Safety
BRS developing a chute for very light turbofans
Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) of St.

Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) of St. Paul, Minn., has received a $600,000 grant from NASA to develop a whole-airplane parachute system for very light jets. The company has identified eight aircraft in various stages of development that could become a market for the product and has agreements to work with three possible manufacturers of jets in the 5,000- to 8,000-lb-mtow, 350-kt-cruise-speed category.

In its preliminary design phase, the system is envisioned in a two-stage format. A separate drogue chute would deploy first to slow the aircraft down to around 175 kt, and a main, Kevlar-reinforced chute would then lower the aircraft to the ground slowly enough to protect its occupants from injury.