iPad 2 DO-160F Rapid Decompression Certification

PaperlessCockpit.com’s iPad KABOOM! Community Project concluded successfully on July 15, 2011, when an iPad 2 passed a DO-160F Rapid Decompression test conducted by CascadeTek of Hillsboro, OR. The test was witnessed by representatives from FlightPrep.com, one of iPad KABOOM!’s premiere sponsors. Throughout the test, the iPad 2 ran FlightPrep’s iChart 2.0 App.

Download iPad 2 Rapid Decompression Certificate

The iPad KABOOM! Community Project is supported through donations from members like you. Registration for PaperlessCockpit.com is free, but if you would like a copy of the Certificate, please make a donation based on the value you expect to receive from it. Any size donation is appreciated and helps support this community resource.

 

Download iPad 2 Rapid Decompression Full Report 
- (Professional Membership Required)

The iPad 2 continues operation after an explosive decompression at 51,000 feet.

During the first stage of the test,  iPad 2 running iChart 2.0 was placed in the altitude chamber and stabilized at an altitude of 8,000 ft for two hours. FlightPrep’s iChart 2.0 is designed to keep the iPad “awake”, and it remained operational.

During the next stage, the chamber simulated a rapid decompression event, causing the altitude to transition from 8,000 ft to 51,000 ft in under fifteen seconds. The iPad 2 continued to operate and exhibited no physical defects (i.e. flying shards of plastic and glass, or chemical fires resulting from catastrophic battery failure) for ten minutes. The chamber altitude was returned to ambient altitude, and the test concluded.

The iPad 2 survived the rapid decompression eve and continued to operate after the conclusion of the test.

While PaperlessCockpit.com failed to blow up an iPad, the iPad 2 Community Project is a success.

Sponsors

PaperlessCockpit.com would like to thank all of the contributors to the iPad KABOOM! Community Project, particularly our project sponsors: FlightPrep.com and OzRunways.com.

Overview

There’s been a great deal of buzz lately about the iPad and iPad2 being “approved” by the FAA. While the FAA has granted EJM (and perhaps a few others) operational approval, this is only after the operators jump through several hurdles. One of the biggest hurdles EJM had to pass was proving the iPad (and subsequently the iPad2) could survive a rapid decompression event. In the spirit of cooperation, Jeppesen successfully performed rapid decompression tests on the iPad, clearing the way for EJM to use the iPad as an EFB.

Unfortunately, Jeppesen only shared the data with EJM, and PaperlessCockpit.com’s request for copies of that data have gone unanswered. Other operators have met with similar results when trying to get the documentation out of Jeppesen. Current EFB policy requires all certificated and operators of large and turbine powered aircraft( Part 91F) to test EFBs to DO-160 Rapid Decompression test standards before eliminating paper charts.

Earlier in the year, PaperlessCockpit.com asked its readers how much they would be willing to contribute to have the iPad tested.  Here are the results:

  • Fifty-three readers responded to the poll.
  • Four responders are willing to contribute more than nothing, but less than $25.
  • Ten responders are willing to contribute $25 or more.
  • Twelve responders are willing to contribute $100 or more.
  • One responder from Japan is willing to contribute $500 or more.
  • One anonymous reader inside the walls at Jeppesen is willing to contribute $750 or more (the ghost of Capt. Jepp is smiling).
  • SEVEN responders say they would pay for it all! (Unfortunately, five of them are spam-bots, but we have high hopes for the other two).
  • Nineteen responders said they wouldn’t contribute anything (Bah, humbug).

So, from now until July 15, 2011, PaperlessCockpipt.com is accepting donations for the “2011 iPad2 Rapid Decompression Testing Community Project”, affectionately known as:

iPad KABOOM!

Everyone who donates to the project will receive an electronic copy of the test certification, which you can load into iBooks and happily show to the FAA next time you’re ramp checked.

Our goal is to raise $2,500 to cover testing costs. This money will go specifically go to:

  • Purchase of the “test article” (an iPad2).
  • Performance of DO-160 Rapid Decompression Testing by a reputable, certified testing facility.
  • Official copy of the complete Test Report and resulting Certificate of Conformity.
  • Evaluation and sign-off of the testing procedure by an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER).
  • Celebratory pizza and beer for donors at the next NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention (recommended minimum $10 donation if you plan to attend – seriously, you should a least cover the cost of your own pizza and beer).
  • If the iPad2 does not survive the test, we’ll see if the Apple Store will refund our money, and buy more pizza and beer for the iPad2 wake.
  • The surviving iPad 2 will be donated to an aviation charity auction.

If you have any questions about the testing procedures, or would like to volunteer your services (other than helping dispose of pizza and beer), please send an email to editor@paperlesscockpit.com.

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