Here's What Happened When NASA Simulated A Marine Helicopter Crash - Business Insider

David C. Bowman/NASA LangleyOn October 1, NASA researchers tried to simulate a helicopter crash.


Researchers gathered at the space agency's Langley's Landing and Impact Research facility alongside representatives from the military, as well as national and international government agencies, to drop a former Marine helicopter 30 feet to the ground.


The NASA drop test featured a Boeing CH-46 fuselage outfitted with almost 40 cameras inside and out, along with an additional 350 data channels recording the movement of aircraft.


Inside the helicopter were a further 13 crash-test dummies equipped with monitoring instruments, along with two non-instrumented manikins. The purpose of the test - which lasted only three seconds but took more than three years to prepare - was to aid in developing helicopters that are safer and more efficient, and to closely study the physics and dynamics of a common crash scenario.


The October 1 test drop is the successor to a nearly identical CH-46 drop that occurred in August 2013. In the most recent drop, NASA added a specially developed energy-absorbing passenger floor, as well as new seats and restraints.


NASA filmed the drop from a multitude of angles to document the test and to gather additional data. Here are some of the highlights.


The Boeing CH-46 was dropped from 30 feet in the air to a soil base. Your browser does not support the video tag. http://ift.tt/1pIvBQY was purposefully chosen- the majority of helicopter crashes land on organic materials and not manmade surfaces such as concrete or asphalt. Your browser does not support the video tag. http://ift.tt/1uStRf3 provide additional information beyond the sensors within the fuselage, the CH-46 was painted white with black polka dots. These dots allow cameras filming the event at 500 images-per-second to see exactly how the aircraft's structure responded to the crash. Your browser does not support the video tag. http://ift.tt/1pIvBR2 of the 15 manikins within the aircraft were outfitted with sensors, recording how they fared during the helicopter's crash landing. Your browser does not support the video tag. http://ift.tt/1s2xvRb

The full video is below.


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