The Lightning was designed from nose to tail with
the safety of pilot and passenger in mind. Key
safety considerations were strength, cockpit
integrity, secure firewall, emergency survivability.
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Strength |
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Lightning's structure was
tested and then tested again for static,
torsional, and dynamic loads. The
structure of this airplane tests better than
95% of all general aviation aircraft flying
today. |
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Cockpit |
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Special attention was paid
to the roll over structure in the cockpit.
The fiberglass box frame in the turtledeck
along with the strong frame at the canopy
rear will hold up in a nose over. The
fuselage sides were designed strong to keep
the cockpit intact. Seat belts were
specially designed for the highest loads. |
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Firewall |
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Lightning's firewall is a
full coverage Stainless Steel sheet. Openings in
the firewall are kept to a minimum.
The fiberglass rim is extra thick for added
strength. |
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Survivability |
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With the help of BRS
Recovery Systems, the Lightning designers
engineered a safe BRS deployment
system. The optional BRS bridle is
installed during the molding process and is
invisible in the finished fuselage. |
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