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A drogue assembly includes a probe guide such as a standard small high speed drogue with a first canopy (14), and a foldable second canopy (20) mounted around the first canopy which is biased outwardly, and is foldable inwardly under air pressure loading to overlie the small drogue at low speeds. Th

A drogue assembly includes a probe guide such as a standard small high speed drogue with a first canopy (14), and a foldable second canopy (20) mounted around the first canopy which is biased outwardly, and is foldable inwardly under air pressure loading to overlie the small drogue at low speeds. Thus the drag produced by the drogue varies automatically with airspeed allowing the assembly to be used over a wide range of airspeeds.

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1. A drogue assembly for in-flight refueling comprising: a reception coupling member having a longitudinal axis and an aperture for receiving a refueling probe along the longitudinal axis, andat least one drogue parachute arranged around the coupling member, the at least one parachute comprising at

1. A drogue assembly for in-flight refueling comprising: a reception coupling member having a longitudinal axis and an aperture for receiving a refueling probe along the longitudinal axis, andat least one drogue parachute arranged around the coupling member, the at least one parachute comprising at least one circumferential array of support arms, the support arms carrying a first canopy and a second canopy circumferentially arranged about the longitudinal axis, the second canopy being arranged around the first canopy, the second canopy having a configuration which is arranged to change under increasing air pressure loading on the second canopy in flight such that the second canopy folds radially inwardly towards the first canopy and the longitudinal axis, and the effective area of the second canopy is thereby reduced. 2. A drogue assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one circumferential array of support arms includes a first array of support arms and a second array of support arms, the first canopy is mounted on the first array of support arms, and the second canopy is mounted on the second array of support arms positioned upstream of the first canopy. 3. A drogue assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second array of support arms is foldable towards the first array under air pressure loading in flight. 4. A drogue assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first canopy is suitable for use at airspeeds in excess of 180 KEAS. 5. A drogue assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the canopies each comprise sheet material mounted adjacent tips of the support arms, and extending therebetween. 6. A drogue assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein an annular strip of the sheet material is mounted to the support arms at circumferentially spaced intervals. 7. A drogue assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a biasing means acting between a base of at least some of the support arms and the coupling member to bias the support arms outwardly. 8. A drogue assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the biasing means comprises a spring associated with each respective support arm. 9. A drogue assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support arms are each pivotally mounted to the coupling member at a pivot position adjacent a base of the respective support arm, so as to be rockable around the pivot position. 10. The drogue assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one circumferential array of support arms includes a first array of support arms and a second array of support arms, and the at least one parachute includes a first parachute including the first array of support arms carrying the first canopy and a second parachute including the second array of support arms carrying the second canopy. 11. The drogue assembly of claim 10, wherein the second parachute is foldable towards the first parachute. 12. The drogue assembly of claim 1, wherein: the configuration of the second canopy is adjustable independently of a state of the first canopy; andthe first canopy and the second canopy are mounted on the same array of support arms. 13. The drogue assembly of claim 12, wherein the second canopy is mounted so as to be able to flex towards the first canopy and towards the direction of air flow. 14. The drogue assembly of claim 1, wherein the second canopy comprises radially alternating stiffened sections and flexible sections. 15. A drogue assembly for in-flight refueling comprising: a reception coupling member having a longitudinal axis and an aperture for receiving a refueling probe along the longitudinal axisat least one circumferential array of support arms mounted to and arranged around the coupling member, the at least one array of support arms carrying a first canopy and a second canopy circumferentially arranged about the longitudinal axis, the second canopy being arranged around the first canopy, the second canopy being configured to fold radially inwardly towards the first canopy and the longitudinal axis in flight and under increasing air pressure loading on the second canopy; anda biasing member connecting at least some of the support arms to the coupling member, the biasing member being configured to bias the support arms outwardly. 16. The drogue assembly of claim 15, wherein the biasing member comprises a spring associated with each respective support arm. 17. A method for assembling a drogue assembly for in-flight refueling, the drogue assembly including a reception coupling member having a longitudinal axis and an aperture for receiving a refueling probe along the longitudinal axis, the method comprising: mounting at least one drogue parachute on and around the coupling member, the at least one parachute comprising at least one circumferential array of support arms, the support arms carrying a first canopy and a second canopy circumferentially arranged about the longitudinal axis; andarranging the second canopy around the first canopy so that the second canopy is configured to fold radially inwardly towards the first canopy and the longitudinal axis in flight and under increasing air pressure loading on the second canopy. 18. The method of claim 17, further including biasing the support arms outwardly. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one circumferential array of support arms includes a first array of support arms and a second array of support arms, the first canopy is mounted on the first array of support arms, and the method further includes: mounting the second canopy on the second array of support arms positioned upstream of the first canopy. 20. The method of claim 17, further including mounting the first canopy and the second canopy on the same array of support arms, wherein the second canopy is arranged around the first canopy so that the second canopy is configured to be adjustable independently of a state of the first canopy. 21. The drogue assembly of claim 1, wherein the configuration of the second canopy is adjustable independently of a state of the first canopy. 22. The drogue assembly of claim 1, wherein, when the second canopy is in a maximum drag-producing configuration, the second canopy presents a cross-section to an airflow which is at least partly outside a cross-section presented to the airflow by the first canopy, and the first canopy presents a cross-section to the airflow which is at least partly outside the cross-section presented to the airflow by the second canopy. 23. The drogue assembly of claim 15, wherein the second canopy has a configuration that is adjustable independently of a state of the first canopy. 24. The drogue assembly of claim 15, wherein the second canopy is configured such that when the second canopy is in a maximum drag-producing configuration, the second canopy presents a cross-section to an airflow which is at least partly outside a cross-section presented to the airflow by the first canopy, and the first canopy presents a cross-section to the airflow which is at least partly outside the cross-section presented to the airflow by the second canopy. 25. The method of claim 17, wherein the second canopy is arranged around the first canopy so that the second canopy is configured to be adjustable independently of a state of the first canopy. 26. A drogue assembly for in-flight refueling comprising: a reception coupling member having a longitudinal axis and an aperture for receiving a refueling probe along the longitudinal axis, andat least one drogue parachute arranged around the coupling member, the at least one parachute comprising at least one circumferential array of support arms, the support arms carrying a first canopy and a second canopy circumferentially arranged about the longitudinal axis, the second canopy being arranged radially outside the first canopy so as to present a cross-section to an airflow when in a drag-producing configuration, the second canopy being pivotally mounted on the support arms at an end of the support arms distal from the coupling member and having a configuration which is arranged to be continuously variable under air pressure loading on the second canopy in flight such that as air pressure loading increases the second canopy pivots so as to move radially inwardly towards the first canopy and the longitudinal axis, and the cross-section of the second canopy presented to the airflow is thereby reduced; anda biasing arrangement acting between a base of at least some of the support arms and the coupling member to bias the support arms outwardly.