BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 14 Sep 2014, 19:08

Username Protected wrote:

Alren, yes - I want something also. I was thinking even possibly a Ruger Judge .410 Revolver with 00 buck in it. 5 shots to blow open an exit.

Flipping over is the reason you never land with gear down off-airport in a Glasair. The nose gear will usually fold and the plane flips over. Land gear up and slide on the ground.

Would not want to use ammo in a plane full of fuel with possible leaks.
I darn good knife probably the answer.
Or a hatchet

Username Protected · **Posted:** 14 Sep 2014, 19:10

Username Protected wrote:

I was thinking even possibly a Ruger Judge .410 Revolver with 00 buck in it. 5 shots to blow open an exit.

.

Todd,

You'd lose all of your hearing, and there's too much fuel close by for any firearm..

Username Protected · **Posted:** 14 Sep 2014, 19:14

Arlen,

Have you tried cutting a piece of similar canopy material with that? I'd be curious to hear what that's like. I would guess pretty tough considering you will be upside down with only arm strength for leverage. Could be wrong...let us know if you test it.

Most pressurized aircraft have hatchets with some mass.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 14 Sep 2014, 19:26

I have not tried it. It would be pretty tight quarters, not much room for swinging a hatchet or using a knife; I think one would have to count on adrenaline and some luck.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 14 Sep 2014, 19:36

Username Protected wrote:

I have not tried it. It would be pretty tight quarters, not much room for swinging a hatchet or using a knife; I think one would have to count on adrenaline and some luck.

I would risk the gunshot and possible explosion. I don't think you would have the range of motion and strength upside down to make much force. Hearing would be protected by the headset.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 14 Sep 2014, 22:37

All Cirri come standard with a hammer. Must be a good reason, although I've never heard a first hand account.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 00:22

Username Protected wrote:

.... if you flip the plane over you have a good chance of being trapped in the plane. ....

Todd,

The off airport landing flip-over risk is why I carry one of these in my plane....for escape through the canopy:
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Attachment:

Smith&Wesson_61PWT3kTTtL__SL1500_.jpg

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 13:03

A few years ago I changed the design of my canopy and decided to break the one being replaced out of the frame.
It was very thin plexiglas .
I took a mallet and struck it . Hammer simply bounced off.
I hit it a dozen times to no avail.
There is no way you could break a canopy in an upside down emergency.
A very sharp heavy object may break it, but you would still have to break a hole big enough to allow an injured person to climb out. It just ain't going to happen 99% of the time.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 13:12

Username Protected wrote:

A few years ago I changed the design of my canopy and decided to break the one being replaced out of the frame.
It was very thin plexiglas .
I took a mallet and struck it . Hammer simply bounced off.
I hit it a dozen times to no avail.
There is no way you could break a canopy in an upside down emergency.
A very sharp heavy object may break it, but you would still have to break a hole big enough to allow an injured person to climb out. It just ain't going to happen 99% of the time.

I agree 100% and that is why I prefer the revolver shotgun.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 13:19

I would hate to be the First-Responder approaching the flipped airplane when the Taurus-Judge-emergency-exit-maker is deployed :bugeye:

Even in the event at Austin Exec - The occupants were out of the airplane when emergency response arrived - Hopefully this method of egress would be extremely rare..

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 13:39

Username Protected wrote:

There is no way you could break a canopy in an upside down emergency.
A very sharp heavy object may break it, but you would still have to break a hole big enough to allow an injured person to climb out. It just ain't going to happen 99% of the time.

Here's a demo of breaking out of an RV-7 canopy:
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[youtube]http://youtu.be/fRvQxGl4kt4[/youtube]

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It seems like my heavy knife point may work like that...

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 14:18

I found out more info. This is the tool that was used, and this successful test has been confirmed by other RV owners on RV canopies..

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 14:22

Username Protected wrote:

I found out more info. This is the tool that was used, and this successful test has been confirmed by other RV owners on RV canopies..

Todd,
Please order one of these today!
Arlen, you already did, right?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 14:40

Username Protected wrote:

I found out more info. This is the tool that was used, and this successful test has been confirmed by other RV owners on RV canopies..

Yep, some of our customers have these also. I like the seatbelt cutter feature also. The KEY to having this equipment is having it permanently secured where you can easily grab it from either hand. In my plane I think I will put two in the plane. One in front of each seat.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 15 Sep 2014, 15:49

I've seen one of those orange hammers have the head break off and become useless when it was used to try and break through the canopy of an inverted DA20 at -20 Celsius. Plastic was too fragile in the cold. Something to think about if you're flying in cold weather...

He ended up using the aluminium control lock to bust through...

Finishing my new Glasair III