Aircraft Crash Survival Design Guide. Volume 4. Aircraft Seats, Restraints, Litters, and Cockpit/Cabin Delethalization

This five-volume publication has been compiled to assist design engineers in understanding the design considerations associated with the development of crash-resistant U.S. Army aircraft. A collection of available information and data pertinent to aircraft crash resistance is presented, along with suggested design conditions and criteria. The five volumes of the Aircraft Crash Survival Design Guide cover the following topics: Volume I- Design Criteria and Checklists; Volume II - Aircraft Design Crash Impact Conditions and Human Tolerance; Volume III - Aircraft Structural Crash Resistance; Volume IV - Aircraft Seats, Restraints, Litters and Cockpit/Cabin Delethalization; and Volume V - Aircraft Postcrash Survival. This Volume (IV) contains information on aircraft seats, litters, personnel restraint systems, and hazards on the occupant's immediate environment. Requirements for design of seats, litters, and restraints systems are discussed, as well as design principles for meeting these requirements and testing for verification that the systems perform as desired. Energy-absorbing devices for use in seats are described, as are various types of cushions. Delethalization of cockpit and cabin interiors is discussed, including the use of protective padding and the design of controls for prevention of injury. Finally, computerized methods of analysis for evaluation of seats, restraints, and the occupant's immediate environment are presented. Keywords: Energy absorption; Crashworthiness; Protective padding.