Domina Jalbert
Encyclopedia
Domina Jalbert invented the ram-air inflated flexible wing often called the "Jalbert parafoil
".
, after arriving from Quebec
, Canada, he established his business Aerology.
Jalbert received a US pilots' license in 1927. In the 1930s he was active in kiting - using large kites for advertising purposes. He was hired to help protect the coastline of the western United States during war with the design and making of barrage balloon
s; he worked for the United States Rubber Company in Naugatuk, Connecticut, USA.
He filed a patent in 1944 patent for a combination of a balloon with a stiffened flexible wing forming what is now known as a "kytoon
".
The 1944 patent by Domina Jalbert presaged the flexible-winged hang gliders that latterly flowed from Francis Rogallo
's NASA
leadership; the mechanical stiffened flexible wing was already evident in Jalbert's earlier kite balloon patent filed on April 15 1944.
In 1957, Jalbert invented the ram-air airfoil and began testing and formalizing the design.
In January 1963 he formally confirmed his discovery and invention of the ram-air double-surfaced fully flexible airfoil that would severely change kiting, parachuting, skydiving, hang gliding, paragliding, sport flying, power kiting, and more. All parafoils and today owe their roots to Domina Jalbert's invention.
In 1964, he filed a patent titled "Multi-cell Wing Type Aerial Device" This would become key to paragliding
, sky diving, powered paragliding
, landboarding, kite surfing and cargo-ship kite tugging.
<-- this section is about parafoils and parachutes and not about Jalbert
When the parafoil is used as a gliding parachute, thus opening after the payload or human has been in free-fall, the opening of the parafoil can be very fast; the fast opening and the consequential related shock has to be damped; devices invented by others are used to slow down the opening of the parafoil. One such invention is the slider
. When the parafoil is used in hang gliding as a paraglider, the parafoil is kited open before the human leaves the ground; in such cases a slider is not necessary. -->
which had sectioned cells in an aerofoil
shape; an open leading edge and a closed trailing edge, inflated by passage through the air – the ram-air design.
Parafoil
A parafoil is a nonrigid 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....
".
Life
Settling into Boca Raton, FloridaBoca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
, after arriving from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada, he established his business Aerology.
Jalbert received a US pilots' license in 1927. In the 1930s he was active in kiting - using large kites for advertising purposes. He was hired to help protect the coastline of the western United States during war with the design and making of barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
s; he worked for the United States Rubber Company in Naugatuk, Connecticut, USA.
He filed a patent in 1944 patent for a combination of a balloon with a stiffened flexible wing forming what is now known as a "kytoon
Kytoon
A kytoon is a kite with a significant amount of aerostatic lift from a lighter than air gas carried within.The primary advantage of a kytoon is that it remains up and at a reasonably stable position above the tether point, irrespective of the wind.The kytoon has been used in peace and war...
".
Francis Rogallo
Francis Melvin Rogallo was an American aeronautical engineer inventor born in Sanger, California, U.S.A.; he is credited with the invention of the Rogallo wing, or "flexible wing", a precursor to the modern hang glider and paraglider...
's NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
leadership; the mechanical stiffened flexible wing was already evident in Jalbert's earlier kite balloon patent filed on April 15 1944.
In 1957, Jalbert invented the ram-air airfoil and began testing and formalizing the design.
In January 1963 he formally confirmed his discovery and invention of the ram-air double-surfaced fully flexible airfoil that would severely change kiting, parachuting, skydiving, hang gliding, paragliding, sport flying, power kiting, and more. All parafoils and today owe their roots to Domina Jalbert's invention.
In 1964, he filed a patent titled "Multi-cell Wing Type Aerial Device" This would become key to paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
, sky diving, powered paragliding
Powered paragliding
Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a motor on his or her back which provides enough thrust to take off using an adapted paraglider or paramotor wing...
, landboarding, kite surfing and cargo-ship kite tugging.
Ram-air airfoil of fully flexible materials
Domina Jalbert was first to teach of the robust airfoil formed by the ram-air principle. Every contemporary ram-air airfoil sport and utility wing began with Domina Jalbert's invention.<-- this section is about parafoils and parachutes and not about Jalbert
When the parafoil is used as a gliding parachute, thus opening after the payload or human has been in free-fall, the opening of the parafoil can be very fast; the fast opening and the consequential related shock has to be damped; devices invented by others are used to slow down the opening of the parafoil. One such invention is the slider
Slider (parachuting)
A slider is a small rectangular piece of fabric with a grommet near each corner used to control the deployment of a "ram-air" parachute. A ram-air parachute has a tendency to open very rapidly. At high velocities, the opening shock from such a rapid deployment can cause damage to the canopy or...
. When the parafoil is used in hang gliding as a paraglider, the parafoil is kited open before the human leaves the ground; in such cases a slider is not necessary. -->
Patents filed
Domina Jalbert invented his filed-for January 10, 1963 US Patent 3131894 the ParafoilParafoil
A parafoil is a nonrigid 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....
which had sectioned cells in an aerofoil
Airfoil
An airfoil or aerofoil is the shape of a wing or blade or sail as seen in cross-section....
shape; an open leading edge and a closed trailing edge, inflated by passage through the air – the ram-air design.
- Kite Balloon. Filing date: April 15, 1944
- Kite Balloon. Filing date: August 31, 1945
- 2398744 Kite Balloon
- Multi-Cell Glide Canopy Parachute D. C. Jalbert
- Multi-Cell Wing Type Aerial Device Filing date: October 1, 1964
- Multi-Cell Wing Type Aerial Device US Pat. 3285546 - Filed October 1, 1964
- Aerial sled Domina C. Jalbert