J.J. Gassmann

Aircraft fires originating within faulty vacuum systems have been investigated in the laboratory.

Bench test and tests in full-scale engine installations of an operating vacuum system have been conducted to determine conditions within the system resulting from blockage of suction and/or pressure lines combined with malfunctioning of the suction and/or reassure relief valves.

A simple bench test was developed to duplicate the internal fire conditions which were obtained in earlier tests, but without destroying a vacuum pump in each investigation as occurred in those tests. Control of conditions was refined until tests could be easily and accurately duplicated. Various vacuum piping systems, including systems in use and those proposed for future use, were compared to determine the relative abilities of the systems to withstand internal fire.

Lyle Tarbell

One type of fire which occurs rather frequently in air carrier aircraft is the landing gear fire which usually results from excessive braking or from hydraulic fluid leaks or a combination of both.

S.G. Weisberg

Power plant fires tests conducted on small fabric-covered aircraft proved the futility of providing engine fire protection in an aircraft covered with fabric, which would be destroyed by fire within a few seconds.

Fabrics treated with cellulose nitrate dope were destroyed by fire within two seconds. Fabrics treated with cellulose acetate butyrate dope were destroyed by fire within six seconds.

Fire- retardant coating have been developed which, when applied over fabrics treated with cellulose acetate butyrate dope, markedly increase the resistance to fire of the doped fabrics.

James Boyd

Due to the practical limitations imposed by the empirical nature of the test, a complete answer to the multitudinous problems connected with toxicity of the gaseous decomposition products of molded and laminated thermosetting materials, resulting from fires aboard ship, cannot be given. It is considered, however that the tests were sufficiently broad in scope to provide information of value as a guide o the relative toxic hazard of these materials in connection with the choice of materials for shipboard applications. It is emphasized that all materials tested produced toxic gases in some amount, and therefore none of the materials may be considered as presenting no toxic hazard if burned or thermally decomposed in an enclosed space.

Test Criteria