EAA AirVenture
BRS tests electronic ignition of parachute
BRS Aerospace, growing rapidly with sales of airframe safety parachutes and parachutes for military uses, is testing an electronic means for the pilot to launch the parachute during an emergency.
Electronically fired rockets have been tested. Rockets are used to extract the parachute from its canister after a pilot determines that the emergency requires the use of the recovery chute. Currently, pilots manually pull a lever that fires the parachute.
The switch’s location is still being studied. It must be accessible but not in a position to be fired accidentally.
In other BRS news, the company and Flight Design said they have an agreement to put the BRS airframe recovery system on Flight Design's proposed new C4, the first venture by Flight Design into the fully certified aircraft market. The C4 is a 160-knot (true airspeed), four passenger high-wing composite aircraft.
July 26, 2011
