Saab 340B folding airstair ...help

[bobmay]

Anyone here have experience of the on board airstair of the Saab 340B ?

It folds and stows on board in a compartment near the door but how does it fold ? Can anyone give a description of the process that could be translated into an FS animation, or better still have a drawing or sketch ...

hoping ...:confused:

Bob
PAD

bob.may@premaircraft.com

[mrogers]

The airstair is a separate unit from the door....the airstairs is manually folded upwards into half and swings inside to lay flat on the front cabin wall . Picture yourself holding a open book upside down, it then folds up with both halves closing together as it moves and when its closed it is then swung back sideways inside to lie flat in a recessed part on the front cabin wall directly behind the cockpit. This is all done by the air hostess from the cabin. I used to travel on Saab 340s many times and observed the air hostess deftly fold up the airstairs and tuck it away into the wall.
Also there is an handrail on both sides and they fold as well. Hope this description helps... heres some pictures..

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Argentina---Air/Saab-340B/1546077/L/

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Flybe---British/Saab-340B/1539024/L/

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Argentina---Air/Saab-340B/1524057/L/

If you look at the middle of the airstairs side frame you'll see where it folds, theres a line that runs across the side of the bottom frame. Not sure how the handrails fold, looks a bit complicated to me.

[bobmay]

Thanks for your reply Mark ...that was very useful. :icon_lol:

Bob.