Pilot and Seat separation
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Columbia was fitted with them for her first four launches.
Yes, and after that the two ejection seats were removed as a matter of fairness to the passengers, who have never had ejection seats or an escape pod.
No practical way to provide such in the Space Transportation System Orbiters ... a design flaw.
Yes, and after that the two ejection seats were removed as a matter of fairness to the passengers, who have never had ejection seats or an escape pod.
No practical way to provide such in the Space Transportation System Orbiters ... a design flaw.
RAF Harrier T4A XZ147/S of 233 OCU. A female cadet was seriously injured after ejecting from a Royal Air Force. Harrier T.4 near Driffield, northern England. Cadet Kate XXXXXX, 22, suffered a broken leg, broken pelvis, crushed vertebrae, and 20% burns when her parachute descended into the fireball of the crashed Harrier. The pilot was uninjured and pulled student from fire. XXXXXXX is the first female to eject from an RAF aircraft. Pilot received both a commendation and the Royal Humane Society medal
This was 'the pilots' second Ejection. Very nice guy.
This was 'the pilots' second Ejection. Very nice guy.
Last edited by Stitchbitch; 21st Apr 2009 at 18:21.
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Stitch,
What was the point of the cadet xxxxxxxx bit when you then go on to name her further down in your post!!!
What was the point of the cadet xxxxxxxx bit when you then go on to name her further down in your post!!!
Last edited by Flap62; 21st Apr 2009 at 15:30. Reason: toopyng
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I still laugh at the gallows humor of the 'Century Series' test pilots re: the early Martin-Baker ejection systems:
"Meet your maker in a Martin-Baker..."
"Meet your maker in a Martin-Baker..."
VC's awarded in the UK
He got some sort of award, but to my mind this is V.C. Material...
Pilot received both a commendation and the Royal Humane Society medal
The last award of a Victoria Cross for an action in UK airspace was that given to Flt Lt James Nicholson, of 249 Squadron, who in August 1940 interrupted the abandonment of his burning Hurricane to press home an attack on a BF110, which he destroyed. Descending badly burned on his parachute, his day took a further downturn when he was fired on by LDV men (Home Guard) who mistook him for a German. He therefore needed treatment for shotgun pellets in addition to his burns, from which he subsequently made a full recovery. He was killed as a passenger in a Liberator in 1945
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T-4 ejection
Tanker,
Thanks, you are quite right of course re. V.C's & combat.
However I thought the T4 Instructor was quite badly injured, unlike a previous post mentioned, ( it was also the subject of a BBC '999' episode for what that's worth. ) If so, deserves more than a pat on the back...
If James Nicholson is the pilot I'm thinking of, his act is shown in a rather special painting at Tangmere.
Pontius, not sure if modern - ie surprisingly Russian - seats vector their rocket motor effllux, but the American Stencel seats tried it a long time ago, as I'm sure you know; result, an 'Alton Towers' style ride, with limited success !
Thanks, you are quite right of course re. V.C's & combat.
However I thought the T4 Instructor was quite badly injured, unlike a previous post mentioned, ( it was also the subject of a BBC '999' episode for what that's worth. ) If so, deserves more than a pat on the back...
If James Nicholson is the pilot I'm thinking of, his act is shown in a rather special painting at Tangmere.
Pontius, not sure if modern - ie surprisingly Russian - seats vector their rocket motor effllux, but the American Stencel seats tried it a long time ago, as I'm sure you know; result, an 'Alton Towers' style ride, with limited success !
Last edited by Double Zero; 22nd Apr 2009 at 21:26.
My one and only acquaintance with a live ejection seat was a flight in a Vampire T11 at Shawbury. Prior to the flight, I was shown the mechanisms of the seat in the crew room and strapped in in order to practice pulling the face-blind.
One feature that I thought was quite clever was the piece of canvas (like a deck chair) that you sat on. The top of this canvas was attached to the drogue chute lanyard and also via a shackle to the top of the seat pan. When the parachute harness was released from the seat, the shackle was also released, so that the drag of the drogue chute straightened the canvas and tipped you out of the seat.
Can someone tell me what mark of seat this would have been? It was a cartridge seat and I was told categorically that if I had to use it, I would have a back injury.
One feature that I thought was quite clever was the piece of canvas (like a deck chair) that you sat on. The top of this canvas was attached to the drogue chute lanyard and also via a shackle to the top of the seat pan. When the parachute harness was released from the seat, the shackle was also released, so that the drag of the drogue chute straightened the canvas and tipped you out of the seat.
Can someone tell me what mark of seat this would have been? It was a cartridge seat and I was told categorically that if I had to use it, I would have a back injury.
I24- The Vampire Seat would have been a late Mk 2 or an early Mk 3 seat (depending on what mods/ type of Vampire you were in)
Vampire T11 (de Haviland)(FB5) - Mk1F, Mk 3B Seat
Vampire F6, FB51 -Mk 2FV Seat
Vampire T4 (de Haviland)- Mk 3B, 3BA, 4AV seat
The apron on the parachute extraction line aslo served to stop other stuff (such as the pilot) getting caught up in the line as it was thought that the apron would provide a wider barrier to the potential problem of entanglement.
Many seats - especially in two seat a/c have vectored thrust rocket packs -pilot goes port, nav goes starboard - again to stop both crew shaking hands mid ejection.
Some seats have a small thruster rocket on the headbox to give to offset thrust but most use larger nozzles on one side of the main rocket pack.
The trick is to make sure that the same rocket pack is not loaded onto both seats in the same a/c. The way this is done in Martin Baker installations is to colout the rocket packs on rear seats red instead of the "normal" white colour of rocket pack (RED= REAR) Dead simple!
As for women and ejection seat compatibility- historically it was thought that a seat giving sufficient thrust for a big hairy male pilot would give too much of a " boost" to a slighter built lady! (or a smaller male pilot) - but with seats now able to accommodate 98% percentile of fleigers a novel design feature was found that the rocket pack "senses" the opposition to its thrust and changes the thrust to give all users the same kick up the backside whatever they wheigh and therefore the seat is useable by many more types (and wheights) of pilot! (I hope that makes sense?
)
Vampire T11 (de Haviland)(FB5) - Mk1F, Mk 3B Seat
Vampire F6, FB51 -Mk 2FV Seat
Vampire T4 (de Haviland)- Mk 3B, 3BA, 4AV seat
The apron on the parachute extraction line aslo served to stop other stuff (such as the pilot) getting caught up in the line as it was thought that the apron would provide a wider barrier to the potential problem of entanglement.
Many seats - especially in two seat a/c have vectored thrust rocket packs -pilot goes port, nav goes starboard - again to stop both crew shaking hands mid ejection.
Some seats have a small thruster rocket on the headbox to give to offset thrust but most use larger nozzles on one side of the main rocket pack.
The trick is to make sure that the same rocket pack is not loaded onto both seats in the same a/c. The way this is done in Martin Baker installations is to colout the rocket packs on rear seats red instead of the "normal" white colour of rocket pack (RED= REAR) Dead simple!
As for women and ejection seat compatibility- historically it was thought that a seat giving sufficient thrust for a big hairy male pilot would give too much of a " boost" to a slighter built lady! (or a smaller male pilot) - but with seats now able to accommodate 98% percentile of fleigers a novel design feature was found that the rocket pack "senses" the opposition to its thrust and changes the thrust to give all users the same kick up the backside whatever they wheigh and therefore the seat is useable by many more types (and wheights) of pilot! (I hope that makes sense?
)
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I think that a George Cross is a little more than a mere 'pat on the back'.
It is the same award that the L/Cpl Royal Marine recieved for laying on the grenade to protect his oppo's, in Afg last year.
It is the same award that the L/Cpl Royal Marine recieved for laying on the grenade to protect his oppo's, in Afg last year.
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I'm glad to hear a George Cross was awarded, reports vary as you will see from the posts here.
As for the chap throwing himself on a grenade, what more do you have to do ( other than die ) ?!!!
As for the chap throwing himself on a grenade, what more do you have to do ( other than die ) ?!!!
