Mobile Aircrew Retractor Undergoes Flight Testing Published Feb. 13, 2009 By Captain Mary Stief HQ AFRL WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- A C-17 loadmaster successfully flight-tested AFRL's Universal Mobile Aircrew Restraint System (UMARS) during the National Guard Patriot 2008 exercise (conducted at Volk Field, Wisconsin). The Small Business Innovation Researchdeveloped system, created in partnership with Wolf Technical Services, consists of webbing that connects to the crewmember's restraint harness or gunner's belt; a retractor reel that keeps the webbing free of slack; and an energy attenuation mechanism that safely slows the restrained crewmember's motion during turbulence, extreme maneuvers, hard landings, and crashes. Initially developed for rotorcraft, UMARS technology now extends to fixed-wing aircraft applications as well. Prior to the UMARS innovation, military aircraft restraints comprised either a long, fixed leash or a locking, inertia-based system. Whereas the fixed-length belt required ongoing manual adjustment (increasing crewmember vulnerability during unexpected motion or mishap), the inertia-based system's violent retraction force posed a danger all its own. Conversely, the UMARS smart system automatically adjusts tension level according to the severity of the motion or the anticipated impact. It is cousin to the same technology used to ease speeding roller coasters to a smooth stop. After the flight tests, the loadmaster underwent debriefing and completed a questionnaire, the inputs to which provided researchers with valuable data regarding UMARS advantages and perceived areas for improvement.