Yip,
Miles has installed one, his email: milesm@avnet.co.uk
Cheers,
Pete
A239
Here is a posting from these archives:
Re: Europa_Mail: Ballistic chute?
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Subject: Re: Europa_Mail: Ballistic chute?
From: Miles McCallum <milesm@avnet.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 09:34:38 +0100
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Design work on the BRS installation is 98% complete - the one unknown is
the
exit hatch attachment, and we have a pretty good idea of what we are
doing
there, but the final decision will be a test by BRS on a dummy fuselage
top and
hatch - work on which will hopefully be completed in the next couple of
months.
Stress analysis on the installation (maintaining airframe integrity when
not in
use, and keeping the parachute attached to the airframe when deployed)
is
largely complete, with the report still to be written (here in the UK we
have to
get approval from PFA engineering for mods)
The installation has been designed around the "Classic" fuselage aft
bulkhead -
ie with the small baggage space - although the fuselage is an XS type.
the
reasoning behind this is that with close to 40lbs at the back of the
cabin, the
baggage allowance will also be 40lbs - although exactly how much can be
placed
there will be down to CG calculations.
The aft attach points will not transfer to the XS type baggage bay - it
requires
a much higher aft bulkhead, at least to a line about 3-4" above the
fuselage
split line, and the BRS is situated 50% into the (short) aft bulkhead -
and
would in any case sit in the center of the XS type baggae bay.
It's not impossible to design an XS type installation - but stressing it
(absolutely essential with a possible 6G deployment load -around 4
tonnes on any
one point) costs.... we have already put better than $5000 into stress
analysis,
and don't feel the desire to put any more in - however, if enough
builders are
prepared to club together, I will be pleased to do the design and
drawings if
the "BRS club" pay for the extra stressing work.
As for "classic" type installations - once the mod application has been
completed and the design approved by the PFA, drawings and construction
information will be available for the cost of the media - probably on
paper and
CD. Aft attach fittings and some mouldings - critical components and the
BRS
cabin cover will be available - all the rest of the special parts/mods
are
designed to be done using temporary formers or built in place. BRS will,
when
the design is 100% complete, have details of the straps, etc.
It will be possible to retrofit the conversion to a flying aeroplane -
but it
will not be a pleasant job - the fuselage will have to be inverted for
some
time, and doing the layups in a complete fuselage will be something of a
nightmare (but do-able). Much better to do it whilst the fuselage top is
off.......
Basic details are:
BRS attached to aft bulkhead.
primary connection to the airframe is via steel cable running down the
roof,
center of split windshield (1.25" wide bar that doubles as rollover
brace) to a
pair of short kevlar loops over the top engine mount stubs.
Aft connections are a pair of kevlar straps buried in channels about 6"
aft of
the doors
Aft attachments are ali fittings bolted to the reinforced bulkhead -
stiffened
by composite corner boxes over the fittings (forward) and reaction webs
(aft of
bulhead)
the 3 connection straps/steel cable come together in a box center top,
starting
aft of the rear door line. 50% of the kevlar straps are stored in this
box.
BRS exit is reinforced with a substantial foam/ glass stiffener inside
the rim.
exit hatch (and storage lid) is cut out from the original skin,
modified, and
reattached using dry micro with a PTFE stress riser built in.
If anyone wants a .PDF drawing of the installation, email me off-group
and I'll
send them out next week.
Over to you chaps.....
Miles
The Europa List is supported by Aviators Network UK - info@avnet.co.uk
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-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Shafer [mailto:bshafer@starnetwx.net]
Subject: Europa-List: BRS Parachute for Europa
Has anyone looked at adding a BRS parachute to a Europa?
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