Came across this photo that shows Boeing’s newest jumbo jet, the B-747-8, with its emergency slides deployed.  What caught my eye is that the upper deck slides now have a built-in structural support in the form of an arch.  Considering how far above the ground the upper deck is, I guess the arch provides support against gusting winds.  Talk about a fun-house slide!

On a related note, here’s a short video showing the deployment of the upper deck slide on an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400, the previous generation of the plane.  The slide’s support structure is less elaborate, but it is still interesting to see how it deploys.  Let’s hope I never have to see one of these deploy in person.

Related link: Airbus A380 upper deck slide deployment.