The FLY-BAG project, led by EARTO member D’Appolonia, developeda breakthrough innovation in civil aviation safety – a blast resistant luggage container for passenger aircrafts. The textile-composite based container was successfully tested under blast conditions that would most likely cause collapse of an aircraft.
Civil aviation is constantly under threat posed by terrorist attacks. Disasters such as Lockerbie and even the recent parcel bomb attempts in October 2010, have shown that checked luggage and parcels are possible channels for smuggling explosive devices, below the threshold of the detection instruments but still able to cause catastrophic damage, onboard aircrafts. Supplementary layers of protection are needed to protect airplanes from in-flight on-board threats.
This is the idea behind FLY-BAG, an FP7 European project coordinated by D’Appolonia and involving 8 partners from 6 countries, which has developed, tested and patented an innovative air cargo luggage container with blast containment capabilities.
A flexible solution
The FLY-BAG concept is based on a flexible anti-blast cover and composite floor system able to resist a small to medium explosion by controlled expansion and full containment of the pressure generated by the explosion whilst, at the same time, preventing hard luggage fragment projectiles from striking the airframe at high speed. A multi-layered flexible structure has been invented to resist the large overpressure generated by the gas expansion which is integrated with a lightweight sandwich floor and wall elements designed to absorb the shock holing loads of the explosion.
Passenger safety meeting industry’s needs
Unlike existing - but hardly ever implemented outside the lab - hardened containers, the FLY-BAG system is flexible, easy to handle, relatively light and affordable; moreover it is also suitable for narrow body commercial aircrafts. All of these characteristics make it an extremely interesting device for airlines, as testified by project partner airline Meridiana’s prominent role in development.
Blast proof containers ready to take off
FLY-BAG prototypes were successfully assembled and tested in loading operations on an Airbus A319 and full-scale blast tests were a complete success, withstanding explosions that would otherwise destroy an airplane.
Currently, the partners involved in the development of the system are working for the certification of the system by the European Aviation Safety Agency and acceptance from the major aircraft manufacturers and shippers of freight.
FLY-BAG represents a huge worldwide market potential for the companies involved, leading to a full range of innovative products not only for aviation but also in other sectors as transportation, law enforcement, security-sensitive buildings.
D'Appolonia S.p.A. is a large Italian engineering and innovation consulting firm providing integrated services to customers belonging both to the public and the private sector in the environment, energy, oil and gas, construction, transport, space and security domains. With over 600 engineers and scientists, mostlyhaving extended academic and technical background with post-graduate degrees, the company supports customers from conceptual design and definition of specifications up to implementation, optimization and validation.