sayerofno - Slashdot User

NASA Tests Flying Airbag 118

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday December 09, 2009 @03:10PM from the drop-the-cloud-anchor dept.

coondoggie writes "NASA is looking to reduce the deadly impact of helicopter crashes on their pilots and passengers with what the agency calls a high-tech honeycomb airbag known as a deployable energy absorber. So in order to test out its technology NASA dropped a small helicopter from a height of 35 feet to see whether its deployable energy absorber, made up of an expandable honeycomb cushion, could handle the stress. The test crash hit the ground at about 54MPH at a 33 degree angle, what NASA called a relatively severe helicopter crash."

Comment Re:Call it cynicism, but... (Score 1) 301

by sayerofno on Thursday December 28, 2006 @03:12PM (#17390424) Attached to: Secret Gov't Documents Will be Declassified 12/31

That's an interesting thought. My dad was a nuclear vet...I think he was in Nevada in '52 or '54. I only learned about it six months before he died. He'd never said anything about it to anyone.

FWIW, he had leukemia (one of the causes of his death). I did some research after he died, and had he filed for it himself, he would have received a $75,000 payout for medical expenses as part of a government settlement. No benefit for survivors though. If your dad's still alive and is having any medical problems, you might check it out.

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