Parachute assembly for a miniature aircraft

In an aircraft having a front end, a rear end, a longitudinal axis, a center of gravity and an upper surface, a parachute system comprising:

• a storable parachute mounted on the upper surface of the aircraft comprising:
• a canopy having a stored condition and an expanded condition;
• a plurality of suspension lines having first ends connected to the periphery of the canopy;
• an elastic member attached to the second ends of the suspension lines;
• first and second risers connected by their first ends to the upper surface of the aircraft between the front end and center of gravity on either side of the longitudinal axis and by their second ends to the elastic member;
• first means to releasably restrain the parachute in said stored condition on the upper surface of the aircraft;
• second means to cause said first means to release said canopy from said stored condition;
• and wherein
• the aircraft has a specific center of drag located between the center of gravity and the rear end said parachute attached to said aircraft at a point located between the front end and the center of gravity at a distance from the center of gravity, such that when said canopy is in said expanded condition, a moment about the center of gravity caused by the drag of the canopy is equal to a moment about the center of gravity caused by drag of the aircraft as the aircraft falls.

An aircraft having a front end, a rear end, a longitudinal axis, a center of gravity, an upper surface, and a parachute assembly, the parachute assembly comprising:

• a canopy having a stored condition and an expanded condition;
• a plurality of suspension lines having first ends connected to the periphery of the canopy;
• an elastic member attached to the second ends of the suspension lines;
• and
• first and second risers connected by their first ends to the upper surface of the aircraft and by their second ends to the elastic member;
• first means to releasably restrain the parachute in said stored condition on the upper surface of the aircraft;
• second means for causing said first means to release said canopy from said stored condition;
• and wherein
• said aircraft has a specific center of gravity and a specific center of drag located between the center of gravity and the rear end said parachute attached to said aircraft at a point located between the front end and the center of gravity at a distance from the center of gravity, such that when said canopy is in said expanded condition, a moment about the center of gravity caused by drag of the canopy is equal to a moment caused by drag of the aircraft as the aircraft falls.

In an aircraft, a parachute system comprising:

• a parachute canopy attached to the aircraft, the canopy being deployable from a stored condition, in which the canopy is deflated, to an expanded condition, in which the canopy is inflated;
• a retention line tautly extending over said canopy and fastened to the aircraft to hold the canopy in the stored condition and against an outer surface of the aircraft;
• and
• an electrically actuated squib for parting said retention line to deploy said canopy.

A method for providing controlled descent of an aircraft with a parachute, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a parachute canopy stored in a deflated condition adjacent a surface of the aircraft;
• (b) attaching a periphery of the canopy to at least one point on the aircraft forward of a center of gravity of the aircraft;
• (c) releasing the canopy from the stored position, the canopy inflating and slowing a descent of the aircraft due to drag on the canopy;
• (d) opposing a moment about the center of gravity caused by drag of the aircraft with a moment about the center of gravity caused by the drag of the canopy;
• causing the aircraft to descend with a generally horizontal attitude.