WWI parachutes and Stefan Banic

[Nadia]

Hi there, I just joined this exciting forum, so please excuse me if I am posting this in the wrong section or if I missed any major discussions on this topic, but I really hope that I can find some help here.

I am a Washington, DC-based filmmaker and am currently working on a documentary about Stefan Banic, a man who invented and patented a type of parachute in 1914 that, according to some sources, was used by the US Army in WWI. (I am finding this claim hard to believe, since I have yet to find any proof of that.)

The reason why I'm turning to this forum is that I am looking for a WWI aviation expert in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (or possibly other not-too distant states) who I could interview about parachute use in WWI. I am not looking for an expert on Stefan Banic per se, I primarily want to talk to someone who could provide me with some historical context on parachuting during this time period. (Although, if anyone out there knows about Stefan Banic or of any documentation connected to his invention, please, don't hesitate to come forward either!)

The National Air and Space Museum was of no help, since the Smithsonian charges filmmakers $250/hour for interviews with their curators...

So, please, if anyone knows of an expert, scholar or even an enthusiast on WWI aviation and parachutes in the greated metro DC region, I would be very grateful for any tips!
Thank you.
nadia

[Rod_Filan]

I am finding this claim hard to believe, since I have yet to find any proof of that.

from http://www.slovakopedia.com/s/stefan-banic.htm : On June 03 1914 Banic demonstrated his parachute invention by jumping from a 41-story (other sources say 15-story but there were more jumps) building in Washington, D.C.

41-story building in Washington D.C. ??

Patiently waiting for Dan-San to wade in here.

VBR
Rod

[Charlie]

Dobry den' Nadia. Jak sa mate?
I am not an expert on the Slovak inventor S'tefan Banic' but I believe that you are one war too early. According to stories I read long ago in "Jednota" the patents that Stefan Banic' assigned to the US government before he returned to Slovensko were used in World War II parachutes.
The great number of Allied airplane pilots that were l killed in WWI can be attributed, in part, to the fact that none were given parachutes, although parachutes were available and were standard equipment for observers who had to go up in balloons.
I tried to look up the date for the patent that Banic supposedly got but the US Patent Office web site I didn't give me anything.
"Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota". This organization has a library in Middletown PA. The editor of the Jenota newspaper can probably connect you with the various Slovak historians in the US and Canada.
The Slovak historians I know of are;
Martin Votruba at the University of Pittsburgh
Michael Kopanic, academic address unknown
Mark Stolarik at the University of Toronto.
None of this is very convenient, I know.
You might also try;

http://login.prospero.com/dir-login/index.asp?webtag=iarelative&lgnDST=http%3A%2F%2Fforums%2Ed

This web site is mainly about Slovak genealogy but many of the contributors are knowledgeable about other things Slovakian. One contributor, Mark Sabol lives in the D.C. area.

do videnia,
Charlie

[Nadia]

Charlie, thank you for the tips. Dakujem.
Rod Filan: Yeah, the whole story of Stefan Banic is convoluted, full of hard to prove "facts" and that absurd claim that he jumped out of a DC skyscraper. While almost nobody has ever heard of Banic in the US, he is getting another monument revealed in Slovakia in a week and a half...

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Nadia;
My experience in the history of Parachutes began in 1930 when I saw my Father, Lt.Col.Harry W. Abbott, S.C.A.S jump from a Travelaire with a parachute of his own design. Prior to my service in the U.S.Army I was employed by Security Parachute Company as a assistant parachute rigger. I went on to become the Director of Engineering and designed all the parachute commercially marketed by Security as well as contractor for military parachutes for personnel, cargo and aircraft deceleration. The 44 ft diameter ribbon parachute for the B-52 in 1956 was one of my designs. I had worked on various special equipment for Mercury, Gemini and Apollo maned space programs.
I have had an interest of parachutes that were used by balloonist, my Grandfather Wayne Armstrong Abbott, had his own parachute and balloon factory in Denver, Colorado in 1900. Almost all early American parachutes were derivations of the parachute designed by Prof. Tom Broadwick. My Grandfather came up with a conical design which was more stable the the flat circular designs. I redesigned it to modern standards and it was used as a reserve parachute by thousands of sky divers.
The military parachute came into being in the early months of WW1 after aircraft were armed. Balloonist observers were attacked and the balloons flamed and the observers lost their lives. This was quickly resolved by the various armies by buying hot air an hydrogen gas balloon parachutes and making such modification as to make them serviceable for military use. Unfortunately these parachutes were designed by trial and error, rather than structurally engineered as they are today. They were adequate for balloon use and were static lined operated. The parachute was pulled from its container by the weight of the observer as he fell away from the balloon basket, and opened and safely descended to earth. There were a few cases were burning pieces of the balloon fabric fell on the descending parachute and catching the canopy on fire with the observer falling to his death. From 1915 on the balloon observer had a means of escape if he was attacked and many balloon observers from all services saved their lives with the parachute.
As the airplane and the machine guns developed and became more deadly.
The greatist fear of pilots of all services was being burned alive if their fuel tank was ruptured by machine gun fire. The Allied military heads were reluctant to provide parachutes for pilots for fear that if they were attacked they would jump and leave their airplane. Germany thought differently, pilots were valuable, it takes a lot of time to train them. A German balloon technician name Heinecke developed a static line operated parachute for use from aircraft. At best it was adequate, it served it purpose. It save many pilots lives throught 1918.
In 1918, the U.S. Army formed a Parachute Committee for the purpose of designing a parachute for the pilots of the U.S.Army Air Service. The Committee was headed by Major E.L.Hoffman, with several civilians, H.H.Higgins, Guy Ball, Floyd Smith and J.M.Russell. They studied and tested all Allied and Central Powers parachutes. From this study was developed the S-1 24 ft dia. Seat Pack and the 28' diameter S-2 Seat pack for pilots who weighed over 180 pounds. A detachable chest parachute was designed for observers.
Finally in 1922, The U.S.Army standarized the S-1 and S -2 and it was made mandatory for all pilots and air crew to wear a parachute during flight. The canopy construction of the S-1 and S-2 parachutes came from professional Parachutist, Leslie Irvin, who held the patents for the design. He formed the Irvin Air Chute Company, Guy Ball went to work for Irvin. Major Hoffman established the Triangle Parachute Company. In 1929, Major Hoffman received the Collier Trophy for the design of the Hoffman Triangle Parachute. It was adopted by the U.S.Army in the 1930s. H.H.Higgins formed the Standard Parachute Company. J.M.Russell founded the Russell Parachute Parachute Company and lastly Floyd Smith established the Pioneer Parachute Company.
You may have noticed I have not mentioned Stefen Banic! As far as I know he has not contributed to the U.S.Army anything toward parachute design and developement. Irvin Air Chute is now Irvin Industries, and Pioneer Parachute Co. still exists in Manchester Conn. The rest have disappeared in time.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Nadia]

Dan-San,

this is fantastic! Thank you so much for your detailed response, I really appreciate it! It confirms what I have found out in my research - I just wanted to hear it from someone who really knows what they're talking about. I wish I could interview you for my film, but unfortunately, you're in CA and I'm in DC.
You probably get asked this all the time, but do you have any images of the Heinecke parachute that you could post here?
Thank you again,
Nadia

[stephenl]

I find it hard to believe there were any 41 story buildings in Washington DC.

This inquiry was made a year or so ago was it not? try searching the the forum. Dan-San answered the inquiry then as well.

Most of all the tall building nowadays are in Arlington, VA across the river. The tallest building is the Washington monument which is not a building at all it stands at 555' approx.

The tallest residential building in DC was the Cairo which was built before 1900.

and for some architectural history read
http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=295