Our Research Focus

The Cabin Safety Research Team supports FAA regulatory and airworthiness functions through the conduct of research in the area of aircraft emergency evacuation. Questions concerning seating density, exit size and location, passenger flow rates through exits, and passenger and flight attendant behavior are investigated using our full aircraft cabin simulators and human research subjects. The Cabin Safety Research Team is also exploring the use of computer modeling of evacuations to support future aircraft certification and accident investigation efforts.

Flexible Aircraft Cabin Research Facility (FlexSim)

Dedicated in November of 2014, the Flexible Aircraft Cabin Research Facility, referred to as the FlexSim, is the latest addition to the Cabin Safety Research Team list of facilities and research equipment, acquired as an upgrade and replacement for the aging Aircraft Cabin Evacuation Facility which was retired in 2012 after a long and industrious lifespan. The FlexSim is a fully configurable single aisle aircraft cabin research facility, primarily used for aircraft cabin safety research, evacuation research, and aircraft cabin safety education in cooperation with AAM-400 and MMAC public relations.

The FlexSim is a fully computer controlled research facility allowing for an exceptional degree of control and replicability of cabin conditions for research replicability. Additionally the FlexSim can be positioned with the use of three connected electromechanical scissor lifts which, in addition to being able to attain a maximum extension of 10 feet, can be varied to achieve alternate cabin attitudes to simulate cabin orientation after a non-ideal landing, such as a gear out landing event. At the time of its construction, the FlexSim was a unique full narrow body aircraft cabin simulator in that the CSRT has the ability to change the width of the facility, from 2 seats on each side of the aisle, 2/3, and a full size of 3 seats on each side of the aisle, to simulate a wide range of narrow body transport category aircraft for our research.

The FlexSim was constructed by a locally (Oklahoma) owned, small business specializing in the development and construction of simulation equipment.

Aircraft Environment Research Facility (AERF)

Constructed from the retired fuselage of a Boeing 747-100, the Aircraft Environment Research Facility (AERF) is a full sized, wide body aircraft cabin simulator primarily used for aircraft cabin safety research, aircraft cabin environmental research, evacuation research, aircraft cabin safety education in cooperation with AAM-400 and MMAC public relations, and training activities in cooperation with United States Armed Forces and other government agencies. The 747 body was purchased by the FAA and the AERF was completed by CAMI staff and contractors in the 1990's. The AERF is currently undergoing a refurbishment that will modernize the electrical and data acquisition systems as well as provide the facility with simulated wide body aircraft seats.