The UH-60 Cockpit Airbag System: A Preliminary Anthropometric Analysis

This study was designed to investigate the possibility of physical interaction between the front seat occupants of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and the proposed UH-60 Cockpit Airbag System CABS. Five large males 80th - 95th percentile in stature, five mid-size males 40th - 55th percentile in stature, and five small females 5th - 30th percentile in stature served as volunteer subjects. Subjects were outfitted in representative aircrew clothing and equipment and were seated in the cockpit of a CABS-equipped UH-60. The airbags were slowly inflated to a gauge pressure of 2 pounds per square inch. Afterward, subjects were asked to assume positions ranging from a normal flying position to performing reaches to the overhead and center consoles. At each position, measurements were made between the CABS and specified anatomical regions in order to determine the degree of occupantairbag interaction. Results show the subjects chests and outboard arms to have the highest probability of interaction with a deploying CABS outboard arm interaction was greatest in the left crewstation. Anthropometry was observed to have no consistent effect on the results, possibly due to variations in the subjects crewseat positions.