Deployment loads data from a free-flight investigation of all flexible parawings having 371.612 sq meters (4000 sq feet) of wing area

A free-flight test program to determine the deployment characteristics of all-flexible parawings was conducted. Both single-keel and twin-keel parawings having a wing area of 4000 square feet with a five-stage reefing system were tested by use of a bomb-type instrumented test vehicle. Several twin-keel-parawing tests were also made by using an instrumented controllable sled-type test vehicle. The systems were launched from either a C-130 or a C-119 carrier airplane, and a programer parachute was used to bring the test vehicle to a proper dynamic pressure and near-vertical flight path prior to deployment of the parawing system. The free-flight deployment loads data are presented in the form of time histories of individual suspension-line loads and total loads.