Airbags

[Mario[_2_]]

Over 80% of new GA aircraft come equipped with seatbelt airbags.
Is there a reason why they cannot or would not be practical for use
in sailplanes?

[Donald S Brant Jr]

On Sep 2, 9:00*pm, Mario > wrote:
> Over 80% of new GA aircraft come equipped with seatbelt airbags.
> Is there a reason why they cannot or would not be practical for use
> in sailplanes?
Well, for one thing, they require an electrical system, lacking in
many sailplanes, which can momentarily supply quite a high current to
fire the airbags. Also, there is a separate airbag control box and
its associated wiring and current draw which would need to dealt with,
as well as panel space for a status indicator and presumably a test
button and/or an arm/safe switch, which might be in short supply in a
tight cockpit. Then of course there is the cost and weight. A
properly fitted and adjusted 4- or 6-point harness is pretty effective
on its own.

Don