Described are a parafoil for operation at high altitudes, in low density air, or at low airspeeds, and methods for opening same. The parafoil comprises flexible members connected to the parafoil canopy. When the parafoil canopy is in a stowed configuration, the members are deformed, storing elastic energy. When the canopy is released from its stowed configuration, the members spring back to their undeformed shapes, thereby opening or assisting with opening the canopy. The flexible members may also be attached to a base structure, which is attached to the payload. The members may comprise rods or hollow tubes that can be flexed using a fulcrum near the base structure, or a spacer plate, so that the ends connected to the canopy are restrained by a parachute bag containing the stowed or packed canopy. The parachute bag can be opened prior to or during detachment of the parafoil from the flight vehicle.

Disclosed herein are parachute canopies and sliders for use with parachutes. The parachute canopies can include one or more deformable vent panels that can be used to control an inflation rate of the canopies based on an internal pressure within the canopies. The sliders can include strips that form through holes that have a width that distributes a radial load on suspension lines and allow for the use of lower weight, high modulus suspension lines.

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising an inflatable wing having a top portion connected to a bottom portion to create a seal, an inflation valve, and internal to the seal created by the top portion and the bottom portion a set of internal cells, and a vehicle portion connected to the inflatable wing.

In a first embodiment, a parachute comprising a top portion of a ram-air parachute and a bottom portion of a ram-air parachute, wherein the bottom portion extends less than the length of the top portion. In a second embodiment, a parachute comprising a composite fabric. In a third embodiment, an air deployable gliding surface parachute comprising a top surface; where the top surface forms an airfoil, ribs; where the ribs run from the front of the top surface to the back of the top surface and are substantially parallel to each other rib and flares, where the flares are substantially parallel to each other flare; wherein the air deployable gliding surface parachute does not have a bottom portion.