Ejection Systems

Chris Valeski
Ryan Wagner
Ejection Seat Components
Catapult - moves seat up a set of rails
Rocket - propels seat away from aircraft
Restraints - holds passenger in seat
Parachute - allows passenger to descend at
safe speed
*it is possible that catapult and rocket be the
same component
Survival Provisions
Current Generation of Ejection
Systems
parachute is deployed immediately
Pilot-seat separation not required
Seat senses airspeed and altitude of the
aircraft and selects an appropriate time
delay for ejection
Seat and parachute are deployed in an
optimal manner
Timing an Ejection - 0 Seconds

Pilot pulls cord

canopy is jettisoned or shattered
catapult initiates
sends seat up rails
Timing an Ejection - 0.15 Seconds

Seat Clears the ejection rails at

approximately 50 ft/s.
Rocket catapult ignites
Yaw motor fires
Burn time of motors last approximately
0.10 seconds
Timing an Ejection - 0.50 Seconds

Seat has cleared the aircraft by 100 to

200 feet
Seat-man-seperator motor fires and
catapults crewmember from seat along
with equipment
Drogue gun fires parachute
Timing an Ejection - 4 Seconds

Main parachute is fully deployed

Ejection Forces on Human Body

Typical ejection consists of forces

between 12 Gs and 20 Gs
A 180 lb. crewmember would feel a 3600
lb force at a 20 G force ejection.
Ejection Movie

http://www.aviationexplorer.com/su27
_airshow_video.htm

http://www.aviationexplorer.com/usaf_
thunderbird_f16_video.htm
Future of Ejection Systems
Smart seat Combines digital technology and
highly controllable propulsion systems
On-board digital computer would instantly
calculate an optimum ejection trajectory, which
would then be executed by a more controllable
rocket motor
Increased ability to eject in high altitude and
high speed cases.
New propellants
Factors Impacting Future Ejection Systems

Cost
Weight
Rapid decrease in number of ejections
Sources
Horn, Henry. Evolution of an In-Flight Escape System.
AIAA Paper No. 75-1405: 1981.
Sadler, Robert. Propulsions Contribution to the
Success of Aircrew Emergency. 39th
AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference
and Exhibit: July 2003.
www.ejectionsite.com
www.brooks.af.mil
www.martin-baker.com