Not good

[Lucas1860]

Have a Look at this,

http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/wo ... globalnews

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... flame.html

Ouch.

[Mayfly]

Ooops - that looked like fin stall - but difficult to say....

Well done that seat & pleased he's OK!!

[Spitfire]

What an amazing set of photos - - the seat features quite prominently in most

Chalk another up to Martin Baker

This is just an incredible picture .....particularly because the ground is in shot and gives the proximity perspective.

[Mayfly]

Excellent shot, you can just how quick he's cleared the aircraft - just separated from his seat & his main chute isn't yet open!!

[Spitfire]

And look ..... several squillion pounds disintegrates ..... but there's that seat again

[Thumper]

WOW! Amazing photo's, especially the one with the ground in shot, scary!!

Glad he's OK. Martin Baker, saving lives since 1946

[Mayfly]

And look ..... several squillion pounds disintegrates ..... but there's that seat again

built for punishment!! - I never cease to be gob smacked over ejection seats - THE worlds best invention as far as I'm concerned

[Fifties Fanatic]

Mayfly - "fin stall" - please elaborate. Clearly we will only know what actually happened after an enquiry but I thought that at these very high AOAs the computers were doing all the work and effectively preventing the aircraft from loss of control.

[Mayfly]

You could well be right FF about the computer & I wouldn't wish to jump to conclusions at all I don't mean to speculate.

Fin stall is when the A/C is at a high angle of attack & is shielded from the air pressure by the wings so the rudder becomes ineffective [my understanding] if the A/C starts to yaw you can't use the rudder to straighten the A/C again, and of course it could be a computer failure or any number of things.

I've often wondered how many computer back ups these A/C have anyone know?

The good thing is he got out.

[Fifties Fanatic]

I know you were not speculating and nor would any of us wish to. I now understand what fin stall is and it makes perfect sense. As for computer back-up, I am sure I read somewhere that there are 3 or 4 in the F16, but I am sure someone else on here will have the facts at their fingertips.

[Xplumberlives]

Good old M.B.


Mk. 10Specifications Mk 10 (IN10LH) and Types it is fitted to!

Operating ceiling 50 000+ft (15,250 m)
Minimum height/speed Zero/zero in near level attitude
Crew boarding mass range 69.2 – 112.2 kg
Crew size range 3rd to 99th percentile, as defined in Survey of
2000 Royal Air Force Aircrew 1970/1971
Maximum Speed for ejection 630 KIAS
Parachute type GQ Type 1000 Mk 2
Parachute deployment Drogue assisted
Drogue parachute type 5 ft and 22 in.
Drogue deployment Drogue gun. Initiated by trip rod
Harness type Integrated
Ejection seat operation type Ejection gun and multi-tube rocket pack
Ejection gun Single, two stage
Gun stroke length 72 in.
Ejection initiation Handle on seat pan initiates gas operated seat
firing system
Electronic Sequencer No
Barostatic time-release unit Yes + g-restrictor. Initiated by trip rod
Automatic back-up unit No
Manual override handle Yes
Timers No
Seat adjustment Up/down Actuator operated 28 Vdc
Arm restraints No
Leg restraints Yes, two garters
Oxygen supply Bottled emergency oxygen
Main oxygen system connection
Personal survival pack Yes, landscale, Liferaft option available
Aircrew services Personal equipment connector (PEC) provides
connections for
- main oxygen
- back-up oxygen
- emergency oxygen
- anti-g suit
- mic/tel
Command ejection Yes
Canopy jettison No
Miniature detonating cord Yes
Interseat sequencing system Yes, through command delay breech unit

Mk. 10- Seat firing handle pulled causing seat initiation cartridge to fire
- Harness retraction unit operated, command firing initiated
- Primary cartridge fired causing inner and intermediate pistons to rise, releasing top latch
- Seat rises up guide rails
- Miniature detonating cord trip initiates canopy fracturing system
- Secondary cartridges fire in turn as seat rises
- Electrical connections separate disconnecting seat actuator circuit, IFF
switch and oxygen regulator supply lead
- Aircraft portion of main oxygen generating system block separate
disconnecting main and back-up oxygen
- Personal equipment connector aircraft portion disconnects from seat portion
- Anti-g suit hose disconnects
- Leg restraint lines draw back and restrain aircrew’s legs
- Leg restraint lines become taut and rivets shear, freeing lines from floor brackets
- Trip rods withdraw sears from drogue gun and barostatic time-release units
- Emergency oxygen trips
- Remote rocket initiator operated by static line, cartridge fires to ignite rocket pack

- Rocket pack sustains upward thrust of ejection gun, diverging trajectories for front and rear seats
- After delay mechanism has operated, drogue gun piston fires
- Ejected piston withdraws closure pin from closure flaps of drogue parachute pack and deploys drogues.
- Deployment of drogues stabilize and retard the seat and aircrew

- Low altitude/High speed -
- Seat descends stabilised by drogues
- Barostatic time-release unit completes run and fire

- High speed/high altitude -
- Barostatic capsule operates to prevent parachute deployment above pre-determined altitude
- Barostatic controlled g-switch delays parachute deployment above 7000 ft until speed and g-force are reduced
- Barostatic time release unit operates below pre-determined altitude, completes run and fires

- Manual separation (override) used if automatic system fails
- Gas from cartridge used to
- Free drogue shackle link
- Release parachute mechanical lock
- Operate upper harness locks and lower harness release mechanism to free lower harness lugs, negative-g straps, leg restraint lines and personal equipment connector man portion
- Drogues withdraw parachute from container
- Sticker straps momentarily hold aircrew in seat
- Parachute develops, lifts aircrew and survival pack from seat and pulls sticker clips from clips causing aircrew and seat to diverge
- Normal parachute descent follows
- Aircrew releases either of two quick-release connectors to lower survival pack to end of line
- Survival pack opened manually when necessary
Mk. 10Country Aircraft Seat Designation


ARGENTINA PAMPA AR10LM
ARGENTINA MB-339 IT10F
AUSTRALIA HAWK AU10LH
AUSTRALIA F-18 SJU9A(Rear/Solo)
AUSTRALIA F-18 SJU10A(Front)
SJU9A(Rear)
BAHRAIN HAWK BA10LH
BAHRAIN HAWK BRN10LH
BANGLADESH Chengdu F-5 BD10LV
BANGLADESH Shenyang F-6 BD10D
BANGLADESH Chengdu F-7 BD10LZ
BELGIUM ALPHA JET B10N
BELGIUM MIRAGE B10LP
BOSNIA- J-22 YU10JF
HERCEGOVINA
BRAZIL AMX BR10LY
BRAZIL MIRAGE F10Q
BRAZIL SUPER TUCANO (ALX) BR10LCX
BRAZIL F-5 BR10LF
BRAZIL EMB-314 BR10LCX
BRUNEI HAWK BRU10LH
CANADA HAWK BA10LH
CANADA F-18 SJU9A(Front)
SJU10A(Rear)
CHILE MIRAGE B10LP 1-2
CHILE MIRAGE B10LP
CHILE CASA 101 CL10CA
CHILE CASA 101 E10CA 1-2
CHILE CHEETAH B10L
CZECH REP. GRIPEN S10LS
CROATIA SOKO YU10J
CROATIA SOKO YU10LB
ECUADOR KFIR IL10P
EGYPT F-6 EP10D
EGYPT ALPHA JET EP10N
EGYPT MIRAGE F10Q
EGYPT K-8 EP10LW
EGYPT F-6 EP10D
ERITREA MB-339 ER10LK
FINLAND HAWK SF10B
FRANCE MIRAGE F10Q
FRANCE MIRAGE F10M
FRANCE RAFALE F10X
FRANCE FOUGA 90 F10K
GABON MIRAGE F10M
GERMANY TORNADO G10A
GERMANY EUROFIGHTER 10LE
GHANA MB-339 IT10LK
GREECE MIRAGE F10QA
GREECE F-5 H10LF
HONDURAS CASA C-101 E10LU
HONDURAS SABRE HN10Z
HUNGARY GRIPEN S10LS
INDIA MIRAGE IN10QA
INDIA SEA HARRIER IN10H
INDONESIA HAWK BA10LH
INDONESIA HAWK IA10B 1-2
IRAQ F-5 IR10LF
IRAQ TUCANO BR8LC
IRAQ MIRAGE F10M
ITALY TORNADO 10A
ITALY MB-339 IT10F
ITALY MB-339 IT10LK
ITALY EUROFIGHTER 10LE
ITALY AMX IT10LY 1
JORDAN MIRAGE F10M
JORDAN CASA C-101 E10CA
KENYA HAWK KA10B
KENYA TUCANO KA8LC 1-2
KUWAIT HAWK KT10B
MALAYSIA HAWK BA10LH
MALAYSIA MB-339 IT10F
MALAYSIA MB-339 IT10LK
NEW ZEALAND MB-339 NZ10LK
NIGERIA MB-339 IT10F
OMAN HAWK BA10LH
PAKISTAN HONGDU A-5 PK10LV
PAKISTAN SHENYANG F-6 PKD10
PAKISTAN CHENGDU F-7 PK10LZ
PAKISTAN K-8 PK10LW
PAKISTAN SHENYANG FT-6 PKD10 TR
PERU MB-339 IT10F
PERU MIRAGE F10Q
PHILIPPINES S-211 IT10LA
POLAND PZL I-22 PL10LR 1-2
QATAR MIRAGE F10Q
QATAR HAWK BA10LH
ROMANIA IAR-99 RU10LB
ROMANIA IAR-93 RU10J
ROMANIA SOKO RU10J
ROMANIA SOKO RU10LB
S.KOREA HAWK KR10LH
SAUDI ARABIA TORNADO SA10A
SAUDI ARABIA HAWK SA10B
SERBIA&MONT. J-22 YU10JF
SINGAPORE S-211 IT10LA 1-2
SOMALIA S-211 IT10LA
SOUTH AFRICA CHEETAH B10L
SOUTH AFRICA MIRAGE F10M
SOUTH AFRICA GRIPEN S10LS
SOUTH AFRICA HAWK BA10LH
SPAIN F-18 SJU10A
SPAIN F-18 SJU5A(F)/SJU9A(R)
SPAIN F-18 SJU6A
SPAIN C-101 E10CA 1-2 /E10LU
SPAIN MIRAGE E10M / F1RM4
SRI LANKA KFIR IL10P
SWEDEN GRIPEN S10LS
SWITZERLAND HAWK CH10LH
TAIWAN MIRAGE F10QA
TAIWAN AIDC X10LQ
TANZANIA SHENYANG F-6 TZ10D
UAE - DUBIA HAWK DU10B
UK EUROFIGHTER 10LE
UK AJT HAWK GB10LH
UK HAWK 10B
UK TORNADO 10A
UK ALPHA JET GB10LN
UK SEA HARRIER 10H
UNITED ARAB HAWK AD10B
EMIRATES (UAE)
UNITED ARAB MB-339 IT10F
EMIRATES (UAE)
UNITED ARAB MIRAGE F10QA
EMIRATES (UAE)
CANADA ALPHA JET CA10LN
USA SUPER TOCANO (ALX) BR10LCX
USA X-31 SJU-5A
USA F-18 SJU 5A
USA F-18 SJU 5A / 6A
USA OSPREY US10E
VENEZUELA MB-339 IT10F
YUGOSLAVIA J-22 YU10JF
YUGOSLAVIA SOKO YU10LB
ZIMBABWE HAWK ZE10B


If you look at the photo below, you can plainly see that the seat has brought the pilot out of the aircraft and is already righting itself prior to main chute deployment and seperation!

[Mayfly]

That must have taken you ages to type that lot!!

astounding just astounding, I am very proud to have had the priveldge to have worked with them!

[Xplumberlives]

That must have taken you ages to type that lot!!

astounding just astounding, I am very proud to have had the priveldge to have worked with them! :)

WOW! I didn't know you worked on the Canadian F18s!

[Aceyone]

Thanks for posting all that XPL ,very informative for a numpty such as myself who knows sweet FA about MB seats other than they save lives

[Mayfly]

That must have taken you ages to type that lot!!

astounding just astounding, I am very proud to have had the priveldge to have worked with them! :)

WOW! I didn't know you worked on the Canadian F18s!

Oh there's so much you don't know about me!!!

[Jigsaw]

Saw that on the news. Those pics are far more revealing and dramatic.

Martin Baker

[Spitfire]

Good old M.B.


If you look at the photo below, you can plainly see that the seat has brought the pilot out of the aircraft and is already righting itself prior to main chute deployment and seperation!

ah - I've often wondered that .... so the seat knows which way up is sky and which way down is ground and rights itself to go 'up' to sky automatically - amazing... is that done by the rockets we can see - firing at different angles or different thrusts ??

BTW this photo also shows said pilot is going to have a very sore neck in the morning His helmet's almost down by his belly button - its a shame they can't have a Hans device like F1 drivers to stop that, by restraining the helmet.

[Mayfly]

It's the small drogue chute you can see between the tail fins SF that stabilises the seat, That chute in turn drags a larger one out to slow the decent of the seat until the occupant is released from it. It was found in earlier days that with faster flying A/C the seat & occupant could be caught by the tail so a rocket pack was used to give the seat faster clearance.

[Xplumberlives]

Good old M.B.


If you look at the photo below, you can plainly see that the seat has brought the pilot out of the aircraft and is already righting itself prior to main chute deployment and seperation!

ah - I've often wondered that .... so the seat knows which way up is sky and which way down is ground and rights itself to go 'up' to sky automatically - amazing... is that done by the rockets we can see - firing at different angles or different thrusts ??

BTW this photo also shows said pilot is going to have a very sore neck in the morning His helmet's almost down by his belly button - its a shame they can't have a Hans device like F1 drivers to stop that, by restraining the helmet.

Yes the Intelligent seats which were really from the Mk10 onwards were a wonderful advancement! As to wearing a HANS Device, no pilot could fly and more importantly FIGHT effectively without being able to move his head around like an owl, he must be able to see his adversary!

[Fat Badger]

Not only has he escaped death, he also gets a fetching "Ejection Tie", which anyone who has ejected on a Martin Baker seat gets given!

[Thumper]

I'm sure it's just the angle of the photo but in that pic it looks like he's on a collision course with the tail fin of the aircraft. How "far out" do the rockets take the seat away from the plane before the chute is deployed and does it make a difference if the aircraft is not "flat" i.e. his Hornet is turning downwards and has half rolled?

[Mayfly]

All seats have safe operating parameters - some of which include weight of the occupant - height, speed, attitude of the aircraft.

Once, all seats had to be straight & level & doing a minimum of 90kts but that was overcome by the use of rocket packs and refinement in design, now you can successfully eject at 0-0 - zero height - zero speed.

There was a case a few years ago where someone was lost who we knew because he ejected as the aircraft was rolling & unfortunately he ejected into the ground.

As for the actual height the seat clears an aircraft by I'm not sure TBH, but if it was fired from the ground it would sufficient for his chute to fully deploy & him to land unhurt.

[Xplumberlives]

Standard current type of seat like the MB Mk10 will typically take you up approximately 300 feet!

This is sufficient for the drogue and main parachute to fully deploy, pilot to seperate from the seat and the equipment container to drop on to its lanyard and bring the pilot to a safe landing.


Early Harrier pilots used to regularly be lost in the hover. This was due to the engine winding down and the torque spinning the airframe as the pilot decided to pull the black and yellow handle. By the time the seat had initiated, the airframe would have rolled through more than 90 degrees and sent the pilot and his seat 15 feet in to the ground!

[Mayfly]

hmmm I remember FOD plodding after a crash - not a happy time & the hardest days work I have EVER done!!

[Xplumberlives]

hmmm I remember FOD plodding after a crash - not a happy time & the hardest days work I have EVER done!!

So it did happen ONCE then!!