Parafoil

When someone wants to fly a kite, they usually use a shaped piece of fabric or plastic called a "sail" that catches the wind and lifts the kite into the air. But sometimes, people want a kite that is more maneuverable, that they can control and steer in different directions, almost like a little airplane. That's where a parafoil comes in!

A parafoil is sort of like a kite, but instead of a solid sail, it has lots of little pieces of fabric that are shaped kind of like umbrellas. These fabric pieces are called "cells" and they're all connected to each other by thin lines or strings. When the wind blows, it fills up all the little cells with air, creating a sort of giant parachute that can lift off the ground.

Parafoils can be really big, with hundreds or even thousands of cells, or they can be small and easy to carry around. Some people use them for fun, and some people use them for science or military purposes. But no matter what they're used for, they all work the same way: the wind catches in the cells, lifting the parafoil up into the sky, and the person controlling it can use the lines to steer and maneuver it around.