Paratrike and powered paragliding

Two design philosophies

The paratrike solutions serve both manned and unmanned platforms, leveraging decades of sports aviation expertise from APCO Aviation.

The American style is steered with the legs, is typically heavier and carries larger, more powerful engines (commonly ROTAX 912 and above); these trikes often feature a wide parachute connection geometry that improves roll and yaw stability. The European style is steered with the hands and generally carries higher-performance wings that require smaller, lighter engines.

Unmanned changes the priorities

For unmanned applications, steering control type matters less than payload capacity and performance requirements. Reflex profile technology delivers a much higher level of stability and safety in the air, plus an increased speed range that a conventional parafoil or powered parachute cannot reach. High-performance reflex wings are more efficient and faster but more demanding to launch and control; simpler canopies are easier to operate with more modest performance.

Attachment points follow the platform

Paratrike systems can be engineered with wide or narrow attachment point configurations to match the geometry of the specific UAV.

A notable example is the SnowGoose – Unmanned Logistics Aerial Vehicle (ULAV), a field-proven paratrike-based platform for cargo and resupply missions in remote or hostile areas. It operates autonomously or semi-autonomously and can launch by rolling take-off from a moving vehicle or track system — with no prepared runway. This supports logistics operations from almost any location, including rugged and improvised sites.