Parafoil facts for kids
A parafoil is a special kind of soft, fabric wing. It gets its shape when wind blows into its open cells, making it act like a stiff airplane wing. Most parafoils are made from strong, lightweight fabric called ripstop nylon.
This amazing invention was created in 1964 by Domina Jalbert. He was a genius at designing kites. Domina Jalbert thought parafoils could carry scientific tools or help bring space equipment back to Earth.
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How Parafoils Became Safe
When parafoils were first invented, they opened too fast. This sudden opening was a big problem for parachutes. It took some time to fix this issue.
The solution was a simple device called a slider. This is a piece of fabric that slides down the parachute lines. It slows down how fast the parafoil opens. With the slider, parafoils became safe and useful for parachuting.
Why Parafoils are Awesome
Compared to old-fashioned round parachutes, parafoils are much better.
- They can be steered easily.
- They can glide a long distance.
- You have more control over how fast you go down.
Because of these features, parafoils are like a type of glider. This led to new sports like paragliding, where people fly through the air using these wings.
Parafoils in Action Today
Parafoils are used in many exciting windsports.
- Kite flying
- Powered parachutes
- Paragliding
- Kitesurfing
- Speed flying
- Wingsuit flying
- Skydiving
The world's largest kite is actually a giant parafoil!
Today, parafoils are even used in space missions. SpaceX uses steerable parafoils to recover parts of their Falcon 9 rockets. These parts, called fairings, float down gently onto special ships in the ocean.
Images for kids
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Illustrations from Domina Jalbert's 1966 patent, showing the inner structure of a parafoil.
