Parks College Parachute Research Group
PIFCALC, the Parachute Inflation Force Calculator Program
written by Dr. Jean Potvin and Gary Peek
The PCPRG has developed a new software diagnostic tool aimed at providing a
user-friendly computer program for the computation of the maximum
parachute drag force generated during inflation. Known as PIFCALC, or
Parachute Inflation Force Calculator, this Windows-based platform uses a
Graphical User Interface (GUI) to facilitate data entry. PIFCALC is much
easier to use than OSCALC, the other GUI-based
opening shock calculator produced by this Group, but applies to fewer
parachute applications - namely that of manned parachutes opening along
a purely vertical trajectory.
The two links below point to files that can be downloaded:
Related AIAA documents:
- AIAA-2007-2551, Testing Without Load Cells - Can Opening Shock Be Estimated From Video Data Only?
- AIAA-2007-2551 Talk, the presentation given by Dr. Jean Potvin at the May 2007 AIAA conference
The following graphic file is a screen shot of the program.
