Surface Flotation Device for Cold-Water Aviation Survivors

Lightweight materials and advanced designs and fabrication methods have allowed inflatable life preservers to be developed that are much slimmer, more reliable, and lighter than those currently in use. This Phase II.5 project will advance the designs and testing through flight qualification tests, and also allow NAVAIR to evaluate the working prototypes in the field. The construction of hundreds of working prototypes will also help validate and advance fabrication methods, helping advance manufacturing readiness level (MRL), and providing important information for reducing total life cycle costs. The Phase II.5 efforts will also include endeavoring to scale up the seaming and fabrication technologies by working to build a prototype raft(s).