Parachute Competition: Find the Equation to Win!

[rfwebster]

hello all,
I recently saw a poster for a competition, the idea is that you get a teddy bear and attach a parachute to it, your bear gets thrown off a tower and the bear which is in the air the longest wins.

Obviously i thought that if i researched parachutes on the internet i could find some equation which would help me win. However i could not.

I am now wondering if there is an equation, or has anyone ever recsearched into the relationship of parachute size to weight to falling velecitys and can anyone help me win?

 

[Danger]

Welcome to PF, RF. I know nothing from math, but you can get more air-time by adding a horizontal component to the fall. That would dictate the use of something more like a parawing than a parachute. What do the rules specify as regards shape and size?

 

[K.J.Healey]

You should make one that has a mechanism by fabric design that makes it slightly dive, then pull up, then due to 0 air velocity, it dives again (like Super Mario World and the Cape!) and It'll add that horizontal component, not require anything but an amazing design, and probably stay in the air for a long time.
If there's any skydivers out there, imagine repeatedly dipping a little then flaring over and over.

 

[rfwebster]

there are no rules dictating size, just teddy bear shaped.

 

[mgb_phys]

Can you find a teddy bear shaped skydiver?

 

[Danger]

If there is also no rule against radio control, I'd consider building it as a parawing and installing a couple of servos on the puppet lines.