Safety
Explosion-suppressant foam now for business a/c
Crest Foam Industries of Moonachie, N.J., which has been installing its explosion-suppressant arresting foam in the fuel tanks of racing cars and military

Crest Foam Industries of Moonachie, N.J., which has been installing its explosion-suppressant arresting foam in the fuel tanks of racing cars and military aircraft (including USAF Beechjets) for years, has formed a joint venture–Engineering Inerting Systems–with Aircraft Services Group of Ramsey, N.J., to market the foam for business aircraft.

The initial aircraft the company is aiming for is the Boeing Business Jet. An STC for use of the foam in BBJ center wing tanks is expected in about six months, according to George Salamy, v-p of technical product development for Engineering Inerting Systems. Fabrication and installation cost is about $60,000 per tank, and use of the foam in a BBJ adds about 600 pounds to the aircraft’s empty weight, the company said.