UK Military Experience of Rotary Aircraft Fires and Equipment - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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UK Military Experience of Rotary Aircraft Fires and Equipment Provided to Mitigate this Risk

Dr Michael J A Trudgill MB BCh MRCGP Dip

IMC RCS(Ed) DAvMed DOcc Med FRAeS

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Outline

• Overview of Rotary

Aircraft fires

• UK Military experience
• Recent UK ensemble

testing

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Rotary Aircraft Fires

• All Rotary aircraft
• Dramatic and frequently

tragic

• Hydraulic
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Fuel fires
• UK experience

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UK Rotary Accident Fires

• Data reviewed from 1995-

2009 (15 Years)

• 44 Rotary Accidents
• 7 Fires (16%)
• 5 Post crash fires (11.5%)
• 2 In flight fires (4.5%)

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Aircraft Control Measures

• Crashworthy fuel systems
• Fuel tanks/seams/crash

valves/engineering design

• Hot surface ignition
• Anti mist kerosene
• Inert gases
• Extinguishers
• (US Army statistics-helio-

no reduction in post crash fire)

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Personal Protective Equipment

• Fire proof clothing
• Reduces rate of tissue

heating allowing wearer time to escape

• Flame resistant shell
• Insulating layer

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Operational Conflicts

• Non Signature
• Low thermal burden
• Integration and Comfort
• Ground pattern
• Nomex flight suit
• Boots
• Undergarments

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Compromise

• FR CS 95 developed
• Education
• Ongoing commitment to

develop FR low burden AEA

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BTTG BURN TRIALS

• Burn trials of current
• perational clothing

ensembles to ISO 13506

• Clearance of new UBACS
• Test a range of Head

mounted equipment

• Test a range of trousers-

JSFAW

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Test Conditions

• 4 or 5 second burn

duration

• 1200 deg C propane

flame from 12 burners

• Heat Flux 84kW/m2
• Behaviour during burn
• Behaviour post burn
• Subsequent equipment

condition

• Heat transfer

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Measurements

• 150 thermistors across

manikin

• Measure at 10, 30 60 and

90 seconds

• Heat flux used to

estimate skin burn

• Takata and Stoll skin

model

• Skin burn results plotted
• n a dermatome type

map

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Results

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Further Analysis

• Body divided into regions

relating to items of equipment

• Torso- Survival vest
• Arms- UBACS
• Legs-Trousers and long johns
• Head-Helmets, masks and

head over's

• Small number of thermistors
• Small number of burns
• Data susceptible to equipment

positioning

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Head Protection

• Effect of flash fire on various helmets
• Visors
• Visor covers
• Masks
• Face shields
• Scarf (shemag)
• Head over

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Helmets

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Shemag and Head over

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Helmets and Headover

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Head Protection

Predicted Head and Neck Burns

• 2

3 8 13 18 23 28 33 38 43 48 4B4L+HEADOVER 4B4L+HEADOVER 4B4L+FACEMASK 4B4L+FACEMASK 10R+PQ MASK ALPHA EAGLE+FACEMASK ALPHA EAGLE APACHE HELMET 4A+SHEMAG Head and Neck equipment Worn Burn Severity HEAD

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Torso Burns

• Effect of layers
• Adequacy of minimal

ensemble

• Molle System
• Jacket functionality
• Effect on survival aids
• Fragmentation vest
• Ballistic plates

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Torso

TORSO BURN

• 6

4 14 24 34 44 54 64 61M 61M+UBACS 61M+UBACS 61M UBACS TUCKED IN 61M+FRAG VEST 61M+FRAG VEST+CERAMIC PLATES 60M+DYNEMA PLATES+COLLECTOR 60M No plates or survival aids 61M+FRONT AND REAR CERAMIC PLATES Burn Score Front Back

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Results

• More layers better
• Frag vest good protection
• Molle system survives
• Jacket pockets protect survival

aids ?ammo

• Dynema Plate undamaged
• Ceramic plate undamaged!
• Plate rear cover-cordura
• Decisions regarding layers on

UBACS vest vindicated

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Arms

• Double sleeve
• Single sleeve
• Neoprene inserts

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Single sleeve vs double

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Arms

ARM BURNS

• 1

4 9 14 19 24 29 34 39 44 CAM UBACS 1a MK16 FR 2 CAM UBACS 1b CAM UBACS 1c CAM UBACS 4 GROUND UBACS 5 CAM UBACS 6 PECOC 7 no neoprene PECOC 8 plus neoprene Garment Worn Burn Severity RIGHT ARM LEFT ARM

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Neoprene

• Minimal welding to
• verlying fabric
• Provides additional

protection

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Trousers

• Comparison of various

ensembles

• Kermel viscose
• FR Rayon 65%,Aramid

25%,Nylon 10%

• 90% Nomex
• Kermel and cotton

undergarments

• Repairs and AVTUR

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TROUSERS

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AVTUR, REPAIRS AND HOMEGROWN

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TROUSER BURN

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 KERMEL LONGJOHNS+FR CS95 MK16A+COTTON LONG JOHNS KERMEL LONGJOHNS+FR CS95 KERMEL LONGJOHNS+FR CS95 COTTON LONGJOHNS+FR CS95 ARMY ELEMENT PANT(COLD WEATHER,NO UNDERGARMENT) COTTON LONGJOHNS+FR CS95 AV TUR LEFT LEG COTTON LONGJOHNS+US FR COMBAT TROUSER ANTI MICROBIAL SHORTS+FR CS95 Garment Worn Burn Severity Right leg Left leg

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Questions