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What type fire extinguisher in cockpit

S

schaplerrh

Well Known Member
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I was on my way to buy a small fire extinguisher for the cockpit when I realized that I've no idea what type to get. I can imagine a dry chemical type blinding me, a liquid type shorting the electrical,.... What are you using and why?

Robert
RV-7
 
It might help to explain why...

Type ABC extinguishers have chemicals that corrode metal and ruin avionics (in the "A" part).

That leaves a BC type, or Halon.
 
Halon isn't the only choice.

You can get an aqueous foam extinguisher from Home Depot (or many other stores) for $12. They won't hurt your airframe and won't suffocate you. Plus you can spray the foam on your legs in the event of a fire near your feet.

The only downside I can see is that they will freeze, but will work fine when thawed again. As far as shorting the electrical... if you're on fire, you've turned that off, right? The foam is rated for ABC, but I can't vouch for it's conductance. But it is rated ABC.

As the other posts have said, don't use dry chemical around aluminum unless you're willing to scrap the airframe.

YMMV!
 
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vfrazier said:
Halon isn't the only choice.

You can get an aqueous foam extinguisher from Home Depot (or many other stores) for $12. They won't hurt your airframe and won't suffocate you. Plus you can spray the foam on your legs in the event of a fire near your feet.

The only downside I can see is that they will freeze, but will work fine when thawed again. As far as shorting the electrical... if you're on fire, you've turned that off, right? The foam is rated for ABC, but I can't vouch for it's conductance. But it is rated ABC.

As the other posts have said, don't use dry chemical around aluminum unless you're willing to scrap the airframe.

YMMV!
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I'm with Vince. I purchased a Halon Extinguisher but after much debate with my self, I decided to carry two of these
1rorxt.jpg
on my first flight. I was afraid if I turned that Halon loose in the cockpit I wouldn't be able to see and or possibly choke to death before I could land! Just my two cents!
 
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MikeyDale said:
I'm with Vince. I purchased a Halon Extinguisher but after much debate with my self, I decided to carry two of these
1rorxt.jpg
on my first flight. I was afraid if I turned that Halon loose in the cockpit I wouldn't be able to see and or possibly choke to death before I could land! Just my two cents!
Click to expand...

Mike, I think you'd be far better off with the Halon. If you have a fire behind the panel that product you have will probably trash all of your avionics. Halon is a "clean" agent and leaves zero residue. And pound for pound nothing comes close to it in terms of putting out a fire. The reason for that is because it extinguishes the fire by interupting the combustion process as opposed to reducing the oxygen level.

You won't "choke" on Halon. It is quite inert and relatively safe to use in contained spaces. And it won't affect visability. The fact that the Airforce use it in aircraft, and the Army use it in tanks, and the Navy use it in submarines probably says something.;)
 
1+ what Cpt Avgas said. Aviation Consumer just reviewed fire extinguishers in the June issue. The executive summary is the following:

Halon or Halotron (a halon substitute) are the best choices.

Halotron weighs twice what halon weighs.

The number in front of the rating i.e. 2B:C or 5B:C indicates in square feet, how big a fire the extinguisher should put down.

Their testing indicated that the 2B:C was inadequate for even small aircraft.

They recommend a 5B:C unit
 
I understand production of Halon has been banned worldwide because it depletes the ozone layer. I suspect businesses that still sell it have reserves in stock. The replacement that is 'wire friendly' is CleanAgent (FE-36). Similar price. Any validation of this?
 
There is an exception that allows Halon in aircraft according to ACS and the mfg. of my halon extinguisher.
 
N15JB said:
1+ what Cpt Avgas said. Aviation Consumer just reviewed fire extinguishers in the June issue. The executive summary is the following:

Halon or Halotron (a halon substitute) are the best choices.

Halotron weighs twice what halon weighs.

The number in front of the rating i.e. 2B:C or 5B:C indicates in square feet, how big a fire the extinguisher should put down.

Their testing indicated that the 2B:C was inadequate for even small aircraft.

They recommend a 5B:C unit
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I found a quality name brand 5B halotron unit on ebay for $100. It had a nice aluminum valve/handle. It weighs 6lb's but I'm willing to sacrifice the weight for the added protection.

Larry
 
3M Novec

Hi Guys,

For years I sold 3M Novec 1230 fire suppression systems in wind turbines. It is a non toxic liquid that we hold in highly pressurized tanks, that is released through valve activation via the fire monitoring system, or by simply burning through a pressurized line in any electrical cabinet. It has no ozone depleting properties (unlike Halon) and doesn't affect electrical components. In know they make tanks for racecars, however I'm yet to find a hand held extinguisher suitable for aircraft. My grandfather died of skin cancer, and down here in Tasmania the sun is brutal because of the lack of ozone layer, so I avoid the use of Halon where possible.
I'll take a look into sourcing extinguishers and let you guys know.
Tom.
 
TX7A said:
Walt
I have one of those as well but haven't decided where to mount it. Thought about on the flap motor brace between seats but seems my elbows might bump it. Where did you mount yours?

Thanks
Sam
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That's exactly where I put mine, no problem with elbows for me.
 
I guess I starting flying in the GPS age. I also started racing cars in the Halon age.. early 70's. It was a dangerous era, one that showed that the early forms of Halon we carried on-board were possibly fatal. Not sure that was what we wanted to accomplish. The systems grew in sophistication and later my Formula 1 McLaren, as all cars of the time, even had a small remote oxygen tank for breathing if fire took over the cockpit. It also had various infrared sensors for the Halon system. I guess I could thank Niki Lauda and others for making the needs apparent. I shudder when I recall some of the early race cars I drove, Lotus Formula 1 of the early 60's in which I had racing gas on both sides, over the legs, and under the seat. :eek:

If one chose to be serious about fire suppression on-board, there are some nice systems, remotely mounted available these days.
 
gnuse said:
I guess I starting flying in the GPS age. I also started racing cars in the Halon age.. early 70's. It was a dangerous era, one that showed that the early forms of Halon we carried on-board were possibly fatal. Not sure that was what we wanted to accomplish. The systems grew in sophistication and later my Formula 1 McLaren, as all cars of the time, even had a small remote oxygen tank for breathing if fire took over the cockpit. It also had various infrared sensors for the Halon system. I guess I could thank Niki Lauda and others for making the needs apparent. I shudder when I recall some of the early race cars I drove, Lotus Formula 1 of the early 60's in which I had racing gas on both sides, over the legs, and under the seat. :eek:

If one chose to be serious about fire suppression on-board, there are some nice systems, remotely mounted available these days.
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OK, I can't help but inquire, as it seems to be racing cars and flying airplanes have a lot of common participants. I had an '82 March Vintage Indy Car, but have always loved the McLaren Can Am, F5000 and F1 cars. Did you drive in F1? That's a small club indeed. I primarily club race in slower cars, but big fields. Totally different discipline in terms of risk acceptance but the love of speed and machine is part of the joy of both.
 
FM-200

When I ran data centers we were not allowed by government to install Halon. The gaseous suppression was FM-200. 500 gallon tank with a 20 second dump. Never saw it go off thank goodness. Also had a "dead man" switch. If you thought the problem would clear, you held the dead man. If you succumb, your hand falls off and the system dumps.
Found this one on line.


Also, I drove hobby racing for years. Lots of fun.
 
Halon +

I over primed a Cessna once and started a fire. I sprayed the HALON on the fire and it INSTANTLY stopped. It was amazing. I do care about the ozone... but I care about living more. Been through an inflight fire at altitude once also. A smoke hood and a good Halon served me well. Fly safe out there.
 
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But this is rated at only 2BC and not big enough maybe? I thought I had got smart enough to buy an extinguisher, but the more I looked the less I knew. I THINK I want a 5bc rating, but some are not even rated! I find some used Halon ones, but does the stuff turn sour or degrade over time?l

Walt said:
That's exactly where I put mine, no problem with elbows for me.
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DonFromTX said:
But this is rated at only 2BC and not big enough maybe? I thought I had got smart enough to buy an extinguisher, but the more I looked the less I knew. I THINK I want a 5bc rating, but some are not even rated! I find some used Halon ones, but does the stuff turn sour or degrade over time?l
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Halon does not go bad. The primary enemy related to time is leakage. Seals can fail allowing the halon to escape. I believe that all halon is rated as BC. The letters refer to what types of fires the material is capable of extinguishing and the initial number refers to capacity of the unit. I believe it relates to the size of fire, but don't recall.

Larry
 
Another thing about Halon

It has been proven to cause birth defects, primarily cardiovascular and neurological defects.
 
N62XS said:
It has been proven to cause birth defects, primarily cardiovascular and neurological defects.
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That's good to know, but seriously, if I'm at 8,500 feet and I see FIRE around my ankles, am I worried about birth defects...at my age? :eek: I would only use any fire extinguisher as a last resort.
 
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