Parachutes and Aerodynamics

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Ms. June Parachutes and Aerodynamics 8H Bell 2 12/3/14 Parachutes and Aerodynamics How have parachutes been used overtime and why are they important? The use of the parachute has varied for different needs and they are important because some of the uses were in historical events like World War II. To learn about parachutes fully, people have to understand the philosophy of aerodynamics, the history, the varying materials, types, and the vital characteristics. One person who most people think of as a famous artist during the Renaissance actually came up with the idea of a parachute, but had no impact on the development or creation of it. How can that happen if the person came up with the idea? This is not 100% confirmed, but there is a theory that the parachute originated from Leonardo Da Vinci (Weaver). As stated before, Leonardo had no impact what so ever on the parachute. Why? “Leonardo Da Vinci’s sketches of the parachute were found long after his death” (Levinson). This quote explains the answer of the question stated earlier in this paragraph. The answer is that even though Da Vinci was the first to come up with the idea, there was not enough time before the inevitable death to share this idea to the whole world. The use of the parachute has changed greatly over time. One way the use of the parachute was changed through history was when paratroopers were used in battle during World War II (Levinson). Going back to the year 1783, the French man Louis-Sebastian Lenormand used the parachute for the first time by jumping out of a tree. Then in 1922, a person by the name Tiny Broadwick used a parachute for a free-fall jump for the first time. Today, parachutes are commonly used for free-fall jumps. Gallop 2 Gallop 2 Throughout history, not only has the structure of the parachute has changed, but the uses have, too. When there are people who cannot be
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