How much better is a gliding parachute than a round canopy?

At equal flat surface area a well-designed gliding parachute typically reduces sink rate by 20 to 25 per cent against round canopies and by 10 to 15 per cent against rectangular ones. The gain comes from generating drag and lift at the same time.

What are gliding parachutes particularly suited to?

Weight-sensitive platforms. They are built from a single layer of fabric with no internal volume and therefore hit the best balance of weight, packed volume and sink rate. Their glide ratio stays behind ram-air canopies, but they are lighter and pack smaller.

Product · precision landing

Gliding parachutes

Gliding parachutes generate drag and lift at once: they sink more slowly and travel horizontally instead of simply descending.

Technical drawing of a Rogallo-type gliding parachute

Construction

Gliding parachutes are a specialised type of deceleration parachute. By gliding through the air rather than simply descending, they reduce sink rate and extend horizontal travel, making them ideal for precision landing applications.

Gliding parachutes — also known as Rogallo-type parachutes — are built from a single layer of high-strength technical fabric with no internal volume. Their glide ratio (L/D) is limited compared to advanced ram-air canopies, but they hit the optimal balance between weight, packed volume and sink rate. That makes them particularly effective for weight-sensitive platforms such as UAV recovery systems, precision cargo drops and special forces deployment, where lightweight, low-bulk and low-volume textile solutions are mission critical.

APCO Guided Mayday SLT, a steerable Rogallo-type parachute, open against a cloudy sky — APCO Guided Mayday SLT steerable Rogallo-type parachute

What they deliver in the field

Two properties decide the touchdown point:

Trajectory control for landing accuracy: steerable designs navigate to the intended touchdown point even in difficult wind.
Flare capability for impact reduction: just before touchdown the trailing edge is deflected, momentarily converting forward airspeed into lift. This improves the lift coefficient of the airfoil, further reducing sink rate and ground impact forces.

Black-and-white photo of an open Rogallo parachute on the ground with two people beneath it

Comparative efficiency

At equal flat surface area — flat surface meaning the canopy area when laid flat on the ground — a well-designed gliding parachute typically reduces sink rate by 20–25 per cent against round canopies and by 10–15 per cent against rectangular ones.

Applications in defence and aerospace

Typical fields of use:

Cargo drops and recovery missions requiring precision landing.
UAV and drone recovery systems where lightweight and compact deployment is essential.
Steerable emergency parachutes for personnel or equipment.
Custom-made textile solutions for specialised deceleration and recovery needs.

Red and white striped steerable gliding parachute with lines, isolated on a white background

Manufacturing

The manufacturer designs and builds military-grade gliding parachutes to exacting ISO 9001 standards, using certified, combat-proven materials. Every system is fully traceable from raw material to final deployment, ensuring reliability in mission-critical defence operations.

Technical data per manufacturer documentation from APCO Aviation Ltd , as of 2026-07-30.