Airstair
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An airstair is a set of steps built into an
Some aircraft, like the Boeing 727 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9, were designed to improve ground services, with passengers deplaning from the front as the aircraft is serviced from the rear, enabling quicker turnarounds.
Airstairs are also used as a security measure, for example on aircraft carrying the President of the United States, allowing the aircraft to be boarded by VIPs at any time - with or without the cooperation of ground services.
Design
Ventral airstairs are featured on most tail-engined airliners, such as the
The most common type of airstair is found in most business aircraft, regional jets, and other small airliners, which is a stair built into the inside of the main passenger door, which is lowered to the outside. Aircraft such as the
Another widespread type of airstair is used for forward doors. The stair folds and stows under the floor of the door and is deployed from the fuselage immediately below the forward door. This type of airstair is found on many short-range aircraft such as
A unique airstair design was used for the aft doors of
The most unusual airstair design was found on the Lockheed L-1011, which was a full-height airstair that was stored in a cargo compartment and allowed access from the right aft passenger door to the ground. This design was ultimately so large and heavy, and it took up valuable cargo space, that it was rarely used.
One version of on-board folding airstairs were designed by Winters Aircraft Engineering Company over 30 years ago.[
STC's have been previously issued to subsequent manufacturers including Kaiser Aerospace, WAPCO, and Advanced Aerospace. On-Board Folding Airstairs can be found in use on many U.S., Foreign Military, and Government Aircraft, including the Boeing E4B as well as VIP aircraft around the world. The On-Board Folding Airstairs is a multi-section (3, 4, or 5 segment) airstair that can be installed at either the forward, center, or aft doors. When retracted/closed, the airstair sits on a track and is typically stowed in a closet either Forward, Aft, or Transverse.
As a parachuting exit
A rear, ventral, airstair can be used as a safe means of parachuting from an airliner that is equipped with one. This was attempted on 24 November 1971 by an unknown hijacker, widely known as D. B. Cooper, who jumped from a Boeing 727 along with US$200,000 in ransom money.[4] However, it is unknown if he survived the jump. Subsequently, a number of individuals carried out copycat hijackings against Boeing 727s and safely parachuted to the ground, although all were apprehended by the authorities. To prevent this, Boeing 727s were ordered to be fitted with a simple device known as a Cooper vane that prevented the ventral airstair from being opened in flight.[5]
The rear airstair of a
During the 2012 Boeing 727 crash experiment, a flight crew took off in the Boeing 727 that was to be crashed and flew it to a pre-selected desert site before safely parachuting from the airstair, as the Mexican government required that the plane be flown by a human crew for part of the experiment, especially as the aircraft's route to the crash site passed over populated areas. The 727 was then deliberately flown into the ground under remote control.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Simpson, Martin J. "A-26 Access and Air Stairs". Tripod.com. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ^ "Airstair Manufacturing & Repair | Dow Aero".
- ^ "Dynamic Regulatory System | U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration".
- ^ Krajicek, David (1 August 2011). "D. B. Cooper, the legendary daredevil". TruTV. Archived from the original on 2013-12-10. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ISBN 0-387-02620-7.
Cooper vane.
- ^ "World-class Skydiving Facilities | Skydive Perris".
- ^ 'Curiosity: Plane Crash' Documents Intentional Boeing 727 Crash. ABC News. Event occurs at 0m 48s.
External links
- Period photographs of commercial airliners with lowered airstairs, from the Ed Coates collection:
- Douglas DC-3 of Southwest Airways (second photograph on the page)
- Martin 2-0-2, Martin 4-0-4 of Pacific Air Lines
- The Airstair of Yakovlev Yak-42D Airliners.net