AeroHT has shown how a ballistic parachute saved an air taxi from crashing after engines stopped at low altitude
Many companies pay attention to the development of air taxis. One of the important requirements for flying transport is safety. AeroHT has shown what happens if the engines fail.
Here's What We Know
AeroHT proposes to use ballistic parachutes to rescue the air taxi in case of engine failure. The Xpeng subsidiary has already demonstrated how well its solution works.
The Chinese firm was able to integrate ballistic parachutes into air taxis. The firing of a squib makes it possible to quickly open the parachute dome at low altitude. In the AeroHT test, it took one and a half seconds to fire the parachute and the same amount of time to open it.
The ballistic parachute was opened 50 metres above the ground after the flying vehicle's engines stopped. Without the defence system, the air taxi would have fallen at a minimum speed of 30 m/s. The four parachutes brought the flying vehicle down at a speed of 5.2 m/s.
That's the equivalent of a 1.4 metre jump. Yes, it is difficult to call the landing pleasant, but the almost sixfold decrease in speed helps to avoid severe injuries.