Helping pilots to breathe a little easier in the event of emergency is the business of New York State-based Avox Systems, a member of the Intertechnique/Zodiac group of companies.
Stars of the Avox presence here are the MLD-20 crew oxygen mask and the company’s new Portable Oxygen Cylinder Assembly (POCA) – both intended for use following a sudden cabin decompression.
MLD-20 features an inflatable harness that inflates automatically as soon as the mask is removed from its stowage. This allows the pilot to don it rapidly with one hand, keep his other hand on the control yoke. The matching goggles can be clicked on and off easily, as demanded by the situation in the cockpit, and have an anti-scratch and anti-fogging coating.
POCA provides an oxygen supply for an individual crew member or passenger. Made of a thin-walled aluminium-alloy liner wrapped in carbon-fibre epoxy, it weighs half as much as a conventional steel cylinder of comparable capacity. It comes in three sizes – 4, 7 and 11 cu ft gas volume – and is fitted with a carrying strap and stowage for one or two masks.
Source: Flight Daily News
