There are two interesting differences in roll control response characteristics between an aircraft and a paraglider: 1) Opposite roll angle is generated by the same control surface deflection: and 2) to keep the roll angle constant, an aircraft requires a pilot to return the control wheel to the nearly neutral position, but a paraglider requires him to keep the control surface deflection. Although it is commonly accepted that the main factor producing these differences would be the adverse yaw characteristics, the essential mechanism has not yet been clearly determined. This study focuses on features in their airframe configurations, and aims to determine the physical mechanism which produces their differences in roll control responses. Results showed that not only adverse yaw characteristics but also lower center of gravity position and decrease of vertical fin area in a paraglider are the main parameters.

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The mechanism for two types of turn maneuver of a paraglider is made clear by investigating the lateral responses coupled with the longitudinal motion. One of them is the turn initiated by pulling down one of the side control lines that generates the directional angular velocity and sideslip which produce the rolling moment and the bank angle. The other is the turn due to the lateral movement of pilot's body that generates the rolling moment causing to produce the bank angle. Then the rolling angular velocity produces the directional angular velocity due to the proverse yawing moment of canopy. It was confirmed that, during a steady turn, the centrifugal forces acting on the virtual mass of canopy and body were important factors to balance the rolling moment due to the directional angular velocity.

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