US Aircraft escape Ax (4 Viewers)

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When I used to do "heavy iron" checks (727, 737, DC-9s) it would seem the fire axe always "disappeared." It was also amazing how many of the mechanics always seemed to have on in their tool box, in their trunk of thier car or in thier garage!

Joe, think back, think way back when you were in P-3's. Did you guys carry an axe in the cockpit? Back in my first squadron (1970-1973) we flew the P-3A and we had them.
 
I thought there was something about the hijackings involving axes. Either they broke into the cockpit with one or else threatened to use it on anybody who tried then to break in and get them.
 
Joe, think back, think way back when you were in P-3's. Did you guys carry an axe in the cockpit? Back in my first squadron (1970-1973) we flew the P-3A and we had them.
Sure do! If I remember right it was on the bulkhead behind the pilot.
 
I thought there was something about the hijackings involving axes. Either they broke into the cockpit with one or else threatened to use it on anybody who tried then to break in and get them.
You had the Fed Ex hijacking where a disgruntled employee tried to kill the crew with a hammer. I actually worked on that aircraft.
 
Found this picture on the net labeled US Aircraft Escape Ax. I never heard of such a thing. Was there such a thing? If so was it used during WWII.

Link I found picture here
US WWII Aircraft Escape Axe

That looks like the exact crash ax that we use in our Blackhawks today. It is positioned between the Crew Chief seats and behind the center console of the cockpit between the pilot seats.

It is used in the case of a crash to ax your way out of the mangled metal of the aircraft.

In the event of a crash you can also keep the ax and use it as part of your survival equipment to cut up fire wood or to use as a weapon as well.

Escape axe were issued to allow for the potential need of a horrific escape from a crashed airplane and the need to hack through the aluminum skin in short order. To the best of my knowledge they were issued through the early 60s to bomber and transport crew. An aeronautical version of a fireaxe.

Still issued today as part of the aircraft equipment. The crews themselves are not issued them but they are part of the aircraft equipment and must be onboard for every flight. See my post above.

Hi Matt308,

Do you know if they where very effective? I would think cutting through a aircraft even with a ax would be very difficult and time consuming.

Not really. Aircraft skin is not that thick. If the aircraft is on fire you would be surprised how fast you can use that thing.

Joe, any idea on how long it would take you to get out of an aircraft say the size of a B-25 from the inside to out. Trying to take into persespective if you crash landed in enemy territory and had to get out fast but the exits where blocked.

You dont use it to hack out of the whole aircraft but through small areas where you can escape. The pointed end will punch right an aircraft skin with relative ease.

On modern aircraft today such as our Blackhawk they have specific areas inside that are marked for easier use of the crash ax.
 
Using just a large crash axe, I cut the vertical stabilizer off of what was left of Brad Morehouse's L-39 (Killed at Reno this year) as a favor to his family - total time on that was about an hour.

The sketch shows where I cut. There were two beefy attach fittings that attached to the V Stab front and rear spar - they had to be cut through. The rear spar was held to the empanage with rivets and bolts.
 
Using just a large crash axe, I cut the vertical stabilizer off of what was left of Brad Morehouse's L-39 (Killed at Reno this year) as a favor to his family - total time on that was about an hour.

The sketch shows where I cut. There were two beefy attach fittings that attached to the V Stab front and rear spar to the empanage - they had to be cut through. The rear spar was held to the empanage with rivets and bolts.
 

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Now let me correct myself Matt. I should have said PART 125- Certification and operations: Airplanes having a seating capacity of 20m or more passengers or a maximum payload capacity of 6,000 pounds or more. A funny thing happened on the way to the forum. As I was reading over part 125 I came across this statement in 125.207 Emergency equipment requirements. (a) No person may operate an airplane having a seating capacity of 20 or more passengers unless it is equiped with the following emergency equipment: (2) A crash axe carried so as to be accessible to the crew but inaccessible to passengers during normal operations. NOTE!!! this is according to the copy of the FAR's that I have at home that is dated 1990. So the "125.207" might be 125 something else.
 
They are also still FAR required equipment on civilian airport crash trucks. Don't know if the military still carries them but I'd expect that they still do.

They make as good an ingress tool as they are an egress tool.
 
They are also still FAR required equipment on civilian airport crash trucks. Don't know if the military still carries them but I'd expect that they still do.

They make as good an ingress tool as they are an egress tool.

Yes as I stated in my post above they are standard issue on military aircraft (atleast US Army aircraft).
 
Sorry I didn't get across what I was trying to say, Adler.

I did see your post and what I had intended to say was that I don't know if the military still carries them on crash trucks but since they are still on aircraft I'd expect that they do.

I should have written it that way to begin with. I guess the context parsed better knowing what I intended than for somebody reading it cold.
 
Sorry I didn't get across what I was trying to say, Adler.

I did see your post and what I had intended to say was that I don't know if the military still carries them on crash trucks but since they are still on aircraft I'd expect that they do.

I should have written it that way to begin with. I guess the context parsed better knowing what I intended than for somebody reading it cold.

No worries. I was not trying to jump on your everything.
 
Adler, it is also true that when adrenalin kicks in you can fit through a hole smaller than you would normaly. :lol:

Adler, I think it must be true because I've had my foot in my mouth a few times and been accused of having my head up my arse and neither orifice is out of proportion with the rest of my body. :lol:
 

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