Also known as drag parachutes or braking parachutes, deceleration parachutes are used to slow down the speed of aircraft or other vehicles. Drag parachutes are effective for landings on wet or icy runways and for high speed emergency landing. Initially developed for use under such conditions, these parachutes proved so effective that they are now used for all landings, resulting in a substantial reduction in tire and brake wear.

Ribbon type aircraft deceleration parachutes were used successfully during World War II, but the present day ring slot deceleration canopy reduces the long landing rolls associated with high speed jet aircraft landings.

Most deceleration parachutes we manufacture are procured by the US Air Force and many NATO countries. They include the 16-foot F-4 parachute and the 15-foot F-5 parachute.

Component parts for all deceleration assemblies can be supplied separately. Contact us to request the parts number list.

For governments and militaries, we offer a full line of basic military parachutes. We can also customize a parachute to meet your individual needs.

Aircraft Braking Parachute Systems: Drag Chutes, Drogue Chutes, and More

Parachutes can safely drop personnel, cargo, and equipment; they can also help safely decrease the speed of moving objects. Similar in function to a deceleration parachute, the main role of the drogue chute is to stabilize the parachute before it opens. It lowers the parachute’s air speed (similar to a deceleration parachute lowering the aircraft’s speed) so the main parachute does not explode at high speeds.

The difference, however, is that a drogue parachute is only deployed for a few seconds before the main is pulled, while a deceleration parachute is deployed until the aircraft stops.

Drogue parachutes are also used alongside extraction parachutes. Used in low-altitude parachute-extraction systems (LAPES), drogues are released to trail behind the aircraft and pull the extraction parachutes, which releases the pallet with the load.