ash ▁fires ▁had ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁destroy ing ▁it . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁one ▁contemporary ▁system ▁that ▁offered ▁surv iv ability . ▁It ▁used ▁a ▁small ▁mort ar ▁to ▁fire ▁the ▁be acon ▁off ▁the ▁aircraft ▁and ▁then ▁land ▁it ▁under ▁par ach ute ▁with ▁a ▁shock ▁absor ber ▁to ▁less en ▁impact ▁with ▁the ▁ground . ▁The ▁be acon ▁package ▁included ▁a ▁fol ding ▁anten na , ▁two ▁pop - out ▁arms ▁intended ▁to ▁orient ▁it ▁u pr ight ▁after ▁landing ▁on ▁the ▁ground , ▁and ▁a ▁float ation ▁bag ▁for ▁water . ▁ ▁C PI ▁development ▁Ste vin son ▁liked ▁the ▁idea , ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁implementation . ▁He ▁preferred ▁an ▁aer od ynamic ▁release ▁system ▁that ▁would ▁eliminate ▁the ▁mort ar , ▁and ▁a ▁rug ged ized ▁radio ▁system ▁with ▁an ▁om n id irection al ▁anten na ▁that ▁would ▁eliminate ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁complexity . ▁Sur viv ability ▁on ▁both ▁land ▁and ▁water ▁could ▁be ▁achieved ▁using ▁light weight ▁fo ams . ▁ ▁The ▁key , ▁however , ▁was ▁to ▁make ▁an ▁aer od ynamic ▁system ▁that ▁would ▁pull ▁the ▁system ▁away ▁from ▁an ▁aircraft ▁quickly , ▁but ▁then ▁slow ▁the ▁C PI ▁down ▁once ▁it ▁was ▁released . ▁Working ▁with ▁David ▁Mak ow , ▁Ste vin son ▁came ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁using ▁a ▁F ris be e - sh aped ▁package , ▁built ▁a ▁model ▁out ▁of ▁paper , ▁and ▁dropped ▁it ▁off ▁the ▁bal con y . ▁When ▁it ▁exhib ited ▁a ▁t umb