Feature: Ukrainian engineer invents escape capsule for civil aircraft

"Surviving in a plane crash is possible" -- the claim is now substantiated by Vladimir Tatarenko, a Ukrainian aviation engineer, who devoted much of his life to inventing an escape capsule that can save lives during aviation accidents.

After five-decade research, Tatarenko, one of the founding fathers of An-225 Mriya cargo aircraft -- the world's largest airplane, has received a patent on the invention of the escape capsule system designed to rescue crew and passengers of the civil aircraft in case of in-flight emergency.

"The idea of an ejecting capsule in the commercial aircrafts is not new, but for years the research community was unable to bring it to life, because engineers could not find a material that will keep the weight of the aircraft and the number of seats in it at the current level," Tatarenko told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

"But we have used carbon-fiber -- a very strong and lightweight material, which proved to be suitable."

On the conceptual design of his invention, Tatarenko said that the system envisages that the capsule with seats for passengers and crew is installed inside the aircraft's fuselage.

It could escape through the rear hatch of the aircraft within two to three seconds after a mid-air collision or pushing an emergency escape button, he said.

After ejection, a high-altitude capsule, powered by two gunpowder engines designed to slow down its speed, is parachuting to the ground, the inventor explained.

"For this purpose, it is possible to use the cargo parachutes, already being produced in Ukraine and in Russia," Tatarenko said, adding that the air-pillows, installed at the bottom of the ejecting container, are ensuring a soft landing of the aerial vehicle.

"This capsule can protect passengers from almost all emergencies -- engine failure, fire on the board, technical problems triggered by bad weather conditions and many other troubles," he said.

However, it could not save lives if the plane explodes inside or comes under a rocket attack which could instantly tear the plane apart, Tatarenko added.

The capsule project received massive media attention this week, following the two deadly accidents -- the downing of a Russian plane in Egypt and a cargo plane crash in South Sudan, which killed 224 and 36 people, respectively.

Local media reported that the project could become a breakthrough in aviation safety once it is brought to life.

However, Tatarenko doubted that the mass production of the escape capsule will come soon, as the standardization of the system and operational tests would take years and require hugh investment.

"First of all, the system should undergo a number of tests in different environment. We should look how the capsule is landing in the desert, in the north -- on the snow covered ground and on a body of water. Such tests will take between two and 2.5 years and will be quite costly," the inventor said.

According to him, the total cost of the project to make an emergency escape capsule suitable for the commercial exploitation would be about 1 million U.S. dollar. Endit