The
Butler SMART Chute™ System is designed to provide you with an affordable, easy to use, airdrop system to meet your increasing need for aerial delivery of supplies and rescue equipment. Each SMART Chute™ System component is designed to be interchangeable, easily assembled and installed with minimal skill in parachute rigging and aerial delivery.To further reduce the logistics burden and the skill level required in the field, pre-packed assemblies (canopy, bag, container, riser, static line) are available. The pre-packed assemblies require only the ability to open the plastic shipping bag, hook the static line to airplane and the riser to the payload.
NOTE: As always, price and specifications are subject to change without notice. Please contact BPS directly for pricing information on all products. We'd be happy to email (PDF file) a current price list for the SMART Chute products.
The SMART Chute™ barrels are currently offered in three sizes which take into consideration the ease of handling by a small crew and the volume limitations inside aircraft. The barrels are made of rugged polyethylene and feature a removable watertight lid with a band clamp and an over-center locking latch. The tapered sides of the barrels allow nesting for higher storage density.
SMART Chute™ Barrel Specifications & Prices
| BARREL SIZE | EMPTY WEIGHT | BOTTOM DIAMETER (OUTSIDE) | TOP DIAMETER (OUTSIDE) | HEIGHT | FRESHWATER DISPLACEMENT | PART NUMBER |
| 14 GALLON | 8 LB. | 12.9" | 14.0" | 26.0" | 116 LB. | 4012 |
| 30 GALLON | 13 LB. | 17.1" | 19.1" | 29.5" | 249 LB. | 4013 |
| 55 GALLON | 21 LB. | 19.8" | 22.1" | 38.0" | 456 LB. | 4014 |
Specifications & Prices
Because not all supply drops consist of
heavy objects dropped from high speed aircraft, BPS has designed two different SMART
Chute™ barrel slings. For heavy items such as water,
fuel and ammunition, the Type "A" sling has an extended upper sling to better
distribute the parachute opening shock around the barrel. The Type "A" is also
recommended for use when dropping supplies into water since the sling can remain attached
to the barrel after the parachute is released. The Type A slings are designed for a
maximum opening shock load of 6,000 lb. or less.
When dropping lighter weight items such as clothing, tents and rations onto land, the Type "B" sling may be used.
The Type B slings are designed for a maximum opening shock load of 3,000 lb. or less.Both sling types are constructed of MIL-W-4088, Type 8, nylon webbing, and quickly attach to the barrel, is lightweight, durable, and should it become wet, dries quickly.
| BARREL SIZE | Type A Part # | Type B Part # |
| 14 GAL | 3227 | 3228 |
| 30 GAL | 3208 | 3224 |
| 55 GAL | 3209 | 3225 |
SMART C
hute™ Parachute Canopies
All parachute canopies in the
SMART Chute™ family are designed for a nominal drop speed of 130 knots. Under some conditions, they may be used at higher speeds - please contact our engineering office for guidance for use at higher speeds. The weights listed in the table below are the maximum recommended weight for each canopy size; however, you may be dropping cargo that is more fragile and could require a lower rate of descent than 25 ft/sec. and would thus require a larger canopy.Click Here to determine the rate of descent at various weights for each of these canopies.
A common (and expensive) mistake often made when air dropping supplies is to use a parachute that is larger than needed. For example, using a 28 foot parachute to drop a 40 pound item when a 12 foot parachute would work fine. With this in mind, BPS offers many different sizes of SMART Chute™ parachute canopies. Matching the correct size parachute to your airdrop item will reduce your overall cost, minimize your aircraft total payload, and allow more predictable and accurate delivery of your cargo.
Most
SMART Chute™ parachute canopies are constructed of MIL-C-7020, T1 cloth, with MIL-C-5040, Type 3 (550 lb.) suspension lines.NOTE: Parachute canopies and associated equipment are available for payload weights up to 3,000 lb and drop speeds up to 200 KTAS.
NOTE: All prices are single unit and based on canopy colors currently in stock. Custom colors or color patterns are available for a nominal additional fee.
Canopy Trade Name |
Average Canopy Weight |
P/N |
Maximum Weight for 25 f/s |
| 12' Medium Duty Flat Cargo Canopy | 2.3 | 3120 | 64 |
| 14' Medium Duty Conical Cargo Canopy | 2.5 | 3123 | 78 |
| 17.5' Medium Duty Conical Cargo Canopy | 3.1 | 3117 | 122 |
| 20' Medium Duty Conical Cargo Canopy | 4.3 | 3121 | 162 |
| 24.5' Medium Duty Conical Cargo Canopy | 5.4 | 3116 | 243 |
| 24.5' Medium Duty LoPo Conical Cargo Canopy | 5.4 | 3130 | 268 |
| 28' Light Duty Conical Cargo Canopy | 5.7 | 3109 | 322 |
| 28' Medium Duty Conical Cargo Canopy | 6.8 | 3110 | 322 |
| 34' Medium Duty Conical Cargo Canopy | 12.5 | 3124 | 475 |
| 40' Medium Duty Conical Cargo Canopy | 18.0 | 625 |
Click Here to determine the rate of descent at various weights for each of these canopies.
SMART Chute™ Deployment Bags, Containers & Static Lines
| CANOPY SIZE | D-Bag & Static Line Part # |
Container Part # |
| 12' & 14' | 4002 | 4006 |
| 17.5' | 4003 | 4008 |
| 20' & 24.5' | 4004 | 4007 |
| 28' | 4005 | 4009 |
| USN/USAF C-9 (28') | 4016 | 4018 |
| US Army T-10 (35') | 4017 | 4019 |
| US Army T-10R (24') | 4020 | 4021 |
Click here to see SMART Chute™ Riser Sub-Assemblies & Other Miscellaneous Parts