Originally Posted by
JohnBurke
Is it? Ever dealt with an onboard fire?
What class of compartment? Do you know how fires are handled presently?
Simple, you say?
At what weight gain for the aircraft? With what altitude and airspeed and configuration limitations?
With what changes to the center of gravity? Every kicked heavy loads off an aircraft in flight with massive weight and balance changes? I have. I do regularly. There are aircraft control issues among other things.
With separate fireproof compartments, aside from the aircraft complexity and weight gain for the doors and compartmentalization, each segment would require its own door, with considerable changes and weight gain to the structure, just to load the cargo. Very quickly, no need for cargo, because the weight that could have been carried is now structural...to what end?
You're aware that presently there are more than one cargo area, and depending on the class, have multiple means of addressing a fire including smoke routing, smoke detection, fire detection, fire suppression, depressurization, and other means of detecting and addressing a potential fire?
I have no idea, but they say every change has a beginning. The current system can't ensure safety, and is designed to getting everything crammed in as quick as possible. The baggage people although diligent in their work, cannot be expected to scan for every condition that is a potential for chemical or spontaneous combustion.
I think it was the FEDEX flight into Dubai that is a good incentive for bay re-design(lithium batteries I recall). As a result of this horrific case, they tried and tested new designs of fireproof containers. No answer was found to the problem.
The flight issues you mention can be handled in training on the newly designed model. But we are speaking of exceptions, not the rule. Perhaps the experiences of Lancaster
aircraft could be incorporated. I believe they would have experienced the extremes and know the effects. I think the bays loaded to 5 tons, can't be sure.
The Air Force could be involved in the design as well using technology of the transports, etc.