A deployed parachute

Thanks for the ideas.

My plan is for a L.A.P.E.S. display where the load has 3 round extraction chutes, all fully deployed.  The wire idea might work well to give the parachute shape put I am not sure the lines will look good made from wire.  Your idea of a form is just right, I will try that.  If this works at 1/144, I will try one at 1/72.

Thanks again.

I have never done a parachute but I did have to make a sail that was puffed up in the wind sort of like the parachute would be after the landing when it catches the wind.  What I did was to use wire as the rigging and it shaped the general curve, then before I put the sail up I diluted some white glue and painted it on one side of the material and put it on a form I made from foam and paper.  When it was done the white glue was stiff enough to give it support and there was a definite curve to the sail that would have sagged if I had only used the wire or just let it hang.

The only other thing I can tell you is to use the glue on the side of the parachute that is the least visible, the glue leaves a visible shine, although the sail I was doing had no color and a parachute can be painted depending on the scene you are creating.