Thor I. Eklund

A series of tests was conducted on the effects of wind and door openings on hazard development within a model fuselage from an external pool fire. A one-quarter-scale model fuselage was designed and fabricated. Data from thermocouples, calorimeters, and motion pictures was documented for tests with and without an external wind. The cabin temperature, smoke accumulation, and ceiling heat flux are shown to be related. Opening upwind fuselage doors is shown to abet hazard development within the fuselage.

Eldon B. Nicholas

Smoke density tests were conducted on four aircraft cabin materials representing different usage catergories. These tests were to determine if there was any relationship between results obtained from the OSU rate of heat and smoke release apparatus and the NBS smoke chamber.

A definative statement on the relationship between the two test methods cannot be made based on the limited scope of this study. However, the materials (panels and thermoplastic) and lower values for the fibrous type materials (fabrics and carpet).

E. Feldkirchner

This specification is intended to establish a combined fire hazard standard test procedure, taking into consideration the aspects of flammability, density of smoke emitted and the toxicity of the smoke gases, applicable to aircraft parts, that are intended to be used inside the pressurized portion of the fuselage of large commercial transport category aircraft.

R.L. Alpert

The possibility of evaluating relative rates of upward fire spread on aircraft cabin materials is investigated with small-scale models burned at elevated' ambient air pressure. The modeling technique, which preserves the fluid Grashof number of the full-scale fire spread process, is verified in the first part of the study with vertical walls of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) fuel ignited at one atmosphere (full-scale) and at elevated absolute pressures (model) to 3.5 MPa (515 psia). In the second phase of the study, fifteen aircraft cabin samples are subjected to a small PMMA ignition source ,for a range of elevated ambient air pressures. Rates of upward fire spread, characterized by flame height exponential growth factors, are measurable for nearly all the aircraft cabin materials at absolute pressures from 1.18 MFa (165 psia) to 3.2 Mfa (465 psia). Ranking of the materials by rate of upward fire spread is facilitated by the nearly two order of magnitude separation between highest and lowest growth factor at each pressure level. This ranking is found to be reasonably independent of pressure, enabling conservative predictions of upward spread behavior at one atmosphere to be made.

R.H. Morford

There have been large numbers of fires caused by vandalism and arson of foam products such as mattresses in various institutions such as prisons, hails and mental institutions. These fires that have been responsible for many deaths, injuries and large loss, have been the basis for many legal actions against the authorities responsible for the maintenance of the various institutions.