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tartare
20th Dec 2007, 20:57
A question for any Pig drivers (sensible answers please).
Booger... if you're there?
If a Pig crew decide they need to depart the aircraft in flight... where's the punch out handle... same place as on a standard ejection seat i.e. right next to the family jewels?
And what's the separation mechanism with control linkages etc?
Is there some sort of explosive bolt arrangement?
I assume there would be some kind of seal around push rods etc (it's not fly by wire is it) to preserve pressurisation/water tightness (the capsule can float - am I right).

Sven Sixtoo
20th Dec 2007, 20:59
So the Pigs are airborne.
Which of our dreams has come true?

tartare
20th Dec 2007, 21:06
Yep... along with the Tonka trucks as well...
Ta... just found the link.
Anyone know any stories of anyone who's actually used it?

Cyclone733
20th Dec 2007, 21:14
Assuming the Pig is the F-111 then:
http://www.f-111.net/ejection.htm

Fox3snapshot
20th Dec 2007, 21:24
Hope these happy snaps shed some light on your question tartare....

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e123/Fox3snapshot/PPrune/f-111-12.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e123/Fox3snapshot/PPrune/PigHandles.jpg

:ok: The Fox

Fox3snapshot
20th Dec 2007, 21:44
"If you can imagine falling from a roof of a one story building in a wooden rocking chair to the ground...you will appreciate the landing in the F111 capsule after ejection"

From the then FLTLT A. Curr Navigator of A8-137 piloted by FLGOFF M.
Kelly at RNZAF Ohakea after injesting water at RNZAF Ohakea on 24/08/79 at 90 kts off RWY 27.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e123/Fox3snapshot/PPrune/OhakeaCrash.jpg

:8

108 ATC Hoo Hah!

BentStick
20th Dec 2007, 23:01
I can't be certain but I think the Pig Modules were upgraded with larger canopies to reduce post ejection landing forces. I remember being told by our life support people that the new chutes were compressed over a week to extract all the moisture prior to being packed into the module bins. If you were to cut through a packed chute, it would appear as dense as Oak. :ooh:

BentStick
20th Dec 2007, 23:05
In this particular crash, it was the Nav who initiated ejection.

tartare
20th Dec 2007, 23:11
Outstanding fellas... thanks v. much.
Scary photo at the end of the runway.
The other crash I remember was the splashdown off Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf in `78.
Wheel well fire... and the boys had to pull the pin.
Fascinating aircraft.

Samuel
20th Dec 2007, 23:20
This is the capsule from that F111 shown above



http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Shadblat/F111Capsule.jpg

tartare
20th Dec 2007, 23:45
wow.
So the ingested water put both flames out and they just went straight off the end of the runway...?

antipodean alligator
21st Dec 2007, 01:29
Yep,

They modified the nosewheel tyres with a large Chine to divert the spray post this crash.

Will try to find a more up to date cockpit piccy. The ones above are all pre-avionics mod and somewhat archaic....Ahhh the glory days of actually having to navigate!!

henry crun
21st Dec 2007, 02:19
aa: The rumour I heard was that the spray deflector mod was available prior to that accident, but the RAAF had a not bought it.

True ?

Brian Abraham
21st Dec 2007, 02:19
If I recall two aircraft lined up on the runway, lead on right and accident aircraft on left. Runway was not well drained with water pooling on the sides. Had the aircraft "crowned" the runway (tracked the centre line), rather than maintain the left half of the runway, would have been OK. Was not a pairs (formation) take off.

L J R
21st Dec 2007, 02:27
Is that with or without your Hat then AA?
I remember Big Al saying that the landing was something about a 30 storey building in addition to the tied to the chair thing.
At least you would land with all your stuff that you brought into the cockpit. - Cocktails anyone (Recce 'In' joke).
You should see the 'alternate' escape method if the 'primary' system fails..
There is (was) a warning in the Flight Manual that advisses you not to release the chute until after you land. (sound advice really).
The weight differential is an issue - especially if you are flying with a fat chick.
Brian, I seem to recall that is was a four-ship MARSTK, and the other three continued with the trip with a 'lost' Number 4.

Samuel
21st Dec 2007, 02:40
I don't recall two aircraft, but then there have been a few cases of Coonawarra red in the meantime! The aircraft lost thrust due to water ingestion and as they were rapidly running out of runway they[ correctly] decide to leave! The approach end of 09, the runway they left via, had a earth ramp down to the bomb dump service road [there are bunkers to the right of its exit] and the aurcraft went down the ramp, and into the paddocks at the end. The capsule came down very near to the remains of the airframe and the crash crew placed a vehicle between the capsule and the burning bits.. As I recall, there were:D no injuries other than an element of surprise at the sudden transition from aircraft to ground.

There was a sequel to the story in that the RAAF sent over an investigation team headed by a Gp Capt, who became very friendly with the then Firemaster, a Warrant Officer. Come time for the team to go home and a Herc arrives to collect them. The Duty Free they had purchased down town was in the Customs lock-up in stores and , as usual, the Duty Storeman couldn't be located. Grp Capt rings up the Firemaster and explains that "we need to go and can't get the duty free etc", and said WO, says: "No worries Sir, I have a key" He opened up the main store, and produced a crowbar for the lock-up!
Headlines in the Dominion newspaper said, "RAAF accident inquiry head praises RNZAF crash crew".:D:ok:

Milt
21st Dec 2007, 02:47
Escape module has impact attenuation bags which inflate and soften the touch down with a secondary purpose to keep it floating right side up in water. If the module has a leak or water gets in when you are riding a wave then the left seater will plead with the right seater to vigourously move the stick back and forth to operate the bilge pump.
Never did find the bilge though! Come on Navy - where would it have been?

If you are close to the hard stuff beneath then it is not a good idea to pull one of those black and yellow handles until you are right side up.

Anyone know the highest IAS/Mach No seperation?

antipodean alligator
21st Dec 2007, 03:35
C'Mon Milt,

Everyone knows that the Bilge pump only works on the Stick on the side which has the pin that has to be moved....ie: Drivers do the pumping!!

LJR - The replacement for said hat served very well last week at the Langkawi airshow......To prove that the learning curve still maintains a small degree of positive vector, said hat went to/from Langkawi in the MXU Pod vice the seat top!!!

Frosty Hoar
21st Dec 2007, 04:58
Sorry but why bother with an escape module anyway instead of bang seats?:8

henry crun
21st Dec 2007, 05:50
Brian Abraham is correct.

The main runway drain was on the left side, right in the path of the number two on a stream takeoff.

Pontius Navigator
21st Dec 2007, 07:34
Frosty, apart from fashion, the B58 had individual modules, the F111 was going to be near mach at nought feet and a module was thought better.

One went in off Tain in the 70s - a long time ago. The crew remained buttoned up in the module and climbed into their immersion suits. A fishing boat came along side and once secure and suited they opened the hatch and boarded the boat.

At least one then took his used-once, never wet, suit off and presented it to the crew.

If it worked what would you rather?

Cyclone733
21st Dec 2007, 07:45
The British Air Ministry looked at escape modules for the at least 2 of the V-Bombers the Valient and Victor. Where the entire crew cabin would be jettisoned from the aircraft. The extra expense and technical requirements put pay to the idea. Ejector seats for the flight deck, parachutes for the rear crew the not entirely fair compromise reached in at least one case

JT Eagle
21st Dec 2007, 10:32
I believe that the very capsule employed at Ohakea is the same one that has been a travelling exhibit for the RAAF at airshows etc ever since. Tilted at an angle it gives a very good look in the cockpit.

With the two crashes in NZ, and presumably others in Australia, 'NZ Wings' came up with this little ditty:

A daring young pilot named Kevin
Took off in an F-111
He left with a roar at 6:44
And crashed at a Quarter to Seven

JT

WannaBeBiggles
22nd Dec 2007, 01:08
An ejected crew module is also used as a "Sim" at RAAF Amberley to test all new additions to the aircraft (Hardware & Software) ;)

Dan Winterland
22nd Dec 2007, 04:16
With the Victor, the whole nose section was supposed to detach, freefall down to 10,000' then a parachte deploy. The nose was collapsable allowing shock absorbtion. A quarter scale model of the nose was attached to a glider for a trial. A long cable was to supply power to the unit while it freefalled, however, just before the trial an electrictian saw all this 'spare' cable and shortened it. On the trial, the unit fell to the ground without the parachute opening, the Air Ministry lost interest, the pilots got ejector seats and the rearcrew parachutes. A decision which probably cost many of them their lives.

The section behind the cabin was known as the 'plenum chamber'. it was the area where the capsule parachute was to be stored. In the Mk2 it housed a lot of the electric gear.

mustpost
22nd Dec 2007, 07:46
Fascinating subject - could I humbly suggest http://www.ejectionsite.com/f111restore.htm

Warmtoast
22nd Dec 2007, 12:12
And to think that I thought a 'Pig' was a Valetta - just shows my age I guess!

anotherthing
22nd Dec 2007, 13:24
Sorry,

looked at the thread title and thought someone had come up with a device for teleporting oneself from the boudoir of a crocodilly-moose-pig's bedroom after a heavy night out.

My mistake. And disappointment

Gainesy
22nd Dec 2007, 15:53
I flew in the F-111 just once, but remember a chain or lanyard running fore-aft in the cockpit roof between the seats, which was something to do with the escape system, can't for the life of me remember what though. Anyone know?

(It was an RAAF aircraft, Oz Bi-Centenniel year, 1986?).

L J R
23rd Dec 2007, 05:04
Gainsey,

That would be the string connecting all the safety pins together so when you took them out, they would remain together in the Navs G Suit (unofficially) - or in the 'stowage place' so that the fire dept could get them with 'standardisation'. Somewhere in the string would be a red flad with 'remove before flight' embossed. The Pins are 2 for the Ejection Firing Handles, (one each between the pilot and nav - near your knees), and three above your head (one) for severance and floatation (the 'alternative method'), one for Chute deploy and one for chute release (Note Warning about pullinjg this one before module landing). The alternative method has never been used successfully, as a failure of the primary ejection handles would possible not be discovered prior to aircraft/terrain impact..

komac2
23rd Dec 2007, 05:26
Oz Bi-Centenniel year, 1986?).


it was a 1988

eyespied
23rd Dec 2007, 07:53
And there's me thinking a Pig was a Varsity....

Gainesy
23rd Dec 2007, 10:45
Thanks for the answers, another memory cell or two replenished.:)

mustpost
29th Dec 2007, 11:41
Oh and incidentally, if you are in the UK and really curious, The Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum has one...:8
http://www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com/collection13.htm
Open in the Spring..