rotornut
2nd Mar 2004, 03:56
Ottawa issues patent for jet with escape pods
Laser would sever plane in two
Michael Friscolanti
National Post
Monday, March 01, 2004
The federal government has issued a patent for a new type of commercial jet that, in the event of engine failure or a terrorist attack, would launch passengers to safety inside sealed escape pods.
The elaborate invention calls for each capsule to be equipped with parachutes, propulsion jets and inflatable rafts. Add the mandatory shock absorbers, and people will be able to "safely remain in their seats during this operation without panic," according to a synopsis of the device submitted to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
Although dismissed by leading aviation experts, the inventor insists the idea is a worthy alternative to the status quo of buckling up, clutching a pillow and putting your head between your legs.
"The invention provides a logical way of supporting the collective weight of all the passengers such that many lives can be carried and saved," the submission reads.
Issued on Feb. 17, the patent describes a chain of events that would begin as soon as the pilot realized something was wrong -- anything from mechanical problems to a missile attack.
A push of a button would trigger an explosion or an automated "laser cutting" device, which would sever the plane in two at the point where the cockpit meets the cabin.
At the same time, the passenger cabin would be split into a number of sealed compartments that would be expelled through the newly formed hole in the plane.
The patent owner, Chui Wen Chiu, could not be reached for comment yesterday, so it is unclear whether any aerospace design company is interested in developing his invention.
However, other aviation experts who examined the paperwork said the idea will likely remain just that. Other inventors have offered similar ideas for decades, they said, but apart from being adopted in a few small airplanes, the concept has been repeatedly rejected.
"Philosophically, I'm not inclined to ridicule that guy's invention, because anything that can offer hope to passengers and crew in an aircraft in mortal danger would be welcome no matter how far-fetched it might be," said James DeLaurier, a professor at the University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies.
"But what if something short-circuited, and all of a sudden your airplane is being cut apart by a laser midway over the Atlantic? This would ruin your trip."
Mechanical glitches are not the only things keeping the invention grounded. Experts estimate the extra weight -- from the parachutes to the capsule doors to the lasers -- would leave only enough room for a few passengers, if any.
"Nobody would buy a ticket on an airplane that had that, because the extra charge would be out of this world," said Dan Raymer, a renowned aerospace design expert and author of the best-selling textbook Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach.
And even if the plane did manage to take off, the parachutes would probably not be able to carry the weight of the capsules, said Brian E. Thompson, the chair in Engineering Design Innovation at the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Thompson also doubts a pilot would have enough time to activate the escape plan because most airline accidents occur just after takeoff and just before landing.
"If you listen to most fatal aircraft accidents, the pilots don't realize they are actually going to lose the aircraft until they're almost driving into the ground."
© National Post 2004
Laser would sever plane in two
Michael Friscolanti
National Post
Monday, March 01, 2004
The federal government has issued a patent for a new type of commercial jet that, in the event of engine failure or a terrorist attack, would launch passengers to safety inside sealed escape pods.
The elaborate invention calls for each capsule to be equipped with parachutes, propulsion jets and inflatable rafts. Add the mandatory shock absorbers, and people will be able to "safely remain in their seats during this operation without panic," according to a synopsis of the device submitted to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
Although dismissed by leading aviation experts, the inventor insists the idea is a worthy alternative to the status quo of buckling up, clutching a pillow and putting your head between your legs.
"The invention provides a logical way of supporting the collective weight of all the passengers such that many lives can be carried and saved," the submission reads.
Issued on Feb. 17, the patent describes a chain of events that would begin as soon as the pilot realized something was wrong -- anything from mechanical problems to a missile attack.
A push of a button would trigger an explosion or an automated "laser cutting" device, which would sever the plane in two at the point where the cockpit meets the cabin.
At the same time, the passenger cabin would be split into a number of sealed compartments that would be expelled through the newly formed hole in the plane.
The patent owner, Chui Wen Chiu, could not be reached for comment yesterday, so it is unclear whether any aerospace design company is interested in developing his invention.
However, other aviation experts who examined the paperwork said the idea will likely remain just that. Other inventors have offered similar ideas for decades, they said, but apart from being adopted in a few small airplanes, the concept has been repeatedly rejected.
"Philosophically, I'm not inclined to ridicule that guy's invention, because anything that can offer hope to passengers and crew in an aircraft in mortal danger would be welcome no matter how far-fetched it might be," said James DeLaurier, a professor at the University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies.
"But what if something short-circuited, and all of a sudden your airplane is being cut apart by a laser midway over the Atlantic? This would ruin your trip."
Mechanical glitches are not the only things keeping the invention grounded. Experts estimate the extra weight -- from the parachutes to the capsule doors to the lasers -- would leave only enough room for a few passengers, if any.
"Nobody would buy a ticket on an airplane that had that, because the extra charge would be out of this world," said Dan Raymer, a renowned aerospace design expert and author of the best-selling textbook Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach.
And even if the plane did manage to take off, the parachutes would probably not be able to carry the weight of the capsules, said Brian E. Thompson, the chair in Engineering Design Innovation at the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Thompson also doubts a pilot would have enough time to activate the escape plan because most airline accidents occur just after takeoff and just before landing.
"If you listen to most fatal aircraft accidents, the pilots don't realize they are actually going to lose the aircraft until they're almost driving into the ground."
© National Post 2004