AERIAL LIFEBELT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22353, 29 August 1934, Page 10

AERIAL LIFEBELT

ENGLISHMAN’S INVENTION. An invention which enables all the passengers in the cabin of an air liner to leave the machine quickly and safely in case of emergency has just been perfected (states the Loudon Evening News). It has been evolved by Mr Leslie Irvin, the inventor of the parachute which bears his name and which has already been instrumental in saving the lives of more than 900 pilots. This new invention is a type of aerial lifebelt which even the most forgetful travellers cannot mislay—for it forms an integral part of the armchair in which they sit. In appearance the armchair is the usual leather-covered chair of the average air liner, but beneath the cushion is a tightly-packed parachute with its harness concealed in the chair back and sides.

In an emergency the passenger, without moving from tho seat, has only to pick up two side straps, lay them across Ins lap, draw two shoulder straps over his bock and couple the four together—the work of a few seconds. lie is then securely attached to his parachute, which ho opens after leaving the machine by pulling a release ring nt his side. Immediately the parachute opens the harness pulls him up iuto a silting position, and in case his landing should be a little too abrupt Mr Irvin has thoughtfully provided a seat cushion at his back to lessen the impact.

A number of successful descents from cabin-type aircraft have already been made with this new type, of passengerporaelinto. It may soon become as essentia] a part of an air liner’s equipment ns lifebuoys are at sea.