Abstract: A crashworthy aircraft seat for protecting a passenger during a crash of the aircraft includes a support structure coupled to the aircraft, a seat assembly slidingly associated with the support structure, guide means coupled to the support structure for guiding upright members of the seat assembly as the seat assembly slides relative to the support structure, and means for variably attenuating kinetic energy as the seat assembly and the passenger move downward relative to the support structure from an initial static start position to an end position during the crash.

Abstract: A crashworthy aircraft seat for protecting a passenger during a crash of the aircraft includes a support structure coupled to the aircraft, a seat assembly slidingly associated with the support structure, guide means coupled to the support structure for guiding upright members of the seat assembly as the seat assembly slides relative to the support structure, and means for variably attenuating kinetic energy as the seat assembly and the passenger move downward relative to the support structure from an initial static start position to an end position during the crash.

Abstract: A carbon fiber-reinforced plastic arrow is disclosed having a tubular shaft with a length of from 25 to 32 inches, a wall thickness of from 0.022 to 0.032 inch and an internal diameter of from 0.19 to 0.26 inch, the shaft having a stiffness measured by center deflection under a two pound center load of from 0.25 to 0.7 inch. The tubular shaft is constructed of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic to include an interior section in which the carbon fibers run in two directions, each balanced with respect to the other, of at least 30.degree. to the axis of the arrow, and an outer section in which substantially all of the fibers are parallel to the axis of the arrow, and the arrow includes a head having a weight of from 45% to 60% of the weight of the shaft.

Abstract: A fishing rod is provided which has a hollow tapered rod body of generally circular exterior cross-section which tapers from a large diameter handle end to a small diameter tip end, and a hollow interior extending along the rod axis which tapers in the same direction as the exterior of the rod. The rod body is constituted by laminations of a plurality of plies of fiber reinforced resin in which the fibers in each ply are parallel to one another, these plies including at least one inner ply having its fibers oriented at an angle of at least 30.degree. to the axis of the rod, and a plurality of outer plies having their fibers generally parallel to the axis of the rod. The outer plies at the large diameter end of the rod have their fibers disposed at a progressively increasing angle to the axis of the rod as they approach the rod exterior, and this distributes the load to maximize the flexing strength of a rod of minimum weight.

Abstract: The specification discloses a reed type valve formed of a composite material having a coherent matrix reinforced with fibers of high strength and high modulus of elasticity aligned along given directions to provide reinforcement against loads to be applied to the valve during operation thereof. The high modulus fibers may be of carbon or boron and preferably have an average modulus of elasticity greater than 18 .times. 10.sup.6 psi.