Passenger safety pods
Landon Tinder had a plan to make air travel safer by putting passengers inside near-indestructible pods. The plane could crash and the pods, he claimed, would survive.
Details from the Chicago Tribune (Aug 27, 1989):
Why the airlines didn't like his idea:
Details from the Chicago Tribune (Aug 27, 1989):
Tinder has a grand plan to replace standard airline seats with a string of compartments—each containing two to eight fortified seats—that can endure the impact, heat and smoke of almost any airline crash...
Each of Tinder's "passenger pods" would be equipped with its own airtight door, crash bag, cooling system, shock-absorbent shell and oxygen supply.
In the event of a crash or terrorist threat, the pod would seal itself off and the air bag would engage—all in two to three seconds. The 5-inch-thick honeycomb shell of aluminum, fiberglass and titanium could withstand temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 20 minutes. If the plane crashes in water, the pod would float.
"The aircraft around it can perish; this will stand strong," Tinder said.
Each of Tinder's "passenger pods" would be equipped with its own airtight door, crash bag, cooling system, shock-absorbent shell and oxygen supply.
In the event of a crash or terrorist threat, the pod would seal itself off and the air bag would engage—all in two to three seconds. The 5-inch-thick honeycomb shell of aluminum, fiberglass and titanium could withstand temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 20 minutes. If the plane crashes in water, the pod would float.
"The aircraft around it can perish; this will stand strong," Tinder said.
Why the airlines didn't like his idea:
It is the economic consideration that prompts some people to quickly dismiss Tinder's Aeronautical Life Protecting Security System (ALPS for short) as an ornately packaged pipe dream...
At $40,000 a seat, airlines would have to pay about $2 million to fit each plane with ALPS containers. More importantly, the system would reduce each plane's seating capacity by 19 to 28 percent—a proposition that makes industry analysts profoundly skeptical.
"It would ruin the operating economics of every known airline," said Paul Turk of AV-MARK, a consulting firm specializing in airline economics.
At $40,000 a seat, airlines would have to pay about $2 million to fit each plane with ALPS containers. More importantly, the system would reduce each plane's seating capacity by 19 to 28 percent—a proposition that makes industry analysts profoundly skeptical.
"It would ruin the operating economics of every known airline," said Paul Turk of AV-MARK, a consulting firm specializing in airline economics.
Santa Cruz Sentinel - Aug 7, 1989
Comments
Yeah, that was - pardon the pun - clearly never going to fly. I'm also a bit sceptical about the shock absorption.
Posted by Richard Bos on 06/16/24 at 07:11 AM
Yeah - those pods MIGHT survive a crash, but the bodies of the people that used to be inside of them are going to be in bad condition. And on any flight of any reasonable duration, the doors will have to stay open for snacks, potty breaks, etc. so they probably won't be closed up if/when you actually want them to be.
Posted by Eric Gagen on 06/19/24 at 06:07 PM
Category: Air Travel and Airlines | 1980s