Vertical Magazine article:
https://www.verticalmag.com/news/cur...utm_content=V1
Although the test was performed from 300 meters, based on the results, Curti believes the parachute could be successfully deployed at any altitude over 150 meters (500 feet), or possibly even lower if the aircraft carries some forward speed.
The design team made the decision to stop the rotation of the main rotor blades as part of the parachute deployment sequence. This was for two reasons: first, to avoid airflow disruptions that could slow the opening of the parachute, and also to reduce the risk of injury at touchdown.
“What we have observed in helicopter crashes is that often most of the casualties are created by the rotor blades that are out of control,” Cantelli explained. “So we think that if you cannot perform autorotation for any reasons, it is better to touch the ground without any rotating blade.”
In the remotely piloted test, this stoppage was accomplished through a deliberate series of steps. The engine was cut off, the collective was raised to decrease main rotor RPM, and then the rotor brake was applied before the parachute was ejected. However, Curti plans to make this sequence automatic in the version of the system that is made available to customers. “We will have a very simple lever that will activate everything, but with no sensor activation, so it will always be at the choosing of the pilot,” Albertazzi said.