• Home
  • Mail
  • News
  • Finance
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Search
  • Mobile
  • More
Yahoo
    • Skip to Navigation
    • Skip to Main Content
    • Skip to Related Content
    • Mail
    Lifestyle Home
    Follow Us
    • Style
    • Beauty
    • Wellness
    • Shopping
    • MAKERS
    • Holiday Guide for Guys
    • Pets
    • Video
    • Horoscopes
    • Pop Culture

    Bombproof Liner Tested in Commercial Airplanes

    Billie CohenDecember 15, 2015
    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share
    View photos

    Scientists have invented a way to protect an airplane from an explosion in the luggage hold. (Photo: Francis Zera/Spaces Images/Corbis)

    An international team of scientists has figured out how to bombproof the luggage hold of a commercial airliner, so that if a device explodes in someone’s baggage, the plane would remain safe.

    The solution is called the Fly-Bag — a flexible, bombproof material that lines the luggage hold. It’s constructed from layers of high-strength, heat-resistant materials, including Aramid, a synthetic fiber used in ballistic body armor. The material’s flexibility enables it to contain the power of an explosion and any blast fragments it might throw off.

    The Fly-Bag is being developed by a European consortium including Blastech, a spin-out company from the University of Sheffield, as well as partners from Greece, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

    View photos


    The Fly-Bag lines the inside of a plane’s luggage hold and will insulate it against an explosion. (Illustration: Fly-Bag2)

    After testing the “bag” at the University of Sheffield’s blast laboratory, which proved that prototypes could withstand explosions, the team moved on to the next step: real-life controlled blasts in the hold of a Boeing 747 and an Airbus 321.

    Related: Airport Insecurity: The 10 Most Terrifying Airport Security Fails

    For the experiments — held at Cotswolds Airport in Gloucestershire, England — a bomb was placed in a suitcase in the hold. When the Fly-Bag wasn’t used, the test bomb did what you’d expect: blasted a hole through the fuselage. When it was in place, the Fly-Bag contained the explosion.

    Scientists at the University of Sheffield explain the Fly-Bag and show how it works. (Video: University of Sheffield/YouTube)

    Dr. Andy Tyas, of the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, is leading the research at the University of Sheffield. “Key to the concept is that the lining is flexible and this adds to its resilience when containing the explosive force and any fragments produced,” he told his university news. “This helps to ensure that the Fly-Bag acts as a membrane rather than as a rigid-walled container which might shatter on impact.”

    Related: Easy Tips for Nervous Fliers: How to Keep Calm on a Plane

    And that’s exactly what happened in the tests: The Fly-Bag expanded and contracted with the force of the explosion, but did not break. 

    The technology can also be adapted to create a “safe room” on a plane, in case the crew spots something or someone suspicious on a flight.

    WATCH: Take That, Terrorism! 7 Ways to Travel Without Fear

    Let Yahoo Travel inspire you every day. Hang out with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.  

    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share

    What to Read Next

    • Amazon delivery man speaks out after video of his celebratory dance goes viral: 'I was extremely suprised'

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Two Women Landed in the ER After Using a Vacuum to End Their Periods, According to a Nurse's Scary Viral Tweet

      Meredith Videos
    • Ryan Reynolds recruits 'Peloton wife' for hilarious new Aviation Gin ad

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Nike unveils all-day shoes for nurses, and we want a pair—stat

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Abandoned 5-Year-Old Carries Toddler in Extreme Cold After Adult Allegedly Left Them in Home

      People
    • NCIS LA's Daniela Ruah Shared Some Candid Thoughts on Brother-in-Law Eric Christian Olsen

      Country Living
    • Woman's e-cigarette habit leads to her 'cobalt lung' diagnosis – an incurable disease found only in metal workers

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • This local hardware store’s $130 commercial is being dubbed ‘the best Christmas ad of the year'

      In The Know
    • Miss USA Cheslie Kryst says her title forces her 'to be more open-minded' in a divided political climate

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Kendall Jenner's Nude Minidress Looks Like It's Dripping in Tinsel

      Harper's Bazaar
    • Millie Bobby Brown criticized for makeup and hair on Instagram: ‘You’re 15. Stop’

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Kim and Khloé Confront Kourtney About Not Sharing Enough of Her Personal Life on 'KUWTK' and It's So Uncomfortable

      Cosmopolitan
    • Chrissy Teigen's New Shag Is the Haircut Everyone Is Asking for this Winter

      InStyle
    • Your Blood Pressure Reading May Be Inaccurate, According to Experts

      Woman's Day
    • Who is Prince Andrew, the royal at the center of a Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal?

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Chrissy Teigen’s New Shag Is the Haircut Everyone Is Asking for this Winter

      Meredith Videos

    Trump campaign runs misleading anti-impeachment Facebook ads

    BB: “Our nation is indeed at a crossroads. Will we pursue the search for truth, or will we dodge, weave and evade the truth? I am of course referring to the investigation into serious allegations of illegal conduct by the president of the United States — that the president has engaged in a persistent pattern and practice of obstruction of justice. The allegations are grave, the investigation is legitimate, and ascertaining the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the unqualified, unevasive truth is absolutely critical.” - Mitch McConnell February 12, 1998.

    Join the Conversation
    1 / 5

    8.9k

    • Bride shares outrage after wedding location causes black bridesmaid to drop out of ceremony

      In The Know
    • Donnie Wahlberg Made a Rare Comment About Jenny McCarthy's Relationship With His Kids

      Country Living
    • How to Make Almond Butter (Because It’s Like $15 a Jar)

      PureWow
    • Where You Should Travel Solo, Based on Your Zodiac Sign

      Travel+Leisure
    • Kate Middleton Revealed That Prince Louis Has Hit a Big Milestone

      Elle
    • NFL correspondent Jane Slater caught her ex cheating via Fitbit: ‘Wish the story wasn’t real’

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Attention, Attention: Keto And Low-Carb Diets Are NOT The Same Thing

      Women's Health
    • When I Feel Most Valued and Appreciated in My Marriage, According to 16 Men

      Fatherly
    • Is There Any Republican Left Who Isn't Just Foul Ambition, All the Way Through?

      Esquire
    • Police say couple faked pregnancy, death of baby to field donations

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Kourtney Kardashian Couldn’t Hide a Hickey From Her Eagle-Eyed Sisters

      Meredith Videos
    • Chrissy Teigen Claps Back at a Troll Who Tells Her to "Cover Up"

      Cosmopolitan
    • Ashley Graham says controversial 'too risqué' TV ad 'put me on the map'

      Yahoo Lifestyle Videos
    • Trump Took Aim At Toilets, Claiming That Americans Are Forced to Flush '15 Times'

      Esquire
    • New Photos Emerge of Meghan, Harry, and Adele's Secret Visit to Hubb Community Kitchen

      Harper's Bazaar
    • Rihanna celebrates epic Grammy night with boyfriend Hassan Jameel

      Yahoo Lifestyle