An All-Terrain, All-Season Aircraft

The Para-Ski revolutionizes the traditional powered parachute design.
By Howard Levy

To say that the Para-Ski is unique is an understatement.
While most powered parachutes are equipped with three-wheel landing-gear configurations, the Para-Ski uses four wheels. It can also be fitted with snow skis, wheel-skis (used to cross pavement) or retractable aluminum floats. Its parachute can even be replaced by a trike wing. If there ever was an all-terrain aircraft, this is it.

Development

Canadian aeronautical and structural engineer Jacques Fleury began the development and construction of the Para-Ski in the mid-1980s as a hobby, but the project soon transformed into more than that. Prior to his exploits with powered parachutes, Fleury had flown more than 10,000 hours as a GA pilot, built seven aircraft, owned 24 airplanes, and worked as a skydiving instructor with more than 4000 jumps to his credit.

Realizing that he might get somewhere with the design, he formed Propulsion PDM, Inc. in Victoriaville, Quebec, and began to produce the parachute, marketing it as the Harfang des Neiges (Snowy Owl).

In 1996, Fleury crossed paths with Joe Albanese and established Para-Ski International in Mascouche, Quebec, a year later, with Albanese handling the company's marketing aspects. The Snowy Owl name brand was changed to Propulsion, and the new company now handles the manufacture of two distinct designs - the Para-Ski Top Gun and the Propulsion Fox. The designs are similar, but the Para-Ski is more powerful and has more options to choose from. Para-Ski used to market the Discovery as well, but the design has been discontinued.

The Para-Ski is a Part 103, two place ultralight, with an exemption for use as a trainer. The company reports that more than 150 are flying now. Sales have been primarily in Canada and the United States, but there are also a few in Mexico, Costa Rica and Israel.

Two of the company's parachutes made it to the 8th Experimental Balloon Meet held at Post Mills, Vermont, on May 18-20, 2001: Harold "Mule" Ferguson's Discovery model, and Serial No. 4 of the 2001 Top Gun model, which Albanese brought to the show. Ferguson, a 69-year-old from North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, uses his Para-Ski as an aerial platform for his photography business. He's also a parachutist, like Fleury, with 1343 jumps to his name, and he is a 450-hour balloonist.

The Design

The Para-Ski airframe is a welded one-piece square and round tube 6061-T6 aluminum structure that is assembled in a jig at the factory. It has a semi-enclosed cockpit that seats two in tandem with a 27.5-inch width across the front seat. The Top Gun is the more advanced of the models. It's 5 inches wider, its side cockpit panels are lowered for ease of entry and exit, and its seats are wider.

The pilot has a motorcycle-type handlebar for ground steering and rudder control, and foot pedals are attached to the 'chute lines for airborne steering and controlled turns. Depressing both pedals results in a flare, which should only be done about 6 feet above the ground before touchdown.

The Top Gun model comes with one unique option that's never been offered on a powered parachute before - an in-flight-adjustable angle of attack control designed to help the pilot change speed in the air. To increase speed the pilot uses a lever in the cockpit to tilt the canopy forward while increasing the rpm to maintain straight and level flight. To slow the parachute, the opposite is done.

D-rings are provided for hand control, so the pilot has the option to operate with either foot or hand controls. The right-side handlebar is fitted with a lockable thumb-activated throttle lever used primarily for climb and descent control. The locking-in position allows hands-free flying.

The parachute uses a split twisted rudder that enables quicker turns and is useful in handling torque and crosswind landings. According to the company, the Para-Ski is the only powered parachute that can be made to slip.

Besides switches, the instrument panel installation is basically just the engine information system, which combines the tachometer, hour meter, dual cylinder head and exhaust gas temperature gauges, coolant temperature indicator, altimeter, vertical speed indicator, voltmeter, flight timer, alarm and warning light, and an optional fuel gauge. A 'chute storage compartment is located under the passenger seat. The design also has optional dual halogen landing lights and side mirrors. A 10-gallon aluminium fuel tank is positioned under the engine behind the firewall.

The landing gear is installed on 2inch square tubing. It consists of Azusa wheels with 13x5.00 Carlisle tires up front and 16x6.50 Tundra tires in the rear. Suspension is independent, and the aircraft uses a heavy-duty rubber torsional spring plus air-oil shock absorbers in the rear.

The Para-Ski’s high-performance parachute is made in-house from double-UV-coated non-porous rip-stop nylon fabric. It consists of 11 individual cells. It weighs 18.75 pounds, and it’s load rated at 850 pounds. A 500-square-foot ‘chute is standard, with a 600-square-foot one optional. The Para-Ski uses a six-point ‘chute attachment to the airframe.

The aircraft’s 110-hp Hirth F-30 two-stroke, four-cylinder, fan-cooled engine has a G-40 gearbox, electric start and clutch as standard. Its 68-inch, six blade Ivoprop has a quick-adjustment mechanism. The propeller is housed in a 6-foot tubular-steel ring arrangement that doubles as a rollover bar. The roll bar served well when Ferguson’s Discovery caught a crosswing gust while landing at the balloon meet. He climbed out, righted the craft, and set up for another hop.

The Top Gun model’s empty weight is 400 pounds. With only the pilot, it takes off in approximately 150 feet at 25 mph. Climb rate is about 1000 fpm, and cruise speed is close to 35 mph with an 8-gph fuel consumption. Range and landing speed numbers vary according to wind conditions.

Firsts

Between 1985 and 2000, the Para-Ski models have achieved numerous design firsts for the powered parachute class. The Para-Ski was the first to incorporate a single engine and single-prop concept with skis on a three-wheel design (Fleury's initial powered parachute); the first and only with a rear rudder; the first to use floats; the first with an enclosed cockpit; the first that could convert to a delta wing; the first and only with an inflight-adjustment angle-of-attack control for the ,chute; the first and only with a six-point ‘chute attachment system; and the first and only flying-hovercraft design for use in all terrain and in any season.

In 1999 ' the Para-Ski received the Ultralight Innovation Award at Sun 'n Fun. At AirVenture 2000 it was deemed Best Flex Wing, and at Sun 'n Fun 2001, the design was named the Best Type Para-Wing. At Sun 'n Fun 2002, the company unveiled the Voyager II, a twin engine version powered by Rotax 447 engines, and again took home the Ultralight Innovation Award.

Want one? A basic kit of the Propulsion Fox sells for $11,695 with a 65-hp Rotax 503B and a three-blade Ivoprop, or $13,350 for the fly-away version. A basic flyaway Top Gun ranges from $23,650 to $26,450, depending on which engine you choose (they range from 80-110 hp). A kit is $4,300 less. For the twin-engine Voyager II, a kit sells for $21,000, and a fly-away version costs $24,000