Improvement in aerodynamic characteristics of a paraglider wing canopy

Abstract

To determine the parameters which can improve the overall performance of a paraglider wing canopy, we have been investigating the fundamental aerodynamic characteristics of an inflatable cell model which is designed to represent the dynamic behaviors of each cell comprising the wing canopy. This paper describes the results of a series of wind tunnel experiments. It is shown that significant drag reduction can be achieved by adopting an appropriately designed shape for the soft cloth comprising the upper surface. A trade-off relationship between the aerodynamic quality (characterized by the lift-to-drag ratio) and structural strength (characterized by the internal air pressure coefficient) of the canopy is also examined in detail. © 2006 The Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences.