Aviation Information

Preventing Rapid Decompression In Commercial Airliners

In Flight Airline Rapid Decompression Breached Window (Airline Safety)

Here is a concept worthy of mention about the issues concerning Airline International Terrorists and Guns in the Cockpit and of course Federal Air Marshals. If a gun goes off in a smaller airliner, 737 or 767 then a bullet could penetrate a window and breach the pressurization system. Now if you read science fiction there is this cool Author named Ben Bova and in one of his books return to Mars, which is worth a read since we are getting back some interesting photos now. He talks about the outpost and enclosed colony where the hull was breached and the air was escaping, valuable oxygen, the members of the team quickly threw up small patches which as the air escaped flung themselves to the breached hole and sealed by way of vacuum.

I propose a similar notion and this is one of the safety protocols of former MIR and International Space Station now. The over head bins above the windows are shaped the same shape as the fuselage interior and when the air escapes and sucks everything towards it the first thing it sucks down is the bottom of the baggage overhead bin which is on a hinge. It then sucks itself in place while the pressurization system works to bring the stability back. In a 747 this is not too critical as the inlet for the pressurization cabin system is twice the size of a window and the pressurization system could keep up with a breach the size of a window. With these small modifications and molding shape of the overhead bins the problem is solved. The bottom of the bins would need to be a tad bit stronger such as carbon fiber to withstand the suction, but double strengthened re-enforced plastic, composite or fiberglass coated with rubber ought to work fine. This way bullets in cockpits intended for terrorists will not be an issue with pressure at those altitudes above 10,000 feet.

Another idea is to neoprene covered mini Frisbees made of high tech super strength plastic in the pockets of stewardesses, and in the event of a small breach they simply pick them up and toss them towards the hole which will suck them into place.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs