Re: Astounding
They are not rips, they are holes to let air pass through. If you don't the force would be too great and the parachute would billow or rip. You still need air to flow through the parachute for it to keep its form, otherwise the drag coefficient is reduced as air compresses in the canopy, and more air will just divert around this area rather than going through the parachute. Its far more complicated than this in reality.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
