> The blanket is stainless steel
> with ceramic and backed with aluminum. Makes good insulation and
keeps
> fumes, etc. from entering the cockpit as the tunnel area is
completely
> sealed.
>
> Bob
> Flight Crafters
>
I'll even propose that one need not fuss excessively over fire
protection to merely protect the occupants, though obviously
important. This blanket should be enough, I'd say. However, the
further issue is how long the plane will remain flyable in the event
of a serious fire in the engine compartment.
What I think is more important is design and installation of
appropriate things such that the risk of fire is extremely remote.
The Rotax installation has several shortcomings in this regard, I
believe, and I doubt Europa has tested it as FAA requires -- an
in addition to no burn-through of firewall barrier material -- since
it appears they require for composite aircraft that the test be
performed while subject to dynamic loads and moving air inside the
cowling expected in flight.
A recent example of what I'm referring to is found in the following
accident (Stemme motorglider with Rotax engine):
http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/brief2.asp?ev_id=20010717X01444&ntsbno=CHI01LA216&akey=1
What's noteworthy, in addition to similar faults in the Europa Rotax
installation, is the few number of minutes for the fire to spread in a
composite aircraft. There was also a tragic accident here (near my
house!) where a Cessna 310 caught fire on departure, and the guy
needed only to get back down from maybe 2,000' AGL over flat terrain.
This is a metal airplane, not a plastic one of course, and an
emergency descent in a 310 can be real quick if need be, but it took
too long.
Reg,
Fred F.
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