Onboard explosion impact to be reduced by 'flybag'

London

In an attempt to enhance the security of airplanes, a protective sheet cover named as flybag has been designed to absorb the shockwaves and shrapnel caused by explosions.

The bag involves a novel mix of four different layers of material including one based on Kevlar, which is used in bullet-proof jackets.

If security fails and a bomb reaches the luggage hold, the idea is that the blast would be safely contained.

The trials - using old jets at Cotswolds Airport in Gloucestershire - showed that explosions on board caused no damage.

The idea is that the bag is not only lightweight but also strong and flexible enough to handle the energetic effects of a blast without breaking.

Current designs for hardened luggage containers are based on reinforced metal and many airlines have seen them as too heavy and costly.

The FlyBag project is funded by the European Commission and is run by a consortium of institutes and specialist companies.

One leading figure is Dr Andy Tyas, a specialist in explosives engineering from the University of Sheffield and a director of the spin-out firm Blastech.

"We're delighted with the way the trials have gone," he told BBC News.

"We've previously tested FlyBag at our laboratory in Buxton but just in the open air.

"We knew the bag expanded and the question was: how much did that expansion cause a problem for the airframe? Does that become the devastating transmitter of energy itself? And what we're seeing is, it's not doing that."