Halatron Fire Ext

Paul Allen

Paul Allen

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Paul
I'm looking for a new fire ext for our plane and the local fire ext store has a halatron that is much cheaper than aircraft supply places. Is a halatron as good as a halon? Is it OK for plane use?
Thanks
 
It's good enough for the Dryden Research facility...

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/125506main_DCP-O-001.pdf



14 CFR 25.851
Airworthiness Standards, Fire Extinguisher ​
  1. A. The Code of Federal Regulation 14, Chapter 1, Part 25, s25.851 requires aircraft on-board fire extinguishers of Halon 1211/1311 A-B-C. However, Halon extinguisher agent may not be readily available.
  2. B. The replacement for Halon will be Halatron B-C. The CFR has yet to be updated to reflect this change.
  3. C. If Halon fire extinguishers are not available, Halatron will be an acceptable substitute for Dryden aircraft use until the CFR is changed.
 
Halotron (a non-brominated HCFC mix) is not nearly as effective by weight as the brominated agents Halon 1211 and 1301. You need more agent (i.e., a bigger extinguisher) and the post-fire concentrations of halogen acids (HF and HCl) in the post-fire atmosphere will be much higher, possibly lethally so. Stick with Halon (pure 1301 if you can get it, 1301/1211 mix if you can't). And if you get a 1301/1211 mix, mind the "minimum room volume" limit on the bottle -- unlike 1301, 1211 is toxic, so you need to make sure your cabin is big enough that discharge will create a 1211 concentration lethal only to fires, not people.
 
As Steve's quote says, Halotron is only approved (and only for Dryden Aircraft) if Halon is not available.

More Expensive != Not Available
 
Apparently at least one Part 135 operator uses Halatron in a single engine aircraft....

http://www.crownaviation.net/cessna210.html

I'm not a Part 135 operator, but I suspect the FAA would be aware of the use of Halatron extinguishers on aircraft for hire.

And at least one manufacturer of Halotron has the audacity to put the following statemen in their annual report:

In 2002, approval was issued by the FAA for a Halotron I portable fire extinguisher that met all FAA requirements for use on civilian commercial transport aircraft.

http://www.apfc.com/
There's a big difference in a flooding system for a relatively sealed enclosure full of electronics sich as a computer room which use pre-action alarms to evacuate personnel and a relatively unsealed light aircraft cabin where the extinquisher is hand-held and directed at the flame source for only to time necessary to terminate combustion.

But what do I know...:dunno:
 
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