European representation Five system families. What matters is the platform being carried and the environment the system has to deploy into.
Recovery and flight safety systems for unmanned and crewed aircraft, sized around the deployment altitude and impact energy of the specific platform.
Precision aerial delivery, cargo parachutes and deceleration systems for guided and non-guided loads across the full payload range.
Guided, controllable textile systems for delivery and recovery when the release point sits a long way from the target point.
Ballistic protection and capture nets, evaluated against the defined risk and the asset or area they protect.
Specialized engineering for inflatables, landing pads and release architectures when a standard product does not cover the requirement.
The range extends from lightweight tactical gear to heavy-duty military recovery systems. The range includes ground landing crash pads, human-rated certification, release mechanisms, UAV airbags and gliding parachutes. Platforms include helicopter UAVs, non-guided cargo delivery, H.A.L.O. platforms and fixed-wing UAVs. Operating environments include chemical fumes and amphibious recovery. For supersonic speeds: high-velocity deceleration, for low air density at altitude: H.A.H.O. and H.A.L.O.
Source: apcodefense.com (APCO Aviation), as of 25 September 2026.
Deceleration and braking parachutes Deceleration parachutes slow a payload from high-speed descent to a stable, controlled sink rate until it reaches the ground. 
Gliding parachutes Gliding parachutes generate drag and lift at once: they sink more slowly and travel horizontally instead of simply descending. Ram-air parachutes Ram-air parachutes carry a full aerodynamic profile with upper and lower surfaces and fly as a wing — with glide performance and control. 
Drone airbags for UAV recovery Airbags absorb impact energy and are most commonly used on unmanned platforms that land under a parachute without traditional landing gear. Cargo parachutes Cargo parachutes deliver equipment, supplies and sensitive payloads to the ground safely and accurately. 
Release mechanisms Release mechanisms disconnect the parachute from the payload immediately after touchdown so wind cannot drag the platform across the ground. 
Inflatables and drone landing pads Inflatable structures take their shape from internal pressure and internal support ribs — engineered properly, that yields light, compact parts. 
UAV crash pads for ground landing Crash pads (impact attenuators) are energy-absorbing systems that protect valuable payloads by dissipating impact forces during ground landing. 
Ultralight parachutes, low packed volume Weight and packed volume are finite on every platform. This family finds the reserves in material, geometry and hardware. Drone nets and ballistic net solutions Net systems answer two different requirements: recovering or capturing a flying asset — or shielding a protected asset against a defined impact. 
ISR tactical ram-air parachute system A fully specified tactical ram-air canopy: elliptical 19-cell planform, glide ratio 1:4.5, ultra-light fabric at 24 g/m². 
Human-rated certification Where an application or customer requires human-rated certification not currently defined by the authorities, we can offer certification aligned with EN standards. VTOL parachute recovery systems VTOL platforms demand extremely fast deployment and rapid stabilisation — at both ends of the flight envelope. 
Parachutes for fixed-wing drones and UAVs Fixed-wing platforms deploy in flight with no hover phase — on some unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) the parachute replaces the landing gear. 
Helicopter drone and UAV recovery An unmanned helicopter is a VTOL special case: the rotor is literally in the way of deployment. 
JPADS In a Joint Precision Aerial Delivery System the canopy sets the stand-off range: the better the glide, the further the aircraft can stay away. 
H.A.L.O. high altitude low opening High Altitude Low Opening means falling fast for a long time and opening late — which requires a two- or three-stage deployment sequence. 
HAHO jump: high altitude high opening High Altitude High Opening means the parachute deploys immediately after the payload exits the aircraft — and then glides a long way to the target. 
High-velocity drogue parachute Decelerating a very fast-moving object requires carefully engineered multi-stage solutions that withstand extreme aerodynamic forces. 
Aerial delivery: non-guided cargo drops Non-guided cargo parachutes are typically designed for one-time use — which makes cost-effectiveness a design goal, not a side effect. 
Powered paraglider · foot launch The paramotor combines ultra-lightweight design with operational flexibility and needs almost no logistics — no runway, no prepared surface. 
Paratrike and powered paragliding For paratrikes the engineering covers both: the main canopy of the trike and the emergency parachute system for crew, payload and equipment. 
UAV recovery in rough terrain For UAVs and payloads landing on rocky, forested, sloped or uneven terrain, the recovery system must manage more than vertical descent speed. 
Water landing and amphibious recovery When it is unclear where the platform will come down, it has to be ready for both: landing on land and on water. 
Underwater recovery in high-density fluids Parachutes, drogues and flexible drag devices can also operate in fluids other than air — where the surrounding medium creates greater resistance. 
Chemically resistant UAV recovery systems A recovery system may remain exposed to fuel vapours, oils, hydraulic fluids and maintenance chemicals long before it ever deploys. 
Nomex and fire resistant fabrics For platforms exposed to flame, hot gases, engine exhaust, pyrotechnics or radiant heat, the entire recovery system is engineered thermally. Fixed-wing UAVs and VTOL aircraft are recovered by parachute, complemented by airbags on platforms without landing gear; cargo loads by deceleration and cargo parachutes; precise delivery by steerable ram-air systems. What decides it is payload, deployment envelope, impact energy and the environment at the landing point. Every system is engineered to match the platform's mission profile.
We cover payloads from 3 kg to 1,000 kg and above, from small drones up to UAV and cargo payloads. Suitability is decided by the combination of payload, deployment speed, permissible sink rate and the space available in the parachute compartment. Those figures belong in the first technical conversation.
Non-guided systems bring the load down under control, and the release point largely determines where it lands. Steerable ram-air systems fly a distance instead and can actively track a target point. With a glide ratio of up to 1:10 they can be deployed at significant distances from the landing zone, and their flare capability allows smooth landings.
Five quantities: platform and payload, deployment envelope including speed and altitude, permissible impact energy at the ground, available installation space, and the operating environment. Rough terrain, water, low air density or heat lead to different systems at otherwise identical payload. The environment therefore comes first, not last.
The range covers everything from precision steerable ram-air parachutes to square, cruciform and round canopies, complemented by inflatable airbags for sensitive or high-value UAVs. Every system is engineered to match the platform mission profile, to reduce landing loads and damage to the payload.
Yes. The design depends on the application: whether a system is needed for high-speed missile recovery, low-altitude VTOL air taxi safety or large-scale military cargo drops, it is built to the exact requirements. The design takes account of the payload, deployment conditions and available installation space.
Yes. Ballistic deployment systems are designed for ultra-fast, low-altitude emergencies and to meet the highest safety standards for human-rated certification. For passenger-carrying VTOLs, EASA SC-VTOL-01 and the FAA powered-lift regulations emphasise controlled emergency landing: steerable or guided systems are favoured there, and non-steerable ballistic systems may be considered inadequate for certification in these applications.
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