Crash Switches
Are aircraft Crash Switches still required to discharge fire suppression systems in the event of a sudden stop or excessive g ?
Two stories.
Whilst investigating the innerds of a RAAF Lincoln I came across a little device in the nose in which I could clearly see a shiny steel ball about 3 cm in diameter. I poked my finger to move the ball and was dismayed to hear a whole bunch of small bangs throughout the aircraft. All engine fire bottles had fired and perhaps some fueslage ones as well. I felt like P/O Prune as much effort was involved in replacing all of the bottles.
Then landing a Bristol Freighter 'back of the black stump' in Oz on a gravel runway I touched down on a small ridge of wind blown sand which threatened to remove the undercarriage. The crash switch triggered off the engine fire bottles. Was stuck in the middle of nowhere at a place called Giles waiting for some replacement bottles.
Does anyone know the horizontal and vertical g specifications for crash switches?