There are of course one or two sad cases of premature ejection, or you might consider the Heathrow Vulcan IIRC, with partial crew ejection.
The effects of course are increasingly shown to be lessened with the modern seats. A lot of the early day injuries were associated with edge of envelope departures associated with non axial rocket forces applied obliquely through the spine. [ignore problems of flailing limbs]
later marks of seat are a tad more agressive in positioning the departing crew to ensure that non axial foce damage is minimised, while ensuring that ideal departure is just that - disc compression, healing over 7-10 days and thats about it.
Write to the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine [now at Boscombe Down] - if they can release their material, they have a stack. Indeed I know they are a shadow of their former selves, and hope they still retain 'Institute' status. I seem to rercall that every Martin Baker letdown ever has been examined and the data collated by the IAM.
The main purpose of the over the head handle was to cause the shoulders to rise thereby straigtening the spine. trouble is, when you only have 1 second to validate your decision and be out, wasting half of that farting around over your head become an unacceptable ideal!
Last edited by Reheat On; 31st May 2002 at 23:05.