Discussion
I can't see them stopping airshows, there would need to be a worldwide ban for it to be effective, as there would be too many pro-display groups who would kick up a big fuss it it was threatened. Don't forget that the Farnborough Airshow's main objective is for this government to make a few quid from the arms export trade!
Re. The Lowestoft GR7 Harrier incident, that pilot was very on-the-ball. He knew the Harrier was in a non-survivable situation milliseconds after it started to loose altitude, and with only about 100ft to play with he punched out. Once again the Martin Baker ejector seat has saved someones life. He lost a £20M plane, but at least he is entitled to wear the ejected pilots club tie!
Shame to loose such a cool plane though.
Jas
>> Edited by Paceracing on Friday 2nd August 19:50
Re. The Lowestoft GR7 Harrier incident, that pilot was very on-the-ball. He knew the Harrier was in a non-survivable situation milliseconds after it started to loose altitude, and with only about 100ft to play with he punched out. Once again the Martin Baker ejector seat has saved someones life. He lost a £20M plane, but at least he is entitled to wear the ejected pilots club tie!
Shame to loose such a cool plane though.
Jas
>> Edited by Paceracing on Friday 2nd August 19:50
A Harrier is single engined, and as soon as it loses powere there is no alternative but to eject. they don't glide well, especially from the hover, and you wouldn't want to be there when it hits the ground.
Bear in mind that ejecting also brings serious danger to the pilot. Many seats are zero-zero rated (ie will work at zero airspeed, zero height) so they have to be very powerful. Ejection brings risk of hitting the canopy, being fired into the ground, losing your knees on the instrument panel, compressing your vertebrae etc.
Not to be done lightly.
R
Bear in mind that ejecting also brings serious danger to the pilot. Many seats are zero-zero rated (ie will work at zero airspeed, zero height) so they have to be very powerful. Ejection brings risk of hitting the canopy, being fired into the ground, losing your knees on the instrument panel, compressing your vertebrae etc.
Not to be done lightly.
R
Modern designs reduce the risk of losing the knees (or taking the dash with you), and canopy failures (or going through it) are also quite rare.
However, due to the immense thrust created by pulling the handle, the vast majority of users will suffer spinal compression - which having interviewed several pilots (I did a study on ejector seats at Uni) is bloody painful... but as someone said - nice tie.
However, due to the immense thrust created by pulling the handle, the vast majority of users will suffer spinal compression - which having interviewed several pilots (I did a study on ejector seats at Uni) is bloody painful... but as someone said - nice tie.
Glad he got out though, seem to remember, during a royal review, a harrier (GR1 I think) display pilot did his bit then a bit more as he set his zero/zero seat off after finishing the display and was back on the chocks on the ground.
Pity he was climbing out at the time.
Messy.
>> Edited by MoJocvh on Thursday 8th August 21:24
Pity he was climbing out at the time.
Messy.
>> Edited by MoJocvh on Thursday 8th August 21:24
I seem to remember a program on the Vulcan bomber which said that during testing a crew had to eject a speed. Some were hit by the tail fin and hurt/killed. So they went for chucking some out the bottom?
Used to go down St Athan as a nipper and oggle the V bombers and they made a great show in the displays.
Used to go down St Athan as a nipper and oggle the V bombers and they made a great show in the displays.
quote:
Glad he got out though, seem to remember, during a royal review, a harrier (GR1 I think) display pilot did his bit then a bit more as he set his zero/zero seat off after finishing the display and was back on the chocks on the ground.
Pity he was climbing out at the time.
Messy.
>> Edited by MoJocvh on Thursday 8th August 21:24
I saw this happen (maybe a different incident) at Yeovilton Airshow in 1975. Poor sod. Then the next year year, at the same place, I watched a German F104 (and pilot) fall out of the sky like a piece of lead pipe. Strangely, didn't affect my ambition to fly fast jets.
A friend of mine works on amongst other, Concord, does something technical with the electronics. and he said the original test aircraft had a port or escape hatch behind the cockpit in case of embarrasing crash type scenario. he also said that up untill really quite recent years there were VALVE in the electronics...
quote:
I seem to remember a program on the Vulcan bomber which said that during testing a crew had to eject a speed. Some were hit by the tail fin and hurt/killed. So they went for chucking some out the bottom?
Used to go down St Athan as a nipper and oggle the V bombers and they made a great show in the displays.
----------------------------------------
The Vulcan had ejector seats in the pilot & co pilot positions, but the rearward facing navigators & bomb aimers(3 in total) had to escape via the hatch underneath.
I've been in the Vulcan at Southend, there is an open day on the 31st of this month I think.
I also saw the Harrier that crashed, at Southend airshow earlier this year.
It was recovered yesterday and there is a picture in todays Mirror.The nose has broken off/nearly detached but the rest of the airframe doesn't look that bad.
Lee
The Blurb and I quote;
Primary function, Attack-destroy (drop like a stone & sink.
Alternatively;60's TV series "Voyage to the bottom of the sea"
Gung -ho leather jacket'ed pilot/captain plunging from the skies in his sleek craft effortless transition from air to sea bourne craft.
Ring any bells with any of you out there??
>> Edited by richard36 on Saturday 10th August 14:12
Primary function, Attack-destroy (drop like a stone & sink.
Alternatively;60's TV series "Voyage to the bottom of the sea"
Gung -ho leather jacket'ed pilot/captain plunging from the skies in his sleek craft effortless transition from air to sea bourne craft.
Ring any bells with any of you out there??
>> Edited by richard36 on Saturday 10th August 14:12
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