16 -- USSOCOM MH47 Side Facing Gunners Seat

Invitation to Offerors / Request for Information/Industry DayProgram: USSOCOM / USASOC MH-47 Side Facing Gunners Seat Program Title: Side Facing Gunners Seats (Mobile Aircrew Crashworthy Seating Systems for Helicopters) Research & Technical Areas: Human Systems Government Program POC: MAJ Matt Jury, PM-TAPO, Ft Eustis, VA 23692, Phone: (757) 878-0730, ext. 261. Fax: 757-878-0728. Email: Matt.Jury@us.army.mil User Meeting POC: CW4 Wilfredo (Willie) Martinez, SIMO, 160th SOAR (Abn), Ft Campbell, KY 42223. Phone (270) 798-1837, Email willie.martinez@us.army.mil Objective: Develop innovative technologies that can be incorporated into a lightweight, crashworthy, and movable helicopter seating system for aircrew that require mobility during flight to perform their duties. The Proposed Seating System shall be compatible with the crew duties of; 1) Airspace Surveillance, 2) Target detection and Recognition, 3) Weapons manning and operation and 4) Aircraft mission tasks of internal cargo and passenger transport in threat areas which requires rapid ingress/egress of the aircraft. Description: Helicopter Side Facing Gunners Seat (SFGS) Program is intended to provide a Seating System that complements the mission needs of aircraft crewmembers in the cabin of the MH-47 aircraft. These personnel (e.g. gunners, flight engineers, crew chiefs) are considered as mobile aircrew members. They are located in the aircraft cabin and require mobility to give them flexibility to perform their mission duties while still being provided with adequate protection in the event of a severe maneuver, crash, or other impact event. These duties often involve reaching outside the aircraft while providing ground suppression fire using an M134 Minigun or M240 Machine Gun, scanning for survivors, operating a rescue hoist, providing medical care, scanning for threats to the aircraft or conducting other assigned duties. The Current crew cabin seating systems are either non-existent or installed in an Aft Facing orientation which does meet mission requirements. The existing system (Forward Aft Facing seat) does not meet mission requirements and cannot be easily be moved or removed during flight or it limits crewmember full range of motion which hinders them with their duties during scanning and weapons systems operation as well as troop transport, and cargo loading/unloading. The Aft Cabin crew stations currently do not have any type of seating system which results in limited or no impact protection. A crashworthy, light-weight, and movable/stowable seating prototype is required that allows the cabin crewmembers the freedom to perform the majority of his airborne tasks from the seat but also allows for easy and rapid repositioning or stowing of the seat to accommodate cargo/troop ingress/egress, hoist operations, etc. The prototype will also allow the crewmember quick transition to a standing position. The seating system should provide adequate crew protection and restraint during a crash pulse at least equivalent to the flight crew seats. The seating system also needs to accommodate the entire aircrew population while wearing all the necessary crew equipment (5-95th percentile personnel with body armor, life vest, helmet, etc). To achieve acceptable seating system performance levels for the varied duties, the solution should address crew anthropometry, ergonomics, restraint systems, equipment design, workload, human-seating interface issues, Human Systems Integration (HSI) and crash protection strategies. The Side Facing Gunners Seat Program focuses solely on the mobile aircrew seating systems. Mobile crewmembers need to be just that mobile, in order to perform their current duties (frequently and rapidly be able to get in and out of the seats), whereas troops need to be able to quickly get into their seats, strap in, and stay there until they reach their destination, and then be able to quickly leave their seats and egress the aircraft. The mobile crewmember work areas are located in the forward aircraft door and window areas (Fuselage Station 140) and adjacent to the Aft Cabin Gunners stations areas at Fuselage Station 430. The Forward Door and aft cabin stations are in the primary aircraft ingress and egress routes which requires that the seats need to be able to be easily and quickly moved out of the way for ingress/egress, hoist operations, troop insertions (combat assaults), etc., whereas the troop seats are not blocking doors and only need to be moved/repositioned during mission changeovers such as going from troop transport to cargo transport. The mobile crew seats need to accommodate one individual at each position. The SFGS must be compatible with the mobile crewmembers Air Warrior system of life support equipment and ballistic protection ensemble. The Project Manager for Technology Application Programs, MH-47 Project Management Office in concert with the Systems Integration and Maintenance Office (SIMO), 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (SOAR(A)) anticipates hosting an Open House Workshop on 15 and 16 Jan 2008 at Fort Campbell, KY that will provide additional information and address issues related to the SFGS Program. This Open House Workshop is open to prospective bidders on this topic, but the attendees must be US Citizens or permanent residents. The briefing information will also be available to prospective bidders who are not able to attend the Workshop. For additional information, please check for updates on the FEDBIZOPS website or contact the Contracting or Project Officer. PHASE I: Develop lightweight and mobile seating system concepts to provide maximum protection to the aircrew by attenuating crash energy by adequately restraining the crewmembers, yet provide adequate mobility to allow crewmembers to perform a majority of their airborne duties from the seated position. PHASE II: Validate the solution(s) identified in Phase I to include modeling, testing, prototypes, and initial operational assessment to ensure aircrew equipment/aircraft compatibility. Demonstrate the crashworthy aspects of the system. Identify aircraft structural requirements and potential modifications necessary to accommodate the system. PHASE III: Down select of the design which provides the most benefit to the Government based on Source Selection Criteria and User Evaluation feedback. The USER Evaluation comments on seat usefulness shall be weighted heavily in this effort. References: 1. JSSG-2010-7, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE JOINT SERVICE SPECIFICATION GUIDE: CREW SYSTEMS CRASH PROTECTION HANDBOOK, 30 October 1998. http://products.ihserc.com/Specs3j/controller?event=VIEW_DOC&prod=SPECS3&sess=277295949&linkSource=SEARCH&docId=LPRIIAAAAAAAAAAA 2. ENGINEERING ANALYSIS OF CRASH INJURY IN ARMY CH-47 AIRCRAFT, USAAAVS Technical Report TR 78-4, Directorate for Investigation, Research & Analysis U.S. Army Agency for Aviation Safety, Fort Rucker, Alabama 36362, June 1978. 3. Hudson, Jeffrey A., Gregory F. Zehner, Kathleen M. Robinette. JSF CAESAR: Construction of a 3-D Anthropometric Sample for Design and Sizing of Joint Strike Fighter Pilot Clothing and Protective Equipment. AFRL-HE-WP-TR-2003-0142, 2003. 4. 160th SOAR (A) Capabilities Requirements Matrix for the Side Facing Gunners Seat 5. US Army Aviation and Troop Command (USAATCOM), Aviation Engineering Directorate (AED) SFGS Seat Airworthiness Qualification Specification (AQS) design Requirements Security Clearance and Visit Request: Personnel desiring to attend the workshop must be US Citizens or permanent US residents. Clearances / visit requests shall be sent to Mr. Brad Harper, 160th SOAR( A) Security Officer, Phone Number (Voice) 270-798-1687, Fax (270- 956-1908, email Bradley.K.Harper@soar.army.mil Keywords: Helicopter seating, energy absorbing, troop seat, crash protection, impact protection