Bye Aerospace, developer of the eFlyer series of FAA Part 23-certified all-electric aircraft, announced on March 8 that Aviation Safety Resources Inc., successfully completed the first developmental test of its whole-aircraft parachute recovery system for eFlyer 2.

Larry Williams, ASR President and CEO, said initial testing was completed at a drop range test facility outside Henderson, Nev., in late February 2021. “This test was the first in a series of tests to qualify the eFlyer 2 parachute system to ASTM standards and make sure the canopy will withstand the load put on it,” he said.

In accordance with ASTM requirements for limit load testing, barrels were filled with water to represent the weight of eFlyer 2. This was the first development test in a series of tests that were dropped from a helicopter at 6,600 feet and accelerated to the maximum speed at which the system will be deployed.

“Everything was perfect,” Williams said. “So far we are getting the results we expected. The next series will advance to ultimate load testing where we will drop 1.15 times the maximum weight and speed for eFlyer 2. This testing represents a real-world environment to make sure the system provides maximum safety and demonstrates the parachute canopy is robust. By exceeding the rated weights and speeds, this provides a critical 1.5X safety factor in accordance with the ASTM and FAA requirements.” Video of the drop test is available here.

Williams said the ASR team collects a large amount of data during the drops tests that are used to analyze the loads determination calculations to verify the attachment points will withstand the load of the actual deployment. “We look forward to working with the FAA on future certification testing,” he said. “From a teamwork perspective, the coordination with Bye Aerospace has been terrific, and we are progressing right on schedule.”

George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, said occupant safety continues to be the highest priority in the design of the eFlyer family of all-electric airplanes. “The whole-aircraft parachute system being designed by ASR for eFlyer 2 is exclusive to the airplane,” he said.

Bye Aerospace in March signed an agreement adding four eFlyers to its production backlog, now 721 units of eFlyer 2, four-seat eFlyer 4 and soon to be announced 8-seat all-electric aircraft.

(Photo: Bye Aerospace)