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Current Issues Regarding Aircraft Crash Injury Protection

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Crashworthiness of Transportation Systems: Structural Impact and Occupant Protection

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSE,volume 332))

Abstract

This paper addresses several issues related to the crash protection of aircraft occupants. The origin and nature of the current crashworthiness standards are first described. A number of test facilities, from sophisticated full-scale airframe drop tower facilities to the facilities for sled-testing of the seats, restraint systems, and anthropomorphic test devices or dummies (ATD’s), and also the ATD component testing are then presented. A description of the analysis codes, specifically the occupant models, and the latest modifications on these models are provided. Some of the current aircraft crash safety issues are then discussed. One global issue in the performance and certification of aircraft is the problem of protection of occupants from the head impact onto the interior structures. Latest developments in that area are presented. Another current area of research is the development of energy-absorbing seats capable of complying with the newly proposed criteria for the commuter type aircraft. The small size of these aircraft results in stiffer structures and consequently higher impact loads on the occupants. Sidefacing seats in business jets and in the lounge areas of some of the transport aircraft have also presented new challenge in certification, and hence the latest advancements in that area of research are also discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Department and National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260-0035, USA

    H. M. Lankarani (Associate Professor and Bombardier/Learjet Fellow)

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  1. H. M. Lankarani
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Engenharia Mecânica, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal

    Jorge A. C. Ambrósio , Manuel F. O. Seabra Pereira  & Fernando Pina da Silva ,  & 

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Lankarani, H.M. (1997). Current Issues Regarding Aircraft Crash Injury Protection. In: Ambrósio, J.A.C., Pereira, M.F.O.S., da Silva, F.P. (eds) Crashworthiness of Transportation Systems: Structural Impact and Occupant Protection. NATO ASI Series, vol 332. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5796-4_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5796-4_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6447-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5796-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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