These air bags are built into the belt......
http://www.amsafe.com/products/detail.php?id=68&type=business
http://www.amsafe.com/products/detail.php?id=68&type=business
Exactly... it's a great marketing point...
I sure hope they don't! It is kind of like insurance, you only win when you lose.I'm sure someone will install them or something similar in an RV and give some pireps.
I have never understood why people want to strap a pyrotechnic device to their chest.
Two cars that I know of and maybe more....As far as inadvertant deployment, can you name one instance where this has happened in a car? (aside from Clark Griswald in the National Lampoon's Vacation movie....)
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I really don't see any negatives at all with seatbelt airbags.
When auto manufacturers started putting seat belts in cars, I'm sure there were tons of "yeah, but what if I crash and the car catches on fire and I can't get the seat belt off" guys out there.........but no one would argue the increased safety of them now. There are lots of motorcycle riders who refuse to wear helmets......for some stupid reason.
As far as inadvertent deployment, can you name one instance where this has happened in a car? (aside from Clark Griswald in the National Lampoon's Vacation movie....)
From what I've seen, they are very lightweight, not very expensive, maintenance free, comfortable to wear, and reliable. Seatbelts do a good job of restraining the body, but a lousy job of preventing head and neck injury. Thast what the airbags are designed to do.
In a crash, I like my survival chances better having them than not. Put me on the list of guys that think they are a good feature.
CDE
As far as inadvertant deployment, can you name one instance where this has happened in a car? (aside from Clark Griswald in the National Lampoon's Vacation movie....)
I have never understood why people want to strap a pyrotechnic device to their chest.
Remember, in your car airbags are supposed a ?supplemental restraint system? for those who are too dumb to put on their seatbelts.
The rally car was toast as the front and reat bumpers stopped where the roll cage began.
Hahahahaha...What would you call strapping on a device loaded with many gallons of highly explosive gasoline and plenty of electrical detonators, or does the fact that they're strapped to your posterior instead of your chest make the difference?
Remember, airbags are "supplemental restraint systems", not the primary. They were designed to save people who wouldn't put on a seatbelt. In addition, they would do nothing for a secondary impact.
I don't see how those would help much in an airplane crash unless you go straight in. Sure in a car your dealing with a forward momentum such as a head on collision. But in a airplane isn't it more of an angled or vertical moment? I would think the biggest force we should be worried about is the compressive forces on our spines.
Also, the risk of the airbag not deploying when it was supposed to was determined to be less than once for every 6.4 million flight hours.
Those belts have been standard equipment in Cirrus aircraft for about 3 years. At least one accident (in the European Alps) the pilot credits those belts for saving serious injury or worse for himself and his passenger.
http://s480.photobucket.com/albums/r...nAlpsSmall.jpg
Personally looking at the picture I think he is overstating their case, but that's his story, FWIW. To each there own.
Here is an interesting picture from our testing. This is a 26 G test. On the left is an occupant wearing our standard aircraft seat belt and shoulder harnesses. On the right is exactly the same except that the airbags have been installed on top of the stock restraints.
You never realize how much the belts stretch until you see them under the high speed camera.
Notice how the airbags cradle the occupant's head and keep it from traveling forward or side to side. The airbags also keep the occupant's head and spine inline for better protection against damage from forward and even vertical loads.
I've seen several videos of aircraft airbag tests and agree that they would be useful in RVs... but will AmSafe even sell them to experimental builders? I expect they would want pretty tight design and installation criteria.
I've seen several videos of aircraft airbag tests and agree that they would be useful in RVs... but will AmSafe even sell them to experimental builders? I expect they would want pretty tight design and installation criteria.
Extensively--See above picture and Amsafe web site.Have there been any tests to see if there is any increase in safety?
A six point seat belt in a Normal category 172 is a bit overkill--even in a utility category aircraft. 4, 5 and 6 point make sense in RV-3, 6, 7 and 8, but not so much in the RV-9, 10 and 12.Seems like a six point harness would be better.
.....Dale Earnhardt and his accident?
Regards,
True but that's why you really need a sub-strap when using a four point system. They hold the lap belt down and keep it from ridding up....Four point systems are popular in RVs because the keep you in the seat at unusual attitudes but 3 point systems are actually more effective than 4 (but not 5) point systems in a forward collision. There is no tendancy for the lap belt to ride up in a 3 point system as it can with a 4 four point system...
I will argue with you on this point. The sub strap is primarily thought of a good thing for acro but in the event of an accident, you want that sub strap to hold the lap belt down across your hips, regardless of which model RV you fly.... 4, 5 and 6 point make sense in RV-3, 6, 7 and 8, but not so much in the RV-9, 10 and 12.
If you are moving forward fast enough air bags aren't going to help you. They may save your pretty face but your brain and internal organs are still going forward and they come to a sudden stop and turn to mush anyways.
Blunt force damage will be prevented but as I said before if you are going fast enough and your body comes to a complete stop abruptly there is nothing going to stop the internal organs from continuing to go forward and tearing from their mounts or the brain from slamming forward. Which in the end does you in. I have cleaned up too many accidents with no apparent damage to the body only to find thru reports that the innards are destroyed.
Blunt force damage will be prevented but as I said before if you are going fast enough and your body comes to a complete stop abruptly there is nothing going to stop the internal organs from continuing to go forward and tearing from their mounts or the brain from slamming forward. Which in the end does you in. I have cleaned up too many accidents with no apparent damage to the body only to find thru reports that the innards are destroyed.
Yes, and don't forget carbon fiber front/side/rear crush structures, fuel cells, helmets with HANS (that's going to do wonders for looking for traffic in the pattern), footbox structures, crash testing of individual structures as well as the entire vehicle, teathers for heavy parts (e.g., engine), CO2 / halon fire bottles, etc.If we put "race car" type roll cages into our airplanes they wouldn't carry much else but would be safer.
Pierre,
How does the trigger mechanism for those AB belts work?
Do you mount a G switch some place or what?