It appears that there is a semantic issue here. The oxygen generators in the ValuJet crash used a highly exothermic process that created and fed the fire. The device used in the Diamond is almost certainly an oxygen concentrator, not oxygen generator. Wikipedia has a nice article on the mechanism. Concentrators are less hazardous in some ways than oxygen cylinders, and are certainly safe in aircraft.

Ted Noel

On 6/1/2012 2:12 PM, Colyn Case wrote:

re: oxygen vs. pressurization

If you are solo maybe it's workable but I find generally passengers question my decision to fly higher when we have to get the hoses and cannulas out.      Then you either need to invest in your own refill station or always arrange with the nearest FBO that has oxygen.   ...a 30 minute trip away in my case.

re: bottles vs. generators

I don't know the issues.  I just remember an airliner that went down when oxygen generators it was carrying as cargo started burning.


On Jun 1, 2012, at 12:12 AM, sales@newmanaviation.com wrote:

I was reading the latest edition of FLYING Magazine, and I noticed an article about Diamond's new 6 passenger turbodiesel twin.  What really caught my interest was the statement "Diamond is not planning on pressurizing the airplane; instead, it will be equipped with an oxygen generator."
 
As a builder of a non-pressurized Lancair IV, this was interesting to me.  I've long wondered why I've never heard about oxygen generators being used in small planes.
 
Is an oxygen generator really a substitute for pressurization?  Is the main disadvantage to not having pressurization really the price of bottled oxygen?
 
I've attached the short article for anyone who is interested.
 
Pete     
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