Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) is expanding plans to offer a retrofittable airframe-recovery parachute system beyond the Cessna 172.
BRS has received strong interest in its initial parachute offering from a "broad spectrum of general aviation pilots", says the company, but it has received only two commitments to date from Skyhawk customers. BRS' parachute is fitted as standard on the Cirrus SR20.
The firm is working towards blanket US Federal Aviation Administration certification for a range of airframes with gross weights similar to that of the Skyhawk, including most Piper Cherokees, Archers, Warriors and Comanche 180s, and Raytheon Beechcraft and Cessna models. Landing speeds with the planned canopy would be lower than those tested for the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) certificated on the SR20.
Cirrus and BRS recently struck a shares-for-sale deal, whereby Cirrus receives warrants to acquire up to 19.3% of BRS stock if it takes delivery of 1,150 parachute systems over the next five years.
Source: Flight International
