Parachutes

During the Ming Dynasty in China, there were acrobats who created a new stunt in their performance called parachuting. For the purpose of the stunt, the acrobats would stand on a very high stage, holding a specially created umbrella while jumping down in order to gain the audiences attention. This performance later spread to Europe. The Europeans later used a wing which was made of silk for the performance.

In 1730, hydrogen balloons were created to explore the sky.However, there were many cases of explosions that were caused by these balloons. This threatened the safety of the explorers who used these balloons. Thus, numerous research projects were conducted in order to solve the problem. This indirectly led to further research in parachutes.

Between the end of the 18th and early 19th century, several countries created and produced parachutes. Airplanes in the early days were said to be dangerous as many accidents occurred. Thus, people needed a life-saving tool which then led to the creation of life-saving parachutes.

Food for Thought :

It was the urgent need of having an emergency the saving tool for pilots and passengers that lead to the constant improvement of the parachute.

Short Stories on Discoveries, Inventions, Innovation & Creativity

AAET and UTAR, 2015

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