The Atair Insect is a

powered paraglider Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring or PPG, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a back-pack motor (a paramotor) which provides enough thrust to take off using a paraglider. It can be launched in still air, and on ...

in the mode of

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

(UAV) by Atair Aerospace Inc. The company showcased its LEAPP technology in 2006 at the

Association of the United States Army The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is a private, non-profit organization that serves as the professional association of the United States Army. Founded in 1950, it has 121 chapters worldwide. Membership is open to everyone, not ju ...

(AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Design

The Atair Insect uses a

parafoil A parafoil is a nonrigid (textile) airfoil with an aerodynamic cell structure which is inflated by the wind. Ram-air inflation forces the parafoil into a classic wing cross-section. Parafoils are most commonly constructed out of ripstop nylon. T ...

for its kited wing, an evolution of

Domina Jalbert Domina Cleophas Jalbert (1904–1991) invented the ram-air inflated flexible wing, often called the "Jalbert parafoil". Personal life Domina Jalbert was born in Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec, Canada; his father was Onesime Jalbert (1856–1938) ...

's invention. LEAPP is a trademark for "Long Endurance Autonomous Powered Paraglider".Long Endurance Autonomous Powered Paraglider
defence-update.com The Atair Insect is a Type II LEAPP UAV within Atair Aerospace's designation scheme. LEAPP (Type I) and LEAPP (Type III) are associated powered paraglider products. When the engine is off, the system is a paraglider. The Atair Insect may be sized to fit applications. Altair Aerospace's other powered paraglider UAVs are the

Atair Micro LEAPP Altair is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Aquilae, which is Latinised from α Aquilae and abbreviated Alpha Aql or ...

and Atair LEAPP.

References

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External links

Powered Paraglider UAVs, Family of LEAPP(TM) UAVs
Paragliders Hang gliding