Uscgc130 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (5 years 11 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 3853 times:
I've seen the additional emergency exits aft of the wing on the 707-320C and stretched DC-8 models referred to as "hat rack" doors. That strikes me as an odd name, since it seems unlikely that valuable cabin real estate would be taken up by dedicated hat racks, even back in the early '60s when hats were in fashion.
What's the origin of this term? Were there typically seats next to these doors like in any other row, or was it kept clear for easier evacuation?
N8076U From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 425 posts, RR: 10 Reply 1, posted (5 years 11 months 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 3842 times:
Today's aircraft have "stow bins", but way back then, the overhead storage area was just open shelves, and were called "hat racks". Those "hat rack" emergency exit doors were shorter than the normal entry doors, allowing the hat rack to continue over the top of the door without interruption, hence the name.
USCGC130 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (5 years 11 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 3736 times:
Quoting N8076U (Reply 1): Today's aircraft have "stow bins", but way back then, the overhead storage area was just open shelves, and were called "hat racks". Those "hat rack" emergency exit doors were shorter than the normal entry doors, allowing the hat rack to continue over the top of the door without interruption, hence the name.
Hmmm, okay. That explanation never occurred to me because I figured emergency exits were just smaller by nature than regular doors, hat racks above them or no.
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