Everyone who flies at one time or another has given thought to potentially being trapped in an aircraft with few
options for escape. To compound this predicament you can enter into a water landing, have leaking fuel or fire
issues and you really don’t have a viable escape plan. Plexiglas is not very thick but still difficult to break with a
hand, fist or elbow. What if you had the foresight to attach a device inside the cockpit that gave you an option – a
Piranha Canopy Breaker Tool attached to the airframe which can be easily reached in these types of emergency
situations?
Whether your airplane is a warbird, acrobatic, experimental, or even standard category, in a time of crisis the ability
to escape from a damaged aircraft is paramount. The Piranha Canopy Breaker Tool is a robust device with a sharp
edge on one end. The tool is secured inside the aircraft cockpit to a frame member or seat frame, within easy reach
of the pilot. A plastic cover is over the blade end for tactile and visual identification and protects the pilot from the
blade end. In an emergency situation the pilot locates the Canopy Breaker Tool, removes the safety pin / lanyard
which secures the tool to the aircraft and the red cap. The pilot firmly grasps the tool with one hand and places the
other hand underneath the tool, then positions the blade parallel to the canopy side frame, near the frame and uses
very strong upward thrusts aiming one of the blade points at the Plexiglas. When the canopy fractures, continue
striking the end of the cracks to secure an opening large enough to escape, keeping in mind the fractured edges are
sharp so make a hole of sufficient size for egress.
No one ever really anticipates these situations, but preparation is always the key to being a safe pilot. We check the
weather, the aircraft, our currency, but sometimes fail to prepare for the negative side of aviation. We may have
done almost everything correctly, but one little incident puts us into a situation very rapidly, where survival becomes
very important and time is critical. The Piranha Canopy Breaker Tool can be another one of those items in our safety
checklist that could save our life. Plus it could also be used in an external survival situation as a personal protection
tool when you are safely outside the downed aircraft. You have done your flight planning, so don’t forget about
your survival planning – the key is to “survive alive”.
The unit is made from industrial strength aluminum, weights 10 oz and the lanyard has a 35# break strength.
Pilot Supplies - Cockpit Accessories - More...
