Company Will Design A Recovery System For The HPT-32 Basic
Trainer
BRS Aerospace of South St. Paul, Minnesota, a manufacturer of
whole-airplane parachutes used mainly in the sport and GA sectors,
announced it has been contracted to integrate and help certify its
parachute recovery systems for the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) HPT-32 basic training aircraft used by the Indian Air
Force.
HPT-32
BRS Aerospace will install their high-tech safety system into
the fleet of HPT-32 trainers, according to HAL officials, the
aircraft's designer and manufacturer, who has contracted this work
with BRS Aerospace.
"Providing this solution for the basic training aircraft used by
the Indian Air Force reinforces what we've been saying for years --
BRS whole-airframe parachute recovery systems provide the utmost in
pilot safety in a very cost effective manner. This represents a
strong market opportunity for BRS to install life saving parachutes
on training aircraft, civilian or military," Gary Moore, BRS
Aerospace Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, said.
Frank Hoffmann, BRS Aerospace VP of Engineering, will travel to
India immediately with a team of engineers to begin the process of
adding the ballistic recovery system to the HPT-32 aircraft. "I
anticipate being able to have a design ready this Fall," he says.
Once BRS has completed their installation design, Hoffmann will
work closely with HAL, the aircraft's manufacturer, and the Indian
Air Force, to test and certify the customized whole-airframe
parachute system. "The whole program is expected to be completed in
a very short period of time," Hoffmann adds.
Tens of thousands of BRS Aerospace whole-airframe parachutes are
already in the field around the world, flying in experimental and
certified aircraft, including the Cessna 172/182. The system
employs solid rocket fuel technology. When activated by the pilot,
an onboard rocket helps deploy a parachute which returns the entire
aircraft and pilot safely to the ground. To date BRS Aerospace
parachutes have saved the lives of more than 255 people.
"This is a very significant milestone for not only BRS but for
aviation safety as well," said Boris Popov, BRS founder and current
VP of Public Affairs. "While BRS products have been successfully
introduced into the civilian aviation markets for years, this is
the first usage of the BRS system for the military trainer aircraft
market. We believe it is but the first step towards BRS acceptance
in military trainer programs worldwide. We applaud the Indian Air
Force for this farsighted decision."