Silly question
If I were one of the Wright brothers watching this thread I suspect that I would not join the experts in posting speculation on whether passengers could or could not be released from a fastened seat belt by g forces of unknown magnitude. Instead, I might go to my bicycle workshop and fix a seat belt (if I had one) to the outside of a bicycle wheel with the buckle release lever outwards away from the center of the wheel. I migght then spin the wheel at gradually increasing speed until the centrifugal action eventually caused the release lever to rotate thereby releasing the buckle. From the rpm and the radius of the wheel I would then know the g force needed to release the buckle. In one hour I would have the answer.
From what I have read about the Wrights I suspect I might not even tell you result. In a week or two I might tell Octave Chanute in a letter. But I would certainly continue to follow this thread, but filter all the future expert contributions in the light of my knowledge of the g forces required.
I could do this experiment myself. I have a bicycle. Unfortunately I do not have a seat belt. Maybe somebody else does?
Last edited by PickyPerkins; 9th Sep 2010 at 12:25.
Reason: typo