SNIP
I agree this sounds impossibly fraught. What I would like (ideally) would
be the results of something akin to the car-crash tests that show how the
test-dummies fared in various scenarios - e.g. side impacts etc... I saw a
documentary about car-safety a few years ago, that mentioned that the
technology of crumple-zones and reinforced passenger compartments was
originally developed for WWII naval aircraft. Don't homebuilt designers
think about features such as these? Or would they help in so few scenarios
that it's an irrelevance?



Again, I have read (but dont have the source handy) that one of the
biggest determinants of lethality in a small aircraft accident is based
on wether the aircraft contacts the ground in a near-level, controlled
attitude (or not). Crumple zones and side-impact airbags wont do much
when you hit upside down, in a spin, or screaming out of the sky with a
yard dart's downward trajectory. Preventing departure from controlled
flight is the key to survival. That is why you 1) ALWAYS fly the plane
first and 2) NEVER give up.

Dave