When an object is dropped, the force of gravity will cause it to speed up as it falls.

But friction with the air, called drag, will tend to cause it to slow down. How much drag there is depends mostly on two factors:-

Speed: The faster an object moves through air the more drag there is.

Shape: A compact object with smooth surfaces experiences less drag than an object of the same mass that is spread out and rough.

As a falling object speeds up, drag increases until it is equal to gravity.

At that point, the object continues to fall at a constant speed, called terminal velocity.

With an open parachute, the shape of the falling mass is changed and spread out so that drag is much greater.

The balance between gravity and drag occurs at a lower speed, a lower terminal velocity.

That was until along came the Icarus EXTreme VX 46, this thing re-writes the laws of physics it claims to be the smallest canopy in production.

A parachute that when deployed speeds you up.

Having acquired one of these, I have decided to trim it down slightly. My aim is to ride the smallest canopy ever.