Slashdot Mirror

Maybe you want this

The Ballistic Recovery System. A fine idea, but heavy. For a Cessna 172 (2700 pounds max weight), it's 79 pounds, which is 13 gallons of fuel, or about 180 miles farther you can fly. The smaller version for 500-ish pound ultralights is 18 pounds. I'm not certain that's the best possible way to spend the weight. Of course, if I really want one, I can go to the gym and get at least part of that weight back. :)

See http://www.brsparachutes.com/cessna_182_faq.aspx for details on what is certainly a fascinating piece of tech.

This would be a perfect application for an aircraft recovery parachute. http://www.brsparachutes.com/ Too bad Steve Fossett didn't have one.

Indeed, no one like liver puree, less so when it's their liver. If my crashing helicopter was going to deploy an airbag, I'd like it to be one of the pontoon boat sized ones that are used for movie stunt work... Given the volume of one of those and the speed required for useful deployment, I'd be a bit concerned about flying around with all that airbag propellant (it's explosives, really) right under my ass.

Personally, I'd like to see something that locks (or jettisons) the rotor and then deploys a whole craft parachute like BRS sells for fixed wing aircraft.

For a backup, use a BRS - Ballistic Recovery System.

Pics at this site.

Obviously the physics involved in doing this for large commercial aircraft is just slightly more difficult. But by the same means, car air bags were first envisioned decades before they became possible - and really only in recent years with smart airbags that sense & adjust based on the occupants weight, seat position & whether he's wearing a seatbelt have they really become most beneficial. Commercial aircraft parachute/drag systems just seems like a no-brainer that at some point would be a solvable problem if not today.

If I had an aeroplane, I would certainly get one. Seems pretty cheap considering that this will save your life in the event of engine loss (and various other conditions as well).

Prices are not absolutely horrifying either (starts at 2000 USD, which has the ability to save 225 pounds of stuff and human).

You might want to check out these guys. The parachute systems aren't beefy enough to handle the whole craft but if you blow away everything but the cabin capsule, all some of the issues are avoidable. The system built for a Cessna 172 takes about 79 pounds of usable weight away. That's not a small amount when you're talking cutting edge space fun. That could be a stopper.

You're probably right about the cars. Airplanes are another matter.