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Touchdown! Greaser!
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Cowboy - yeehah!
Cut and paste from a Stinson link. 1946, sounds like they were way ahead of the game.
The Stinson 108 Voyager which used Explosive Wing Bolts
Its extremely rare for civilian aircraft to be equipped with
electrically activated explosive charges. Such devices have long
been used by the military and NASA as part of emergency egress
systems, although I don't know of any designed to separate the
wings of an aircraft. While I have not done in depth research, I
am unaware of any other American general aviation airplane which
used (or uses) such explosive devices. Ex military warbirds now
flying as part of the general aviation fleet may be an exception.
Thirty years ago one light, single piston engine, general
aviation aircraft, a Stinson model 108 Voyager, was equipped with
such explosive devices as part of an apparatus to lower a
disabled airplane inflight, including the pilot and passengers,
safely to the ground.
Two New York inventors, Angelo Raiti, and Dario Manfredi, were
partners in the Aircraft Safety Release Corporation. Their
intent was to create a system which would bring a disabled
airplane safely back to earth. When the pilot decided his
airplane was disabled he (or she) would pull a handle inside the
cockpit which activated the explosive devices which would remove
pins holding the wings on. With the wings gone (keep in mind
this is inflight) then the main parachute deployed. The
explosive charges having removed wing attachment pins allowed the
wings to physically separate from the airplane. Once free the
wings would free fall until there own parachutes opened to lower
the wings to the ground.
As the fuselage, now free of wings, free fell toward earth, with
pilot and passengers still aboard, a large parachute would deploy
from the top of the fuselage. With all occupants still in the
airplane (gives new meaning to the recommendation "keep your seat
belt fastened at all times!"), the wingless fuselage would float
down under the parachute to a safe landing.
A practical test to prove the theory was necessary. The two
inventors modified and equipped a 1946 Stinson model 108 Voyager,
serial number 13, registered N39443, with electrically activated
explosive charges, special wing attach pins, and parachutes.
Although I can't locate a record of just how many explosive
charges were incorporated, at least three were needed for each
wing. Stinson 108's use two wing attach bolts which hold the
wing to the top of the fuselage. In addition another explosive
pin would be necessary at the lower fuselage point where the
front lift strut attaches. Additional modifications were
necessary - the control cables had to be altered so they would
allow the wings to separate from the fuselage. Since the Stinson
108 uses wing tanks the fuel lines from each wing tank had to be
severed. Unlikely explosive charges were used to sever the fuel
lines!
In the top of the fuselage just back of the rear seats, a
compartment, covered with a rear hinged hatch, was built to house
the main parachute. Pioneer Parachute Company provided
parachutes and a field engineer, William G. Jolly. The main
parachute, used to lower the Stinson fuselage with pilot and
passengers, was a 64 foot conical canopy, orange in color, made
of 1.1 nylon. It used regular 550 type suspension cords that did
not go through the canopy channels. A pilot chute was used to
help deploy the main parachute. In addition each wing was
equipped with a smaller parachute.
With the Stinson 108 Voyager suitably modified a full scale live
test was scheduled. Lakehurst Naval Air Station, in New Jersey,
was arranged as the site of the test. Test pilot Tommy Walker,
52 at the time, was an experienced pilot and skydiver. Takeoff
from Lakehurst was about 10 AM on November 9, 1967. Strong winds
delayed the test while Walker flew the Stinson. At 12:38 PM
while cruising at 4,600 feet, Walker activated the apparatus.
Both wings separated cleanly, however the small parachutes in
each wing tangled and did not deploy correctly. Both wings
crashed to the ground.
The fuselage parachute opened perfectly only a moment after the
wings separated. Stinson Voyager serial number 13, minus wings,
then began its parachute descent to the ground. Test pilot
Walker remained with the airplane recording data about the
descent. About 1,000 feet above ground level Walker parachuted
out of the Stinson. Interestingly Walker, using a standard 28
foot P9B emergency parachute, was descending faster than the
Stinson. Minus wings the Stinson fuselage weighed about 1200
pounds. Both airplane and test pilot landed safely. Rate of
decent of the airplane with parachute deployed was about 18 feet
per second.
The test was witnessed by the FAA, the Navy, and several news
agencies using some 8 helicopters to cover the event. As far as
I can tell only a single full scale test was carried out, and it
was successful. Rumors are a second Stinson 108 was also
modified but never tested.
Consolidated used NC39443 as a factory demonstrator. After the
November 1967 test the plane was stored in derelict condition.
During 1996 this airplane was completely restored and now flies
again! Owner Ed Katzen flies from Bayport Aerodrome - N23!
Bibliography for this article:
Bisson, Ev, "Would You Believe . . A 64 Foot Conical?" - Sky
Diver magazine, Jan. 1968, The International Magazine of
Parachuting.
Martin, Henry, article in the Trenton Times newspaper. Nov. 10,
1967. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That test pilot had to have some stones to pull that pin!
The Stinson 108 Voyager which used Explosive Wing Bolts
Its extremely rare for civilian aircraft to be equipped with
electrically activated explosive charges. Such devices have long
been used by the military and NASA as part of emergency egress
systems, although I don't know of any designed to separate the
wings of an aircraft. While I have not done in depth research, I
am unaware of any other American general aviation airplane which
used (or uses) such explosive devices. Ex military warbirds now
flying as part of the general aviation fleet may be an exception.
Thirty years ago one light, single piston engine, general
aviation aircraft, a Stinson model 108 Voyager, was equipped with
such explosive devices as part of an apparatus to lower a
disabled airplane inflight, including the pilot and passengers,
safely to the ground.
Two New York inventors, Angelo Raiti, and Dario Manfredi, were
partners in the Aircraft Safety Release Corporation. Their
intent was to create a system which would bring a disabled
airplane safely back to earth. When the pilot decided his
airplane was disabled he (or she) would pull a handle inside the
cockpit which activated the explosive devices which would remove
pins holding the wings on. With the wings gone (keep in mind
this is inflight) then the main parachute deployed. The
explosive charges having removed wing attachment pins allowed the
wings to physically separate from the airplane. Once free the
wings would free fall until there own parachutes opened to lower
the wings to the ground.
As the fuselage, now free of wings, free fell toward earth, with
pilot and passengers still aboard, a large parachute would deploy
from the top of the fuselage. With all occupants still in the
airplane (gives new meaning to the recommendation "keep your seat
belt fastened at all times!"), the wingless fuselage would float
down under the parachute to a safe landing.
A practical test to prove the theory was necessary. The two
inventors modified and equipped a 1946 Stinson model 108 Voyager,
serial number 13, registered N39443, with electrically activated
explosive charges, special wing attach pins, and parachutes.
Although I can't locate a record of just how many explosive
charges were incorporated, at least three were needed for each
wing. Stinson 108's use two wing attach bolts which hold the
wing to the top of the fuselage. In addition another explosive
pin would be necessary at the lower fuselage point where the
front lift strut attaches. Additional modifications were
necessary - the control cables had to be altered so they would
allow the wings to separate from the fuselage. Since the Stinson
108 uses wing tanks the fuel lines from each wing tank had to be
severed. Unlikely explosive charges were used to sever the fuel
lines!
In the top of the fuselage just back of the rear seats, a
compartment, covered with a rear hinged hatch, was built to house
the main parachute. Pioneer Parachute Company provided
parachutes and a field engineer, William G. Jolly. The main
parachute, used to lower the Stinson fuselage with pilot and
passengers, was a 64 foot conical canopy, orange in color, made
of 1.1 nylon. It used regular 550 type suspension cords that did
not go through the canopy channels. A pilot chute was used to
help deploy the main parachute. In addition each wing was
equipped with a smaller parachute.
With the Stinson 108 Voyager suitably modified a full scale live
test was scheduled. Lakehurst Naval Air Station, in New Jersey,
was arranged as the site of the test. Test pilot Tommy Walker,
52 at the time, was an experienced pilot and skydiver. Takeoff
from Lakehurst was about 10 AM on November 9, 1967. Strong winds
delayed the test while Walker flew the Stinson. At 12:38 PM
while cruising at 4,600 feet, Walker activated the apparatus.
Both wings separated cleanly, however the small parachutes in
each wing tangled and did not deploy correctly. Both wings
crashed to the ground.
The fuselage parachute opened perfectly only a moment after the
wings separated. Stinson Voyager serial number 13, minus wings,
then began its parachute descent to the ground. Test pilot
Walker remained with the airplane recording data about the
descent. About 1,000 feet above ground level Walker parachuted
out of the Stinson. Interestingly Walker, using a standard 28
foot P9B emergency parachute, was descending faster than the
Stinson. Minus wings the Stinson fuselage weighed about 1200
pounds. Both airplane and test pilot landed safely. Rate of
decent of the airplane with parachute deployed was about 18 feet
per second.
The test was witnessed by the FAA, the Navy, and several news
agencies using some 8 helicopters to cover the event. As far as
I can tell only a single full scale test was carried out, and it
was successful. Rumors are a second Stinson 108 was also
modified but never tested.
Consolidated used NC39443 as a factory demonstrator. After the
November 1967 test the plane was stored in derelict condition.
During 1996 this airplane was completely restored and now flies
again! Owner Ed Katzen flies from Bayport Aerodrome - N23!
Bibliography for this article:
Bisson, Ev, "Would You Believe . . A 64 Foot Conical?" - Sky
Diver magazine, Jan. 1968, The International Magazine of
Parachuting.
Martin, Henry, article in the Trenton Times newspaper. Nov. 10,
1967. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That test pilot had to have some stones to pull that pin!
