This changes the entire angle of attack of the canopy, greatly increasing deflection of air as long as any airspeed remains. We'll look more closely at this use of deflection when we discuss angle of attack, and in the chapters on practical flying techniques. Drag The other main force acting on a canopy is drag. Drag also has two manifestations, which I will call form drag and parasite drag. Put simply, form drag is the result of friction between the air flow and the wing.
Parasite drag is the result of disruptions of the air flow from irregularities in the wing.
The cell openings create turbulence. Seams, packing tabs, lines and line attachment points, the pilot chute, the slider, and even you, the pilot, contribute drag but no lift. Parachutes have never been very effective wings in comparison with airplanes because their very structure creates a great amount of parasite drag. Lift and drag, then, are both results of airflow over a wing. Because it is the flow of air over the wing that creates these flight forces, more flow means more force.