Comfort?
 

Hi All

Strange question I know, but for those who have flown them, are single seater military jets as uncomfortable as they appear to be for the pilot? I sat in a Mirage IIIO and Macchi 326 cockpit today and got to thinking how they differed from the civil aircraft I fly. Lots of sharp edges, bare metal, little padding, etc. I would think that a long time sitting in one of these, say on a ferry flight, would be a killer.

Thanks.

Flyer

Numb bum!
 

They're not the best. Unfortunately the cushions can't be too thick due to the fact the compression on ejection would snap your femurs.
The jets I have flown have had pretty pokey little cockpits (although not as bad as the Mig 21 I once sat in).
The Tornado by comparison seemed immense. The F15 cockpit was bigger than my living room!
BV:sad:

Bob Viking profile:

You an ex-Jag mate then? :E

Not just pointy jets that are tough on the body. The Gazelle isn't that great, either. At the tender age of 19 I had to have painkillers for back pain brought on by the seat design of the whistling chicken-leg.

At least in the Bucc or Tornado they had someone to moan to about it (and, boy, did they bloody moan!)

Foldie:)

I always found them very comfortable - comfortable in the knowledge that if ever Faeces became Trumps, Martin-Baker's patent let-down system would be there to save the day.

No, the AR5 was a wonderful addition to the mix. The torso hrness was great but having a rubber bag on your head was so much more fun!!!!

If I was to choose an office suite, I guess I'd probably not go for the Phantom. That said, where else can you have so much fun..........................................(I know; waiting for the comments)

.... you had no idea cushions could be so dangerous eh...... :}

Anyone remember the glass fibre trial seat pan in the Gnat - could always tell who had been flying on it (in the front in one aircaraft, in the back in another) as one of the leg starps gave you sciatica!

Thanks for the answers chaps.

So are you attached to and sitting on a chute, or is the chute attached to the seat and the crew to the seat? Never sat on an ejection seat so not sure of the mechanics of it all.

Cheers

Flyer

The parachute is in the head-box of most modern EJ seats. The seat cushion normally covers the Personal Survival Pack or PSP that contains a single seat dinghy and some other goodies. The PSP is what you sit on.

LJ

Try this:

Martin Baker - Mk. 10

Thanks again. That link was great as well. I notice that in the schematic there doesn't seem to be loops above the head to pull. Or are they just left out of that drawing?

Flyer

Flyer

Most modern bang seats have done away with the face-screen and upper handles - too many choices make for a late ejection! The seat pan handle is now the choice of champions.

Any reason why you're asking?

iRaven

Thanks iRaven. Just curious really. Been to a few museums recently and it raised a few questions in my head.

Actually the comment you make about there being too many options seems a little counterintuitive from a layman's perspective. Wouldn't you want as many options as possible in those circumstances? Particularly if the aircraft is wildly out of control and the Gs are loading up. Never know where you could get your hands to I would have thought (not that I am knowledgeable on the subject).

Cheers

Flyer

Single seaters uncomfortable?

Well you try flying Coltishall - Las Vegas inflight refuelling, slow spead with a tanker and no loo on board! That's not too comfortable. :uhoh:

Or forget to have a pee just before a high G sortie! Still, normally the inflating G suit would take care of that! :O

The jets I have flown have had pretty pokey little cockpits (although not as bad as the Mig 21 I once sat in)

I'm 1.72 m and 62 kg, and I fit in the '21 very nicely. You must be obese. Obese people should not be in the military. Ever.

Besides, a military jet is a military jet, not your bedroom. I've ridden in a number of recent American products and have felt horribly exposed. Semi-reclined seating? How can you fly and fight when your genitalia are almost obscuring the HUD?

Flying balls-first into the wild blue yonder is not my idea of fun...

Hello Hanoijane,

So you have 'sat' in a Mig 21. Wow!

But have you flown one? Better still, have you flown one in combat? The whole reason for reclining a combat pilot is to enhance his G threshold.

Possible the weak link in any air superiority fight is the man who drives it. Increase his G threshold and the fighter can be made to turn better.

Many years ago a fighter was designed with the pilot actually lying on his stomach. Perhaps that was not a brilliant idea, but it did enhance his G tolerence :)

Sadly for us pilots, future combat aircraft will be pilotless. :*

Hanoijane
 

What an interesting little character you appear to be!
With the name Jane you should be very worried about your genitalia obscuring anything. I'd have a Doctor check that out if I were you.
BV
PS. Lightning Mate. Busted.:ok:

HanoiJane

Bearing in mind your very low weight (different cultures as you say, I know), can I ask if you are male or female. I'm not trying to be rude, but my children weigh more than that, and are very slim.

I suppose if you were 20 or 30cm taller, and weighed 30kg more, as some of the other pilots here will, then you may have found the '21 a bit more cramped.
It was designed with Europeans in mind, so I do understand some of the posters views here.