblies with
lanyards initiate the spreading gun and the seat
and man separation.
When the parachute container opener is
actuated, either one of the two locking clips will
disengage and release a ball fitting on the end of
a restraining cable. This action allows the
container to open and the main canopy assembly
to deploy. The canopy assembly is propelled by
the WORD bridle, which is acted upon by the
force of the drogue and WORD motor. Should
the WORD bridle fail, the internal pilot parachute
functions as a backup system.
When the main canopy and suspension lines
are fully deployed, the spreading-gun firing
lanyard exerts tension on a spring-loaded firing
pin in the ballistic spreading-gun assembly. This
pin is withdrawn until the pin-locking balls slip
into a groove in the gun housing. Then, the
firing pin, driven by spring force, releases, strikes,
and fires dual primers that ignite the spreading
gun cartridge. Cartridge energy drives 14 pistons
(attached to alternate suspension lines), which
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