Whittaker's Survival Capsule

A new form of protection is offered to crews on offshore drilling rigs in the event of disaster at sea. Whittaker Corporation of California USA, has introduced a diesel-powered, 50-man survival capsule capable of getaway speeds of more than six knots.
Shaped like an elongated flying saucer, the Whittaker capsule is powered by a Perkins 4.15 marine diesel engine, a four-cylinder, in-line unit that develops 62 horsepower. The capsule measures 6 meters long, 3.16 meters high and 4.27 meters wide. Fully loaded with people and provisions, it weighs approximately 7.7 metric tons.
The Perkins 4.154 diesel installed in the 50-man capsule is hydraulically started, and cooling is achieved by a seawater-freshwater heat exchanger. Standard equipment includes a 12-volt, 42 ampere alternator with a solid-state integral regulator, along with oil pressure indicator light, charge indicator light, and temperature gauge. An engine-driven pump supplied a sprinkler system with raw water at a rate of 125 gallons per minute. The capsule is equipped with compressed air capable of running the engine for six minutes and providing positive cabin pressure; this system switches automatically to outside air when the compressed air supply is depleted. An air regeneration canister is also provided to revitalise the air by replacing exhaled carbon dioxide with oxygen.
Whittaker has fitted the 50-man capsule with throttle/gear shift controls both fore and aft, permitting operation from either station. The operator in the aft station can observe and co-ordinate cable hookup during retrieval.
Whittaker’s Survival Systems Division at La Mesa, California, has developed a completed survival and rescue system in tandem with its capsule. Other elements of the system include a holding and launch platform easily installed to the side of a rig; the platform’s electrical system; and a launch/retrieval winch.
Fitted with a wide range of safety gear and hung from the side of a rig, the Whittaker capsule can be safely launched into heavy seas from a height of 60 feet in 30 seconds. The craft is quickly retrievable with the system’s electric winch and simple cable hook.
Two smaller models with capacities of 14 and 28 men - are also available.
The capsule’s dome - brightly painted in international orange - contains four hinged doors, three hatchways, ventilating manifolds, sprinkler pipes and manifolds, handrails, and double-paned windows with safety glass inside and wire-reinforced glass outside.
Whittaker has outfitted its new capsule with survival items - from life jackets, fire extinguisher and bailer to signal mirror, food and water, smoke signals and parachute flares with pistol, for those with no choice but to abandon their offshore platform, it is the safest way to go.