T5 parachute training assembly

The earlier T5 harness was fabricated from multiple layers of Type VIII cotton webbing which is I 3/4" wide, has two black center nylon threads and a rated tensile strength of 2900 pounds  Initially the harness was made from undyed, white webbing.  it was usually called T5 training harness.

The early T5 had V rings for reserve attachment.. These were replaced by 3000 lb test D rings in order to carry cargo.

The T5 pack tray is rigid being wire reinforced and made of heavy cotton duck fabric which may be dyed khaki. Mustard yellow, olive drab, olive green, dark brown or any combination there of. The belly band, corning around from the jumpers right side and connecting into a adapter on the left, was routed through web loops on the reserve back and served to hold the reserve pack in place if it was activated. The belly band also could help secure a weapon to the jumpers side. These were sometimes cut from the tray at the jumpers discretion in order to speed doffing the rig after a combat drop.

The static line is thirteen feet long plus/minus four inches. Like the T4 this started out as a fifteen foot length of webbing, but tests involving motion picture camera work showed conflict with the battery box handle on the tail cone of the C-47. So the static line was shortened a foot at a time until it could not connect with that protrusion. It also prevented the canopy from striking the horizontal stabilizer.

The pack tray cover to which the static line is permanently affixed provided a strong loop for connecting the apex of the canopy by break cord. This break cord could be any suitable item as long as its cumulative breaking strain was 100 pounds. That is the apex break tie could be one, two or three turns of something that took 100 pounds to fail such as one loop of No.100 silk tape or three turns of 16-5 linen cord. This apex tie was crucial to prompt deployment as it was intended to draw the canopy out before separating.