Tyvek Parachute
I sell and service computers for a living, and for probably a year now my
distributor has been sending me computers packaged in Tyvek bags. The bags
protect the shiny parts of the computer from scratching; when we deliver a
computer to a customer, we don't take all the packaging. Since I'm a pack rat,
the bags have been piling up.
Tyvek is lightweight and tear resistant. I've thought for a while that I should be able to make parachutes out of these bags, but the material is too bulky to make smaller chutes out of. So here, I've created a parachute for my Ultimatum rocket. It's a BT-70 sized rocket, with a large chute compartment, and I already know it needs a big chute.
I used braided kite line bought at the dollar store for the shroud lines, held in place with epoxy. I put little strips of Tyvek over the ends of the lines, possibly adding some strength, or maybe just for looks.
If it works well, Justin may want one for his 4-H project rocket... BTH-70, 5'6" long, fitted for a cluster of 3 E engines. Egad.