RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT / Enhanced Ram Air Stabilizer - ERAS

ERAS is an internal research and development project addressing wing tip vortex control on textile wings. Inflating the wing tip with pressurized air allows for stabilization of the wing tip vortex and eliminates energy consuming vibration of traditional single layer canopy stabilizers.

Traditional canopies have single layer stabilizers sawn onto or as an extension of the end or tip cell, acting basically as slider stops to help control canopy deployment. Once the canopy is deployed and in forward flight, regular stabilizers vibrate and bring additional drag and noise to the canopy flight.

ERAS ram air double layer pressurized stabilizer gives the wing tip a much more effective shape with better continuity, and increases the air perceived aspect ratio of the wing. The resulting additional L/D efficiency and the absence of vibration noise allow for higher loading canopy configurations and thus increases overall wing perfomance.