The Plane Floatie

Louis

Age 11Ballarat, Australia

What is the plane floatie? Throughout aviation history, several planes have attempted a water landing, lots unsuccessful. My intention is to maximise the survivability of a water landing. How does it work? When a water landing is decided by the pilots they will press a button. This button activates a sensor at the front of the plane. When the plane gets to an altitude of 30 metres a giant airbag willsuddenly inflate launching out the bottom panelling of the plane, similar to the technology of car airbags and plane evacuation slides. Adding to survivability the airbag increases drag decreasing speed, which is a major factor in a water landing. On the water: When the plane has come to a complete stop passengers can evacuate normally, via the emergency slides and rafts. In many water landings people get blocked by water coming into the cabin, reducing their chance of survival. The plane floatie prevents this, keeping the plane elevated above water level. After 15 minutes the 'floaties' seal begins to disintergrate leading to the sinking of the plane after all passengers have evacuated.

Little Inventors team says

What a brilliant idea you've come up with, Louis! The Plane Floatie sounds like an amazing way to make water landings much safer. Your concept of using airbags to keep the plane above water is really clever and reminds me of superheroes with amazing gadgets! 😎 Have you thought about how pilots might train to use the floatie effectively in emergencies? 🌊 Keep dreaming big and inventing exciting things – the sky's the limit for you!