General Category > DB Cooper
General Questions About The Case
Shutter:
I don't recall the post. I would guess it depends on what was dropped. having the stairs down makes it very hard to try and slide anything out without help. if it was early in testing it's hard to say what plane was used.
When the CIA used the aircraft the stairs were removed and sheet metal was used to cover the steps that are fixed to the aircraft. large cargo and jumpers could easily slide right out the back on a static line.
Shutter:
In 1975 a 727 took off with the stairs down leaving Vietnam but not by choice.
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Robert99:
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or LoginNot sure if this is the right sub-forum, mods please move if appropriate.
An old post by sailshaw dated September 16, 2016, 10:49:03 AM reads:"... the 727 ... could take off, fly, and land with the airstairs deployed. That was demonstrated by Boeing to the government at our test field at Moses Lake (Washington)."
Does anyone know:
(a) which airplane was used in these tests? (It seems probable that it would have been the second prototype (N72700) which was retained by Boeing throughout its operational life.)
(b) whether these air drop tests were done with the air stairs in place, or removed? (The FBI Vault seems to imply both configurations.)
(c) which government agency was the customer for these tests?
(c) whether any report or image of these tests is in the public domain?
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There was a short article in Flight Magazine (the British publication) about 1963/64, just as the 727 was going into airline service, that the aircraft had been test flown with the aft stairs deployed. These tests were in all probability required by the FAA as part of the certification tests. It seems that these tests were not widely known to the airline line pilots who flew the aircraft. At least the NWA pilots hadn't heard about them.
So these tests were probably just demonstrations to determine if the deployed stairs would create a major control problem and/or require additional safeguards. They didn't, so everyone apparently just forgot about them. I have not seen anything to indicate that the 727 stairs ever deployed in flight accidentally.
I would assume that tests such as this and those to determine the minimum unstick speed (the rear fuselage dragging on the runway), which could possibly cause some structural damage that would need to be repaired, would be done on a Boeing owned 727 rather than an aircraft that had been ordered by an airline.
Personally, I do not see any need for testing with the stairs completely removed. And I doubt if the CIA would require any additional testing when they acquired 727s.
FlyJack posted an FBI document recently that discussed the Boeing tests and that is the only thing that I have seen in the public domain on this matter.
Shutter:
The document can be found in the last batch of files. it's from the early 60's in reference to I believe an accident with a Caravelle and not a Corsair. that's a military prop fighter plane. the document claims the stairs only dropped 12 inches which were obviously improved as time progressed.
dudeman17:
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or LoginAn old post by sailshaw dated September 16, 2016, 10:49:03 AM reads:"... the 727 ... could take off, fly, and land with the airstairs deployed. That was demonstrated by Boeing to the government at our test field at Moses Lake (Washington)."
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I'm neither an aviation engineer nor a pilot, but that sounds crazy to me. If the stairs in their deployed and locked down configuration are solid enough to serve as a tail support to prevent tipping, then how could they allow rotation for take off, or not interfere with a nose high landing?
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