This summer, Earthly Dynamics attended AIAA’s 2024 Aviation Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the event, EDC research engineer, Jeff Ward, presented on his recently published paper covering the design and testing of a single-surface parafoil with bleed-air spoilers. Single-surface parafoils are traditionally controlled via trailing-edge deflection. This method, however, lacks direct glide slope control. The paper explores bleed-air spoilers on single-surface parafoils with a focus on turn rate and glide slope control capabilities. To learn more about this innovative solution, read the published paper below!
Control Authority of a Single-Surface Parafoil with Bleed-Air Spoilers