Dude jumps without a parachute...? And lands in a net?

[Buddahaid]

Didn't I read the Russians dropped some troops into the snow during WW2? I can't remember the story now.

[Onkel Neal]

That's called a plane crash.

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

That's called a plane crash.

Now there goes my coffee!

[Oberon]

Judging by how the Russkies used to drop their paras...well...

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

Didn't I read the Russians dropped some troops into the snow during WW2? I can't remember the story now.

Unfulfilled Promise: The Soviet Airborne Forces, 1928-1945 by Leroy Thompson, page 46-47

Later in 1939 on 30 November, Soviet paratroopers had the distinction of making the first combat jump in history when they dropped at Petsamo and other points behind the Finnish lines during the Soviet invasion of Finland. Due to poor navigation on the part of pilots and quick action on the part of Finnish snipers who picked off many as they landed, few of these paratroopers actually made it into combat. Those who did fought with courage, and many had even jumped without parachutes into deep snow drifts.
At least two Soviet airborne brigades fought in the Winter War although not all of them made combat jumps. Another batallion-sized jump was made later against the Mannerheim Line, also with little success, the poor navigation competency of the transport pilots combined with the weather causing the parachutists to be scattered over a large area.

Liberal use of salt recommended.

[Buddahaid]

That's it. Thank you Dowly.

[August]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

I don't think that would be useful as it requires troops on the ground installing these nets which would be easily spotted and they can only catch one person at a time. That somewhat defeats the point of paratroops, doesn't it?

Mere technical details that can and will all be solved now that it's been proved possible. With any new idea there are always a bunch of negative nancy's ready to proclaim it impossible or once someone actually does happen and proves them wrong they then claim that it's useless.

After all the Wright Brothers invention was considered a dangerous and unreliable contraption that killed it's first passenger, the telephone was a useless curiosity that would never become popular let along replace the telegraph, any train reaching more than 30 mph would kill everyone aboard by sucking the air out of their lungs, submarines are expensive boondoggles that tend to kill their crews far more often than they kill the enemy and so forth.

A man has proven a new way to get to the ground safely besides using a parachute. I am confident that somebody will build upon this.

[August]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

Haha, I almost spit my coffee

What do you Legs know about it?

[Onkel Neal]

I know that guy has a parachute.

Originally Posted by August

Mere technical details that can and will all be solved now that it's been proved possible. With any new idea there are always a bunch of negative nancy's ready to proclaim it impossible or once someone actually does happen and proves them wrong they then claim that it's useless.

After all the Wright Brothers invention was considered a dangerous and unreliable contraption that killed it's first passenger, the telephone was a useless curiosity that would never become popular let along replace the telegraph, any train reaching more than 30 mph would kill everyone aboard by sucking the air out of their lungs, submarines are expensive boondoggles that tend to kill their crews far more often than they kill the enemy and so forth.

A man has proven a new way to get to the ground safely besides using a parachute. I am confident that somebody will build upon this.

The Wright brothers discovered a new era, the very idea of lift and drag and how to use/overcome it.
In 2016, we have a broad knowledge about aviation, gravity and other forces in question. It doesn't make any sense, there is no "maybe we just don't know" magic pony around the next corner that would make this a good idea, in any scenario.

Besides that, let's look at it from a military and logistical perspective.
So you want to drop paratroopers, regulars, by throwing them out of a plane so they can 'safely' land in a net on the ground. (The guy who did this stunt nearly missed, by the way...)

I mean...
Who will build the nets, the enemy?
And how many per soldier?
Does every soldier need his own net?
Will one net suffice for a chalk or two?
Will they jump all at once or with delays so they won't pile up in the net(s)?
Have you thought about this for more than 2 seconds?
What about the heavy equipment a soldier carries?
What about support equipment for hundreds of soldiers?
Throw them into the net too, or make them glide in from 75km out?
Have you thought about this at all?
I don't even!?

How intensive and expensive must the training be for these soldiers?
Military equipment and procedures are meant to be "idiot safe" whenever possible - for obvious reasons. You can drop any imbecile with a gun out of a plane by use of static line, not much he can screw up and still enough injuries happen.
Now yeah, let's train everyone to become some super military free fall expert who's gonna free fall into nets that... someone hopefully will build up(wat!?) because...uhm...it's totally useful and so much better than any other method in use? On top of all that, since when does the military (besides SOF operations) still perform *real* combat jumps, especially on a regimental level or something?
Meaning, your "ground fire" example is pretty much irrelevant anyways, since you can simply bring in paratroopers the actually safe and efficient way, by landing them, or dropping them via static line.

Anyways:

 

Frankly, this is crazy on every level.

[Oberon]

Out of idle curiosity, what's the RCS of the average parachute?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Out of idle curiosity, what's the RCS of the average parachute?

Out of general ignorance, what's an RCS?

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Out of general ignorance, what's an RCS?

Out of an effort to explain myself, in the context I meant it, RCS means Radar Cross Section.

[Sailor Steve]

Thank you, and I don't know (the answer to your original question).

Me neither, but I know military as well as civilian radars can indeed pick parachutes up.