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If a powerful parachute works to a plane with engine fails
- Thread starter luxmen
- Start date
Aircraft parachutes are a mature technology that, statistical arguments aside, undeniably save lives.
It didn’t take long for the Cirrus SR22 that made headlines around the world when it descended under its own parachute into a Blue Mountains front yard to become old news. Two days later another Cirrus, with three on board, did the same thing in China, and three weeks later two people walked away from a Cirrus parachute deployment near Boston in the north-eastern US.
It didn’t take long for the Cirrus SR22 that made headlines around the world when it descended under its own parachute into a Blue Mountains front yard to become old news. Two days later another Cirrus, with three on board, did the same thing in China, and three weeks later two people walked away from a Cirrus parachute deployment near Boston in the north-eastern US.
The Cirrus parachute deployment over Lawson, NSW happened after a spiral dive or spin that witnesses say continued for at least six rotations before the pilot pulled the chute handle. That action unquestionably saved the three men on board.
Cirrus is the only general aviation aircraft maker to include a ballistic parachute as standard equipment, but at least three US companies, BRS, Magnum, and Second Chantz, also make aircraft ballistic recovery parachutes. Like ejection seat maker Martin-Baker, BRS has a counter on its website. As of August 2014 it showed 312 lives saved.
BRS Australia’s Bryn Lockie says at least 20 lives have been saved in Australia by the ballistic parachutes on GA, LSA, experimental and recreational aircraft. There are about 500 BRS parachutes on Australian aircraft, and, worldwide, about one in every 125 BRS parachutes is used in earnest.
As well as the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, BRS makes approved parachute kits for the Cessna 172 and 182. A kit for the larger Cessna 206 is in the certification process, Lockie says.
The availability of a parachute depends on the certification status of an aircraft. For certified general aviation aircraft a supplementary type certificate is required. (In Australia, parachute systems can also be installed under a Part 21M approval.)
For non-certified recreational and experimental aircraft BRS offers about 300 different installations and can help develop custom installations for other types. As with any modification that is not an existing factory option, new LSA aircraft installations require the approval of the manufacturer.
BRS parachutes cost between $A6000 and $A22,000, and are available for aircraft weighing between 272 kg and 1633 kg. The parachutes themselves weigh from 9 kg for the smallest recreational aircraft system to 38kg, with a typical non-certified aircraft system weighing about 13kg.
Service life depends on certification standard. Sport aircraft systems have a 25-year life, with repacking required every six years and rocket replacement after 12 years. Certified systems have a 20-year life, with line cutter replacement required after five years, and repacking and rocket replacement after 10 years.
Nominal maximum deployment speeds range from 100 to 150 kt. However, there have been successful Cirrus deployments at 190 kt. BRS parachutes use a load-limiting slider that controls the opening speed based on aircraft speed. The parachute opens more slowly when the aircraft is at a higher speed, but more rapidly at low aircraft speed. This prevents excessive deployment loads, and also allows fast opening when slow. Nominal lowest deployment height for full inflation is 500 ft but there have been survivable deployments at as low as 100 ft. Like overspeed deployments, low altitude deployments are not recommended unless the alternative is worse—which it invariably is. The BRS operating manual expresses the dilemma succinctly:
Cirrus is the only general aviation aircraft maker to include a ballistic parachute as standard equipment, but at least three US companies, BRS, Magnum, and Second Chantz, also make aircraft ballistic recovery parachutes. Like ejection seat maker Martin-Baker, BRS has a counter on its website. As of August 2014 it showed 312 lives saved.
BRS Australia’s Bryn Lockie says at least 20 lives have been saved in Australia by the ballistic parachutes on GA, LSA, experimental and recreational aircraft. There are about 500 BRS parachutes on Australian aircraft, and, worldwide, about one in every 125 BRS parachutes is used in earnest.
As well as the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, BRS makes approved parachute kits for the Cessna 172 and 182. A kit for the larger Cessna 206 is in the certification process, Lockie says.
The availability of a parachute depends on the certification status of an aircraft. For certified general aviation aircraft a supplementary type certificate is required. (In Australia, parachute systems can also be installed under a Part 21M approval.)
For non-certified recreational and experimental aircraft BRS offers about 300 different installations and can help develop custom installations for other types. As with any modification that is not an existing factory option, new LSA aircraft installations require the approval of the manufacturer.
BRS parachutes cost between $A6000 and $A22,000, and are available for aircraft weighing between 272 kg and 1633 kg. The parachutes themselves weigh from 9 kg for the smallest recreational aircraft system to 38kg, with a typical non-certified aircraft system weighing about 13kg.
Service life depends on certification standard. Sport aircraft systems have a 25-year life, with repacking required every six years and rocket replacement after 12 years. Certified systems have a 20-year life, with line cutter replacement required after five years, and repacking and rocket replacement after 10 years.
Nominal maximum deployment speeds range from 100 to 150 kt. However, there have been successful Cirrus deployments at 190 kt. BRS parachutes use a load-limiting slider that controls the opening speed based on aircraft speed. The parachute opens more slowly when the aircraft is at a higher speed, but more rapidly at low aircraft speed. This prevents excessive deployment loads, and also allows fast opening when slow. Nominal lowest deployment height for full inflation is 500 ft but there have been survivable deployments at as low as 100 ft. Like overspeed deployments, low altitude deployments are not recommended unless the alternative is worse—which it invariably is. The BRS operating manual expresses the dilemma succinctly:
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