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Extreme High Altitude Parachuting Article
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History of Parachutes Includes Many Innovations and Developments
from: Maxx Sports GuidesBefore modern parachutes gave us the thrill of skydiving early inventors went through many experiments and failures. The history of parachutes has even involved some deaths.
Early designers had to design parachutes that actually worked to prevent parachute jumpers from plunging to their death. The modern parachute was invented by Louis-Sebastien Lenormand in 1783.
However, a few centuries earlier some simpler versions of parachutes were created. Before the silk parachute was invented, some basic designs were built that worked along the same principles as more modern versions.
Parachutes Past and Present
Arem Firman, an Arab Muslim in the 9th century, made the earliest version from a cloak attached to wooden struts. Firman jumped from a tower in Cordoba and suffered only minor injuries.
In China, parasols were used by entertainers to jump form high places and float gently to the ground.
Leonardo da Vinci also sketched parachutes with conical designs. His design served as an escape device for people to jump from burning buildings. In 1617 Faust Vrancic was the first person to jump successfully with a parachute.
Jean Pierre Blanchard developed his own parachute as a way to get off a hot air balloon. His first demonstrations were done with a dog as a passenger. He later unintentionally put his invention to the test when he escaped from his ruptured hot air balloon.
In the 1790s Blanchard made a parachute out of silk which was stronger and lighter than materials used previously. Some early parachutes were made of linen with a wooden frame.
In 1797 the vented parachute was developed by Andre Garnerin, who made a successful jump using Blanchard's design. The vented parachute improved stability during descent.
Gleb Kotelnikov invented the knapsack parachute, which was popularized by Katchlen Paulus and Paul Letterman.
Used by the Military
Parachutes were first used extensively in the military -- primarily by artillery spotters and pilots. Unfortunately the parachutes were too heavy and pilots were unable to use them much.
The German Air Service provided parachutes to their pilots. Unfortunately the Air Service experienced many setbacks and most of the pilots died when using the parachutes.
In 1919, Leslie Irvin invented a parachute that pilots used when jumping out of an airplane. The Irvin parachute became successful leading to the creation of the Caterpillar Club.
Several countries continued experiments on parachutes, which were used in surprise attacks by airborne forces during World War II. Solders, called paratroopers, were dropped behind enemy lines. The airborne forces and crew were trained and equipped with parachutes.
Over time, newer parachute designs were developed and improved. After the war parachutes were used in skydiving, an extreme sport. The latest parachute is called Ram-air which has the same capability as a paraglide chute.
The Ram-air is made of nylon and uses the latest technology to prevent tearing. It enables its passenger to control the speed and direction of the parachute for a soft landing.
Extreme High Altitude Parachuting News