Design and Mockup Evaluation of a High-Strength Armored Crew Seat for Transport/Cargo Aircraft.

Abstract : Conceptual layout drawings of six armored crew seat systems for use in transport/cargo aircraft were developed and evaluated. The initial seating concepts included attenuation in all three axes. In one of the early concepts, the effect of sliding friction during the attenuation stroke was completely eliminated by allowing certain key components to rotate to gain the necessary translation. In the final design, attenuation was obtained by sliding on conventional tracks; however, attenuation in the lateral direction was eliminated because lateral space and weight became critical. To obtain the most efficient seat system in terms of cost, weight, and space, concurrent studies were conducted to investigate armor materials, energy absorbers, restraint systems, seat cushions and head rests to determine the most efficient parameters for each. As a result, boron carbide was chosen for the armor, a commercially available energy absorber known as Tor-Shok for the attenuators, and a modified F-111 harness for the restraint system; and the material thickness and dimensions for the seat cushion and head rest were defined. (Modified author abstract)