Aircrew-Mounted Self-Adjusting Tether System

The manually-adjusted tethers currently used as the primary restraints for non-seated crew members on rotary wing platforms have several deficiencies, including: the need for manual slack monitoring and adjustment; hindrance of movement due to nuisance locking; annoyance loads on the occupant; and, inconvenient or unrealistic access to the airframe-mounted control points of the systems. The proposed program includes the development of a lightweight aircrew-mounted tether system that addresses these deficiencies by: taking up tether slack, either automatically or upon user initiation; reduces nuisance locking by incorporating an inertia lock that is insensitive to aircraft influences; and, locates user control points at readily accessible locations on the aircrew’s endurance survival vest. Safe’s proposed program utilizes several prototype build phases for hands-on assessment of functionality of the system. A functional prototype will be presented at the end of the Phase I Base program, and the Phase I Option includes visits to multiple end-user locations early in the program to solicit feedback for design refinement during the remainder of the Option program.