eFlight Journal 02-2020
E-Flight Journal 2-2020
E-Flight Journal 2-2020
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e Innovation<br />
BALLISTIC RESCUE SYSTEMS FOR EVTOL<br />
The “second chance“ -<br />
also for air taxis<br />
With the ultralight - and with the Cirrus<br />
also in the class of approved aircraft<br />
according to Part 23 - the ballistic<br />
rescue systems are indispensable.<br />
They have saved human lives in large<br />
numbers. It is therefore clear that in<br />
the new class of eVTOLS, air taxis and<br />
drones that are supposed to operate<br />
in cities, ballistic rescue systems must<br />
be part of the “basic equipment”.<br />
A system from Junkers<br />
Profly is used in the<br />
world’s first air taxi, the<br />
Volocopter (top photo).<br />
As with the Ultralights,<br />
a rocket pulls the<br />
rescue-chute out of the<br />
container and stretches<br />
it. The container sits<br />
over the rotor arms.<br />
WWhen the US Airforce recently invited top companies<br />
from the field of drones and eVTOLS with its “Agility Prime<br />
Meeting” to find out about the current state of affairs and<br />
to test the suitability of these aircraft for the military sector,<br />
Justin Little of NASA Langley Research Center made<br />
a surprising statement: “I believe that a ballistic rescue<br />
system should be on board every eVTOL aircraft!” So,<br />
in contrast to EASA, NASA sees huge security advantages<br />
by equipping eVTOLS with rescue systems. The<br />
“second-chance” manufacturers BRS, Galaxy and Junkers<br />
who are sharing the market for ultralight and small<br />
aircraft among themselves, are consequently eagerly developing<br />
in this direction.<br />
BRS<br />
BRS is particularly popular within the US and some international<br />
manufacturers. After all, the inventor of the ballistic<br />
rescue system already got aviation approvals for his<br />
devices for Part 23 aircraft. And according to the plans<br />
of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), eVTOLs with<br />
wings should be approved in this category. “We have integrated<br />
ballistic rescue systems into a wide variety of<br />
aircraft systems over the past 30 years and have been<br />
working on new systems tailored to flight taxis and other<br />
VTOLs since the start of eVTOL development,” explains<br />
Boris Popov, founder and partner of BRS in Minnesota.<br />
38 e Flight <strong>Journal</strong><br />
2 / 2<strong>02</strong>0
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