Parachutes which have a generally circular skirt or hem, such as semi-hemispherical, extended gore, or any variant of axisymmetric parachutes and cruciform parachutes with arms attached are disclosed with a plurality of vertical slits located in a circumferential band adjacent the skirt or hem of the parachute to prevent canopy inversion. During deployment, when the outer portion of the canopy is exposed to air flow, the slits open up and the drag of the skirt of the canopy is reduced, thus limiting the potential for hem migration. The slits are positioned to allow airflow therethrough in order for the pressure on the outside of the canopy to be transferred through the slit openings and released or transferred to inside of the lower section of the canopy. Instead of slits, elongated narrow openings can be utilized.

A one-time flare mechanism system for use with an aerial payload system is described which uses minimal actuation force to produce a reliable flare with minimal shock to the payload, parafoil and rigging.

An aircraft includes an airframe parachute system. The parachute system includes an activation system, an extraction system, a harness system, and a parachute assembly.

A multi-staged suspension line length parachute is provided. The parachute may comprise a canopy, a suspension line, a bundle, a bundling confluence, a traditional confluence, and a riser. The parachute may also comprise a cutter and a cutter pin puller configured to activate the cutter. The bundle may comprise a bundling line configured to secure secondary length from the suspension line. The parachute may deploy to a first length. In response to tension on the cutter pin puller, the cutter may activate to sever the bundling line in the bundle, causing the secondary length of the suspension line to release. The parachute may then deploy to a second length.

A high-rise building escape apparatus enables user to quickly exit a high-rise building in the event of an emergency. It mainly includes a damper which withstands impact of termination of descent and decreases terminal velocity due to its mushroomlike shape, a compartment, side and bottom nets, a parachute, an air source system, hoses, rotatable and fix frames, and a safety belt. The apparatus is operated following the procedure below. A user sets up the fix frame and rotatable frame attaching the dropping parts on the sill of a window or on the top of a balcony, makes the rotatable frame swing to the outside, opens the dropping part pack, fills the high pressure air to the airbags simultaneously through a number of internal hoses and an external hose, and disconnects the hoses. The user then moves from the inside of the building to the compartment in the middle of the damper through the rotatable frame with hands grabbing it, reaches the bottom portion of the compartment, fastens the safety belt, and releases the dropping parts. As a result, the user will move down with the damper, the parachute will be extended, released, and deployed, and the rotatable frame will rotate back. As soon as the user reaches the ground, the user will unbuckle the safety belt, get out of the damper, and release the high pressure air.

A powered air vehicle is disclosed. The air vehicle includes a parachute/parafoil or similar lifting body, with a frame structure suspended vertically below the parachute and comprising of all propulsion and flight control systems generally at the upper end of the frame structure. In one embodiment, a propulsion source is mounted on top of the frame structure, which also house the battery module, main parafoil/parachute system, flight control systems, and structure for carrying an individual user below the propulsion source. Control arms control pitch of the propulsion source to control altitude, and are also used to control direction.

An aircraft includes an airframe parachute system. The parachute system includes an activation system, an extraction system, a harness system, and a parachute assembly.

A system and method is provided for shortening specific suspension lines near the center of a ram air parachute in order to distort the airfoil section only in the center section of the canopy. This distortion of the center section results in a significant alteration of the glide ratio of the parachute by simultaneously reducing the forward speed and increasing the rate of descent. Meanwhile, because the canopy is only distorted in the center section, the wingtips remain extended and pressurized so that the steering apparatus at the trailing edge of the canopy remains fully functional to direct the heading.

An aircraft includes an airframe parachute system. The parachute system includes an activation system, an extraction system, a harness system, and a parachute assembly.

An aircraft includes an airframe parachute system. The parachute system includes an activation system, an extraction system, a harness system, and a parachute assembly.