'Space airbags' may help protect helicopters in emergency landings
London, September 2 :: A technique used in many NASA Mars rovers could be used to
protect helicopters in emergency landings, by placing airbags on the underside of the
choppers.
Several of NASA Mars rovers have successfully landed on Mars, protected from impact
with the ground by sophisticated airbags.
Now, according to a report in New Scientist, the helicopter manufacturer Bell
Helicopter based in Fort Worth, Texas, believes the same technique could be used to
protect helicopters in emergency landings.
The bags would be fitted to the underside of a helicopter and deployed only when the
vehicle is about to hit the ground at too high a velocity.
They would be able to help the helicopter in a crash landing, and keep a craft afloat
if it ditches in the sea.
According to the company, the bags are also designed to reinflate after impact to act
as flotation devices should the helicopter ditch in water. :
--ANI
