Harry Webster

This report represents the observations, test data, and _onclusions obtained during the course of six full-scale fuselage burnthrough tests. These tests were conducted at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, Maxton, North Carolina, in conjunction with Charlotte Aircraft Corporation. A comprehensive data base was developed which represented the flammability resistance of an intact fuselage when exposed to an exterior fuel fire. Three tests were conducted with the fuselage on the ground simulating a wheels-up condition, and three tests were conducted with the wheels down. TEST RESULTS. 1. The aluminum skin provides protection from a fully developed fuel fire for 30 to 60 seconds. 2. The fiberglass acoustical insulation is an effective thermal barrier. 3. Flame penetration into the cheek area provides a fire path into the cabin through the floor air return grills. 4. The aircraft with its gear extended is more vulnerable to burnthrough from a pool fire than an aircraft resting on its belly.5. Areas, such as the empennage crawlthrough, that are not acoustically insulated are more vulnerable to burnthrough than other parts of the insulated fuselage.

E. Nicholas

Earlier research at Batelle-Columbus was based on the recognition that more deaths occurred in residential fires because of anoxia and the inhalation of toxic gases than because f burns.

Constantine Sarkos

The importance and role of cabin materials on survivability from fuel-fed fires and cabin fire hazards arising solely from have been investigated.

Dr. Arthur Flores

The principle of operation consists of the separation of the components of a gaseous mixture pulse injected into a moving stream of inert carrier gas by the action of adsorption-desorption phenomena on a solid surface or the partitioning phenomena at the surface of a solid surface which has been coated with a liquid. The components of the mixture are eluted in separate pulses in the carrier stream. They may be detected and measured in the order in which they are eluted by thermal conductivity detectors (100 ppm sensitivity) or detectors utilizing ionization (sensitivities to ppb levels). Sampling is discontinues

U.S. Department of Transportation

Glossary