In 1956, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Corporation developed an inflatable airplane to drop to downed pilots to use to escape from behind enemy lines. The Goodyear AO-2 Inflatoplane weighed about 195 pounds and compressed into a package about three feet long, two feet wide, and two feet high. Additional inflatable components, such as landing-gear floats, life vests, life rafts, and even hangars, have served aviation through the years.
AO-2 Inflatoplane Designed For Downed Pilots to Use for Escapes
The AO-2 inflatable plane was a US Army-sponsored project, and the Office of Naval Research was also involved in its design and testing. With its lightweight and small package, the Inflatoplane could easily be carried and dropped by parachute from a small cargo plane.
The original method of inflating the plane was a hand pump that took 40 minutes to reach its required rigidity for flight. With later models, the aircraft could be partially inflated with a carbon dioxide bottle and then filled by a blower on the engine in about 10 minutes. The initial model for the inflatable airplane featured an open-air cockpit and space for one person. A later version had a glass cockpit.
Inflatable Airplane Flew Despite Small Engine And Low Air Pressure
The Inflatoplane’s 44-horsepower motor propelled it to a maximum airspeed of 70 miles per hour (mph) and could lift it to 10,000 feet. It could take off in less than 100 feet. Fully inflated, its internal pressure was only about seven pounds per square inch. Its body was made of nylon threads sandwiched between two pieces of cloth coated with rubber.
While the Inflatoplane did fly, designers encountered severe problems during testing. During a wind tunnel test, the wings folded in on themselves when wind speeds reached about 75 mph. During flight testing, there were reports that a pilot was killed when the wings again collapsed when the plane exceeded 70 mph. However, this was not verified, although there was one documented death when a control cable snapped and the inflatable airplane crashed.
Twelve inflatable planes were built in total, and the project continued until 1979. When it was canceled, an unattributed source reportedly stated the Army could not find “a valid military use for an aircraft that could be brought down by a well-aimed bow and arrow.”
Landing Gear Floats More Useful Than Inflatable Airplane
While the AO-2 inflatable airplane was not a success, manufacturers found other, and probably better, uses for inflatable components and gear. One of these was the installation of floats in place of wheeled landing gear. One example is the Full-Lotus float system from Aircraft Floats Manufacturing, Ltd. These floats have inflatable bladders inside a vinyl outer casing protected by a polycarbonate/thermoplastic outer shell.
The Full-Lous floats allow aircraft to land on water and park on rocky shores or snow. The system was originally designed for light sport aircraft, but the company plans to develop it for larger aircraft. One of their newer concepts is to incorporate main aircraft wheels into the bodies of the floats.
Inflatable Life Vest, Rafts, and Evacuation slides
While not producing entire inflatable aircraft, several companies make inflatable safety and survival gear for the aviation industry. One of these manufacturers is BF Aerospace. They produce and repair items they call “ready to go” inflatable components. BF Aerospace supports its customers by maintaining an inventory of more than 300 evacuation slides, 100 life rafts, and 25,000 life vests for multiple aircraft models.
Inflatable Hangars: Functional and Durable
Inflatable hangars are another aviation-related use for this technology. Angarstroy, a Russian company, has been making inflatable hangars and workshops since 1999. Much more than just large balloons, these hangars have heating, ventilation, and exhaust systems that maintain ideal temperature and humidity conditions for workers.
They also have LED indoor and outdoor lighting with waterproof and explosion-proof designs. The translucent PVC material used in these structures allows enough sunlight to filter in during the day to make artificial lighting unnecessary.
Angarstroy makes inflatable hangars in sizes from 1000 to 107,000 square feet, with a maximum width of 328 feet and a height of 98 feet. They are constructed in one to seven days and are rated to last at least 15 years.
