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T-5 Parachute Harness


ChrisNZ
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Hi guys, i'm currently working on a 101st pre jump impression, i have purchased a reproduction T-5 harness, i'm looking for as much info as i can on these, please share any reference photos you have.

 

Does any one know if there is a Technical Manual that relates to the T-5?

 

I'm also after good clear pictures of harness markings that would have been on the harnesses, not the factory markings but stencilled inspection markings, unit specific markings etc, at the moment it's looking a bit to 'fresh' so anything i can do to make it look more authentic is a help, i've hunted the net for info and images, there just doesn't seem to be that much information floating around.

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USMC RAIDER COLLECTOR
Hi guys, i'm currently working on a 101st pre jump impression, i have purchased a reproduction T-5 harness, i'm looking for as much info as i can on these, please share any reference photos you have.

 

Does any one know if there is a Technical Manual that relates to the T-5?

 

I'm also after good clear pictures of harness markings that would have been on the harnesses, not the factory markings but stencilled inspection markings, unit specific markings etc, at the moment it's looking a bit to 'fresh' so anything i can do to make it look more authentic is a help, i've hunted the net for info and images, there just doesn't seem to be that much information floating around.

Have you tried contacting Bob Bashaw ? Vintage Parachutes... He was a Navy para rigger and builds re-pop chutes. Try an Google him..I think he lives in Florida..He is a nice fellow.

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Have you tried contacting Bob Bashaw ? Vintage Parachutes... He was a Navy para rigger and builds re-pop chutes. Try an Google him..I think he lives in Florida..He is a nice fellow.

 

 

Yes, he is helpful up until the point that i tell him i'm not in the US and that i live in New Zealand, i have contacted his twice, he is polite and responds to my emails, as soon as i say i'm not in the US the response stop :thumbdown:

 

I would have preferred buying one of his repro harnesses but it seems not being in the US is a problem for him, i ended up ordering one from jumpmaster44 in France, it needs modification to make it acceptable but i should do the trick, as a collector/reeanactor outside of Europe or the US i am used to people being un willing to ship items down here, i just make the most of what i can get and the internet.

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There is this one currently on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/paratrooper-T5-parachu...=item35ac51055b

 

can anyone confirm that these markings are WW2 era

http://i.ebayimg.com/14/!B2Y3c,!EG...Sli8sFQ~~_3.JPG

 

Would anyone have clearer pictures of harness markings such as this

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/20/!B2Y3VugBmk~&a...SlUDy1w~~_3.JPG

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Sorry that you seem to be having problems ordering from Bob. I distinctly remember him mentioning during my order that a lot of his business comes from Eastern Europe, i.e. overseas. You would think it would be just as easy to ship to New Zealand as it is some place like Hungary or Estonia. :dunno:

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There is this one currently on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/paratrooper-T5-parachu...=item35ac51055b

 

can anyone confirm that these markings are WW2 era

http://i.ebayimg.com/14/!B2Y3c,!EG...Sli8sFQ~~_3.JPG

 

Would anyone have clearer pictures of harness markings such as this

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/20/!B2Y3VugBmk~&a...SlUDy1w~~_3.JPG

 

Boy, I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole.

 

Price is off the wall and the seller has zero feedback.

 

No rigger with the slightest sense of pride would do that shinola of a job attaching the harness to the pack. Strapping is wrong and the thread is off-the-wall.

 

Photo doesn't show them. Are the leg straps still there?

 

No risers. In fact, the upper part of the harness just looks WRONG.

 

It just smells like a fart in a space suit.

 

Tom

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Sorry that you seem to be having problems ordering from Bob. I distinctly remember him mentioning during my order that a lot of his business comes from Eastern Europe, i.e. overseas. You would think it would be just as easy to ship to New Zealand as it is some place like Hungary or Estonia. :dunno:

 

 

Yeah the only issue with shipping here is normally the cost which the buyer pays anyway, its possible he thought i wasn't serious, which i was, i just found it odd how as soon as i mentioned what country i was in the replies stopped dead, i managed to source a rerpo elsewhere, its just one that needs a little more work than his i guess, i've not even sure on how much he sells his for as he never got back to me with any costs.

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So out of curiosity. What do you think of the repro rig you bought and what has to be changed to make it look better? I am currently thinking of buying a repro rig as well but can´t get a clue which ones are good and which ones not.

I always thought vintage parachute stuff is good until I bought one of their griswould bags which didnt convince me at all.

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I am pleased with it, i have never seen another one so i have nothing to compare it with, the main issue it is that the static line is sewn on to the pullout panel which is wrong, it wasn't to hard to fix, just a night with a sewing machine, i was luck i could find some french webbing that looked like static line, other minor problems is there is no panel for a jump book, no rubber bands to attach the static line, no cord to attach the pull out panel and he used a variety of different hardware that was miss matched (fixed with careful application of OD paint but it would have been nice if he had painted them), there is probably other issues but it depends on how picky you want to be with a repro, the think is most of the issues could be fixed during manufacture with limited effort, this was a very expensive item so i would have expected it to not have these issues.

There is not much competition in the repro T-5 field so choices are limited.

 

There's a review here

http://www.parachutist.be/review-repro-T5-parachute.html

 

This is the one i got http://www.jump-master44.com/boutique_us/f...g_us&num=11

 

Here is a photo of it the day i got it, it did not come with the reserve.

t5.jpg

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Hi CHris,

 

thanks for the reply. I have handled some other repros but everyone coming from a different direction. The BOB ones are o.k. but only from a distance. Then there is a guy in England making rigs but I havn`t handled them so far. I just linked up with the guy who made yours and he will be in Ciney which is Europes biggest militaria fair. It is in four weeks and I think he will bring some more of his items so I can give a little report maybe.

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Cool, it's possible you can pass the issues on to him although i'm sure he is aware of them as almost all info i can find i the net mentions the same issue with his repro, the other thing that was disappointing is the the demolitions bag i ordered from him as you can see in the above picture, he has 2 on offer, a late war or early war version the early one is 10 euro more, i picked the early one, on arrival it appears he has just taken one of his late ones and removed the straps from it leaving the ugly stitching marks/holes from where the strap was attached he also charged me another 25 euro to post it in the same package as the chute, leaving me feeling a bit ripped off in regards to the demo bag.

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What do you mean by the static line being sewn to the pull-out panel as being wrong....?

 

That static like should be attached to 2 straps of webbing sewn on the inside of the pull out panel, it should pass through a hole on the out side of the panel, with this repro there is no hole, the static line is just sewn directly to the panel, it just looks wrong all round that way.

 

These picture posted on another thread show how it should look

 

post-2167-1222804992.jpg

post-2167-1222880051.jpg

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Ah.... Yep, I know how it should look, I was just wondering about the one he'd sent to you.

 

However, it must have sent you a real rogue one (perhaps hoping to get away with it due to your location, like the badly-made demo bag?) as the ones on his website appear to be made correctly:

 

zdorsalt5.jpg

 

Cheers,

Glen.

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Ah.... Yep, I know how it should look, I was just wondering about the one he'd sent to you.

 

However, it must have sent you a real rogue one (perhaps hoping to get away with it due to your location, like the badly-made demo bag?) as the ones on his website appear to be made correctly:

 

zdorsalt5.jpg

 

Cheers,

Glen.

 

 

I believe that that must be a new pictures as his old one didn't show the static line attached like that, it is still wrong as it should be a diamond not a rectangle, see my picture in post #10 for how mine was, from all other info i found on the net this is how i knew it would arrive incorrect, but i wanted a repro T-5 and he was the only place that would send me one.

 

Its good to share info, Caveat emptor, i would hate for someone to buy these T-5's thinking they where 100% correct, thats how miss information is spread.

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Is it me or is the harness webbing in the photo white?

 

Reason I ask is because the webbing is supposed to be natural colored cotton, not bleached white cotton.

 

Just wondering.

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  • 9 months later...

7/31/2011

I have several T5 parachutes and harness and would be willing to take any pictures needed. Mine are original not replicas so correct to a T. The only thing I have done is go in the chest pack and change out the rubbers as the last change was in 1945. The silk was perfect and the parachute looked brand new. I have 7 24ft silk parachutes in mint condition with lines and buckels if anyone need something like that instead of putting foam in side. Of course the foam is cheaper. I also have numerious AN6510 seat packs for those fighter pilot buffs. Then if you are into hardware I have a good size number of complete norden bombsights with complete yellow tagged autopilot system, right down to the PDI gage. Willing to help any one trying to make a reproduction parachute any help with pictures or in the conversion of a T7 to a T5 that involves almost as much work as making it from scratch but it looks great. I found that you can buy canvas duffle bags by the dozen to make T5 containers. I only have one more role of original thread for the stitching on the harness but I can strip off enough for someone to complete one. [email protected] I also make up Replica M1 Garands out of real parts but barrels are welded and bolt is welded to prevent any chance of being used as a real weapon.

Good luck

Dave Henderson

www.heguns.com

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I was trying to upload pics of my T5 that I got repacked this weekend, came out nice but my pictures are to big. Really nice as it has the original log book and survival book. I have two more T5 Trays and going to pack one tomorrow with 24ft silk. I have only 2 harneses but 3 parachutes so looking for another harness.

Thanks

Dave

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What color is the static line on back of pack supposed to be? I have seen both white and a light khaki, almost green color. Was the harness on the fron OD green?

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  • 2 weeks later...
WWII Parachutist

The color depends on the date it was made. Early T-5's had white harnesses with white static lines. In 1943 when the harnesses started switching to green, many of the static lines remained white, and some were green. White and green static lines where used all the way until the end of the war.

Also, many people think that the harnesses where made out of a yellowish-khaki webbing, but in reality that is green webbing. It had a mildew resistant chemical in it that turned yellowish with age and contact with light, and it appears that some webbing contractors in their hurry did not do a good job finishing the webbing. The dyes faded faster than others. The poor qualities of dyes in some lots most likely accounts for the variations from a slight pinkish color to yellow etc.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Lads-

 

I have a PDF file of "Handbook of Instructions for Parachutes, Troop Type" dated 01 SEP 1942, which includes the T-5

 

PM me offline w/ your email address & will send to you

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