The entire seat is only 22" wide? That would be one snug fit.

quote:

Originally posted by RichN:
The entire seat is only 22" wide? That would be one snug fit.

Or fatty's need not apply.

Max nude weight is in the 200-205 range to ensure the seat is effective throughout the ejection envelope.

I recall a sailor on fire watch in the hangar climbed into an F4J and wound up riding the seat into the roof of the hangar.

Martin Baker didn't send him a tie though. Regards 18DAI

quote:

Originally posted by 18DAI:
Martin Baker didn't send him a tie though.

We had a crew step out of an F-14 on deployment (both survived) and the pilot was still with the squadron when the Martin Baker guy showed up in person to talk to him, give him his ejection patches, pin, and tie.

There were a couple of times I thought I might have to pull the handle and give the plane back to the taxpayers. Thankfully those situations worked out.

An item of interest, unlike most ejection seats that have an upper and lower handle (the upper is the primary as it helps position the aircrew upright to hopefully lessen spine/neck injury and has a face curtain to protect the crew from windblast), the Harrier only has a lower handle. The lower handle is quicker to get to as it’s literally right between your legs vs overhead. What with hovering and other unconventional flight dynamics there’s situations when you wouldn’t have time to reach the upper handle before you’re out of the safe ejection envelope.

If I knew of an affordable one for sale it’d be tempting. Ideally one from the A4 Skyhawk or the AV8 Harrier would be great but they’re scarce as hens teeth (Esacpac and Stencel seats respectively, not Martin Baker)

The 1950s John Wayne movie “Jet Pilot” has an ejection sequence. Janet Leigh, playing a Russian pilot, has a security escort assigned to watch her. About to take off, the escort gets into the rear seat and feels it’s cramped. Leigh tells him to “Pull the handle and you’ll have plenty of room.”

quote:

Originally posted by PakRatJR:
$12,500 is WAY over priced for a Phantom seat. $3k ish tops for one that is basically complete
...

Here are two for under $3K:

http://www.flighthelmet.com/mm...Y&Category_Code=EJSS

I would think some company next to the "boneyard" in Tucson (Davis-Monthan AFB) has a lot of these, but I don't see them advertised on the www.

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:
The lower handle is quicker to get to as it’s literally right between your legs vs overhead.

Agreed. Even though the F-14 Martin Baker seats had upper and lower, there was never any discussion of going for the upper (F-14A/B had MB seats, F14Ds had NACES like the later F18s). Lower was always the primary. In the NACES seat you didn't even have to think, lower was all it had too - probably for a reason.

Harry times were the max gross FA-18F catapult launches as a tanker at night, with nearly 15K external gas in 4 tanks and a refueling pod. If a motor choked you had to get rid of those tanks fast or eject, else you were swimming - but even if things went perfect, you normally settled off the cat a bit. Never fun as none of it had to do with skill, all luck of the draw on the motors, the catapult, etc.

I'd take night carrier landing any time over those tanker launches.

I almost miss some blue water ops west of Hawaii at 0200L.

Nice horizon during a full moon and better stars during a new moon.

And a nap on the catwalk while sailing 1 degree north of the equator was even better.

quote:

Originally posted by Lunasee:
We had a crew chief in an F-4 commit suicide by punching out. This was while the aircraft was still parked in a hardened aircraft bunker on Spangdahlem AB in Germany. Very sad.

I remember something about this. As I recall I was stationed in Germany when that happened.

I’d prefer a B52 seat (if I had the extra cash to waste on one) so I searched for one and wouldn’t you know, somebody’s selling them.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/w...office-chairs/%3famp