An autonomous guided parachute system for cargo drops that divides the requirements
of guidance and soft landing into separate parachutes. Said invention includes
a high wing-loaded ram air parachute for guidance, a larger round parachute for
soft landing, a harness/container system, flight computer, position sensors and
actuation system. The system is dropped from an airplane. A predetermined period
of drogue fall ensures a stable position prior to deploying the guidance parachute.
The flight controller determines a heading to intersect with an area substantially
above the desired target and controls the guidance parachute via pneumatic actuators
connected to the parachutes steering lines to fly on that heading. At a minimum
altitude prior to the system's impact with the ground the flight computer transitions
the system from the fast high performance guidance parachute to a larger landing
parachute by releasing the guidance parachute to static line extract and deploy
the landing parachute. If the system reaches a position substantially above target
area prior to the parachute transition altitude the flight computer controls the
system into a spiral dive or other rapid altitude dropping maneuver until the transition
altitude is reached. Once transitioned to the landing parachute the system descends
for a brief period unguided under the landing parachute until touchdown.
