Neil, as relayed by many this parachute thing is best left to the suppliers. I have some of the same references that you mention and would not even think about recommending chutes to anyone
even especially myself!
Here are some notes from a seminar that Stroud did for ECTA:
Stroud makes drag chutes for a living and LSR chutes as a hobby.
Call & talk to Bob Stroud or Joe Timney before you order any whoa laundry! [Whoa IS more important than GO!]
Chute has two functions:
#1 Stabilize
#2 Slow: 2g load or less for cars, 1g load or less for bikes.
Drag chutes are short, LSR are long and smaller the faster you go!
Pilot chute pulls bag out, makes lines taut and then deploys main chute.
Chute must go into clean air! Should be out & up @ 45° for most cars! Some liners are straight up!?
[CFD can help determine this - ask Sparky!]
Spring deployment preferred over pneumatic! Monitor the spring health!
Do NOT use powder to pack chutes. Pack chute just prior to your runs.
Do NOT pack chute overnight or for extended periods. You WILL get bad deployment!
Springs do NOT like to be compressed near coil bind over long periods of time!
Always clean salt off with plain water! [Not necessarily in the shower like Joe! You'll have to ask Joe!]
Ideal attachment is center of mass for bikes. Suspend from a crane to find it!
Attachment for cars somewhere between cam & crank CL. [Technically at the CG!]
Pivot diameter should be 1"~1.25"
A parachute story: When they were developing the first Mars lander they did many tests after countless simulations and calculations [allowing for the difference in gravity and atmosphere]. Every test just augered into the ground! Finally, in desperation someone said they should talk to old Joe in the 'chute shop. What in Hades would he know about it was the expert response! Well, they finally relented and old Joe said do this, this and this! [Not necessarily in that order!
] Next drops went perfectly on Earth and Mars. Relayed to my by a JPL employee!
Never any substitute for real experience. If you want to have some real fun try to calculate the stopping distance!