Evaluation of an Improved Flame Resistant Aircraft Window System.
Abstract
Information was obtained by conducting a series of representative fire modeling experiments of aircraft cabin window systems employing salvaged segments of a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft. Experiments were performed in which a thermally improved window system was installed adjacent to a standard window configuration and exposed to flame impingement from a JP-4 fuel fire. The results of test 1 indicated that the thermally improved Dc-10 window configuration, employing the stretched acrylic pressure pane and the new EX 112 fail-safe pane, provided an overall improvement in flame resistivity over the standard all acrylic window system of at least 79 seconds (1.3 minutes). During this experiment, the silicone rubber window gasket provided adequate thermal and mechanical stability toward preventing flame penetration into the cabin through the improved fail-safe (EX 112) window system for 225 seconds (3.75 minutes), which was the duration of fire exposure. The average failure time of the stretched acrylic and thermally improved (EX 112) fail-safe window panes in tests 2, 3, and 4 was 198 seconds (3.3 minutes) and 249 seconds (4.15 minutes), respectively, after fuel ignition. These data indicated that, on average, an improvement in fire resistivity of 51 seconds (0.85 minute) was obtained by the improved (EX 112) window configuration over the standard stretched acrylic window system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA143263
Entities
People
- C. H. Urban
- G. B. Geyer
Organizations
- Federal Aviation Administration