CONCEPTUAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A PARAGLIDER AIRFOIL

Abstract

The paper presents the design of a paraglider airfoil with superior flight characteristics, which provides safety, comfort and is easy to maintain by the user. The aerodynamics of paraglider airfoil are complex because they involve unstable turbulent three-dimensional airflows over flexible and deformable limits. The main improvement of the paper is the increase of the lift/drag ratio obtained by modifying the aerodynamic profile in the area of the leading edge, according to the "shark nose" model, and adding a reinforced structure in the flight edge to maintain the ideal shape of the aerodynamic profile at different angles of attack. The paper presents aerodynamic calculations, on a lifting surface of the paraglider airfoil that respects the NACA 2412 profile, made with a MathCAD program through which the coordinates of the profile were obtained at any point. The Paratailor 9 software was used to generate the paraglider model. The structural evaluation of the recreational paraglider model that meets the wishes of the current buyers is also presented.