Cockpit Fire Extinguisher

[gmcjetpilot]

Trying to shoot a fire extinguisher in the cockpit while flying may be pointless or might extinguish you. May be an electrical fire behind the panel might be fought in flight with an open slider canopy (if you can open it in flight).

For in-flight fire (worst nightmare), engine failure where rod, rods, crank shaft, head breaks, opens up crankcase, blows oil and fuel all over, best bet surviving a major in-flight fire/failure in my opinion, jettison canopy and bail with a personal sport parachute.

I remember when the fiberglass planes were growing in number some fitted FWF fire suppression systems. If that is your desire the fiberglass groups know what systems are available. I checked Spruce and did not see an off the shelf system. I recall they offered one years ago. Guessing it was not that popular due to weight and cost. DIY as described above may be the way to go.

The hot rod high compression engines, which are subject to more stress and potential for catastrophic failure. That is why I stick with a O-360 180 HP Lyc.... basic and reliable.

[rvmv]

I found this New 1.25lb halon extinguisher on ebay. # 153640512743 Seller has several. $144 with free shipping.

[FloMo14Builder]

"20-30 minutes for vapor cloud to degrade..."

Likely going to loose all spatial orientation and ground reference if you set off the Element extinguisher inside an aircraft. Definitely worth having for use on the ground but in flight use would be a very dicey proposition. Still looks like a great alternative to an oxygen depleting/ relatively heavy extinguisher.

[Tim Lewis]

Originally Posted by BillL

I called H3R and spoke to a technical person. He said it is "possible" that it could lose a significant portion of the Halon 1211 and still read green on the gage. He also said the materials with the unit specify how much weight loss is acceptable. Pressure is augmented by nitrogen in this unit as the Halon 1211 vapor pressure (at all temps) is not sufficient to propel the liquid for a full discharge. He also confirmed that many local companies can service and refill. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks for sharing that. Sure enough, the label on the side of my H3R (Amerex) C352TS (Halon 1211, with gauge) says weight should be checked, and it should weigh 4lbs 14oz, +/- 4 oz.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rz...T2gJfuQbyJwxpu

[Finley Atherton]

My understanding is that these cannot be turned off once started so the E50 would keep discharging for 50 seconds? Not desirable in a small cockpit!

Fin 9A.

[Lynnb]

Originally Posted by Finley Atherton

My understanding is that these cannot be turned off once started so the E50 would keep discharging for 50 seconds? Not desirable in a small cockpit!

Fin 9A.

They have a smaller one, it's still 25 seconds, which in the moment would still feel like a long time.

[N941WR]

The timing of this thread is perfect as it is past time for me to replace my halon extinguisher.

I have been through enough computer room fire suppression demo's that I am not afraid of halon; however, I am afraid of a powder extinguisher in the cockpit.

There are two that I am currently looking at.

The H3R halon extinguisher from Aircraft Spruce and the HalGuard-Clean Agent Extinguisher.

Do any of you know anything about the HalGuard extinguishers? Are they safe to use in the confines of our cockpits? Is it safe to breath?

I have reached out HalGuard and will post their reply. I have also reached out to a contact at our local FSDO to see what the FAA recommends.

[rjcthree]

Way back I went down the same path and got HR3 recommendation from a NASA aero research guy. It was good enough for me. I will be interested to see if you get something different.

[Frankster13]

All they do is weigh it to determine it is full. Then they put on a sticker with date and certification.

[rocketbob]

I install these extinguishers:

https://www.h3rperformance.com/p4847-mx100r

About $80 on Amazon.

No they are not Halotron or Halon but use sodium bicarbonate which is baking soda. Baking soda is non-corrosive.