Parachutes

[aru1]

Hi
I just recieved my German Paratroopers. Any suggestion on how to make parachutes for my weapon containers?
Thanks
Alex in Idaho

[Barklay1810]

I would not recommend making them in the open descent shape as they will become damaged. However, for the grounded troops and objects, use aluminium foil, cut to circles. Score it with a toothpick very gently to represent the canopy shaping strands, and then fold for the scoring to be on the inside. Take a small ball of cotton, and put it into the foil circle, then gently old-in the edges of the circle to a taper. Place on a surface, and gently flatten the new chute a bit. Now you can spray it with the chute colour which I think was green for US Army if that is what you are doing. If you wan to go to the trouble of rigging, you can glue-in thin copper wire into the foil, and connect it to the containers.
Cheers

[Thomaso827]

I just got my fallschirmjaegers as well and had the same sort of thoughts when I saw the canisters. I'll have to try that. I'm almost postive somebody had posted some pics in the "show us your stuff" thread that showed this sort of thing. Perhaps even having some FJs and canisters still in the air, but I can't find it now. I still need 2 or 3 more packs of FJ infantry, but the one HW pack will do quite well, with 20 LMGs, 5 mortars and 5 recoilless rifles, as well as another sprue of leaders and flame throwers. Excellent figures, I must say.

Tom Oxley

[aru1]

Thanks all for the info!
I will give it a try
Alex in Idaho USA

[green beanie]

I went to an arts & craft store and picked up some half cut small beads. I cut out two small triangles and cut slits in the bottom of one and the top of the other and slit them through each other and the glued the larger part of the triangles to the flat side of the halp round bead and it looks like a deployed parachute when painted. I have glued them to para packs and boxed and them glued the to small bits of wire attached to small circular bases to protray parachute resupply drops in my games. Thought I would pass it along.

[aru1]

Thanks Barklay1810 and all the other Gamers



I finally finished my first parachute. I assigned it to the 1st British Airborne Division along with the weapons canister. Thanks for the help.
Alex in Idaho USA.

[ferret701]

That parachute looks great. I may have to expand my collection to include paras just to do it...

[G8CO]

That chute looks really good fine job.

[Pitfall]

Has anyone tried sawing a ping-pong ball in half? I don't know how it would match up in scale, but It just occured to me while looking at aru1's prototype.

Perhaps you could apply a little heat to deform the shape a bit, even.