A parachute recovery system for very light jet aircraft is being developed by Ballistic Recovery Services (BRS) with funding from NASA.
Life-saving parachutes are already used on general aviation aircraft. A pilot can activate a parachute in flight and the aircraft will float to the ground after its deployment.
BRS says: "The [jet aircraft] chutes can cause a tremendous amount of g force on the aircraft. We have had to stop the chute opening quickly. We have developed a mechanical method of controlling the opening of the parachute."
The testing will demonstrate that the mechanical controllers are working properly. In 2002 BRS received $600,000 from NASA to study the airframe parachute system for personal jets.
Any product for light jets would become available after September.
Source: Flight International
