Narrator: FLYING JET AIRCRAFT
MEANS TAKING YOUR LIFE \h\h\h\hIN YOUR HANDS.
Man: SPEED BRAKE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AND WHEN THINGS GO WRONG,
THERE’S A CRUCIAL DEVICE \h\h\h\h\hPILOTS RELY ON.
THE EJECTION SEAT.
Man: ONCE I SAW THE NOSE \h\h\h\h\hSTART TO FALL,
I KNEW IT WAS TIME TO GET OUT.
\h\h\h\hNarrator: A SEAT THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH...
Woman: WE STARTED TO GET A LOT OF SMOKE AND FUMES
IN THE COCKPIT.
MY ONLY CHOICE IS TO EJECT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ...IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND.
\h\h\hMan: MY BODY WENT FROM 800 MILES AN HOUR
TO HANGING UNDER A PARACHUTE \hIN JUST OVER THREE SECONDS.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: IT’S AN INCREDIBLE STORY
OF INGENUITY AND BRAVERY.
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS...
Man: FIRE!
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ...THE EJECTION SEAT HAS EVOLVED
INTO ONE OF THE WORLD’S
\hMOST SOPHISTICATED SURVIVAL MACHINES...
WITH ONE AIM:
TO SAVE THE LIVES OF AIRCREW \h\h\h\h\h\hAROUND THE WORLD.
Man: I’M ALIVE.
Narrator: JULY 23, 2010.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPILOT BRIAN BEWS OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
STEPS OUT TO FLY HIS CF-18 HORNET.
IT’S A FULL DRESS REHEARSAL \h\h\h\h\hFOR AN AIR SHOW.
\h\hAnnouncer: WATCH AS BRIAN PERFORMS HIS FIRST MANEUVER,
THE DIRTY ROLL ON TAKEOFF!
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBrian Bews: WHEN I THINK BACK ON IT,
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN \hSOMETHING WAS UP
WHEN I WENT TO STARBUCK’S
\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THEY FORGOT MY EXTRA FOAM ON MY LATTE.
Narrator: AS PART OF THE SHOW
HE’LL FLY HIS JET LOW AND SLOW,
\h\hA MANEUVER CALLED THE HIGH ALPHA PASS.
Man: TAKE YOUR TIME FOR THE HIGH ALPHA.
Bews: THE NOSE OF THE JET \h\h\h\hIS UP 25 DEGREES,
\hYET WE’RE FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL.
THE LIFT FROM THE WINGS
\h\h\h\h\hAND THE COMBINATION OF THE THRUST FROM THE ENGINE
IS WHAT KEEPS THE JET AIRBORNE.
Narrator: FLYING JUST \h\h120 MILES AN HOUR
AT LESS THAN 200 FEET.
IT’S A DELICATE BALANCE.
Bews: FEEL IT BITE. \hTHERE SHE BITES.
\h\h\h\h\hIT’S QUITE IMPRESSIVE TO SEE A SUPERSONIC FIGHTER JET
FLY THAT SLOW.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THEN, WITHOUT WARNING,
HIS RIGHT ENGINE FAILS.
[ALARM SOUNDS]
\h\hAS HIS HORNET LOSES THRUST AND ROLLS DANGEROUSLY DOWNWARDS,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBEWS FACES EVERY PILOT’S NIGHTMARE.
Bews: IT WAS ABOUT FOUR SECONDS OF TRYING TO FIGHT THE JET.
AND IT JUST WASN’T \h\hDOING ANYTHING.
IT WASN’T STOPPING THE ROLL.
\h\hComputer voice: ALTITUDE. ALTITUDE.
\hBews: ONCE I SAW THE NOSE OF THE JET
START TO FALL INTO THE GROUND,
I KNEW WHERE IT WAS GOING, AND IT WAS TIME TO GET OUT.
Computer voice: ALTITUDE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: JUST SECONDS FROM IMPACT,
\hBEWS’ LIFE NOW RESTS WITH HIS EJECTION SEAT.
\h\h\h\hTODAY THE EJECTION SEAT IS A MODERN MARVEL OF AVIATION.
IN A CONSTANT EFFORT \h\hTO SAVE AIRCREW,
ITS DESIGN HAS UNDERGONE AN INCREDIBLE REVOLUTION,
FROM A BASIC SEAT....
TO A $100,000
COMPUTER-CONTROLLED \h\hFLYING MACHINE.
\hA SEAT THAT PROPELS A PILOT CLEAR OF A STRICKEN AIRCRAFT
IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND.
THIS IS THE REMARKABLE STORY
OF THOSE WHO’VE RISKED \h\h\h\h\hLIFE AND LIMB
TO DEVELOP THE EJECTION SEAT,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THOSE WHOSE LIVES IT’S SAVED.
THE ORIGINS OF THE EJECTION SEAT BEGIN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
TAKING TO THE SKIES
\h\h\h\hIS TO BECOME ONE OF OUR DEFINING ACHIEVEMENTS.
BUT WHEN THINGS GO WRONG,
PILOTS NEED A WAY OUT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hJeff Duford: IN THE EARLY DAYS OF AVIATION,
GETTING OUT OF AN AIRPLANE \h\h\h\hWAS UNCOMPLICATED.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE AIRCRAFT DIDN’T EVEN HAVE CANOPIES.
\h\h\h\hSO IT WOULD BE VERY SIMPLY STANDING UP
AND JUMPING OVER THE SIDE.
THERE WAS TIME,
THE WIND FORCES WEREN’T EXTREME.
SO BAILING OUT WAS REALLY NOT \h\h\hTHAT MUCH OF A PROBLEM.
\h\h\hNarrator: BUT IN 1939, THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II
\h\h\h\hRAPIDLY CHANGES THE COURSE OF AVIATION.
\h\h\hONE OF THE WAR’S FIRST DEFINING BATTLES
TAKES PLACE NOT ON THE GROUND,
BUT IN THE AIR,
ABOVE SOUTHERN ENGLAND.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDuford: THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN PROVED
THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE \h\h\hAIR SUPERIORITY
IN MODERN BATTLE, PERIOD.
\h\h\hRichard Hallion: IF YOU CONTROL THE AIR,
EVERY OTHER AIR MISSION IS EASY.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE SECRET OF AIR SUPREMACY
LIES WITH FASTER PLANES.
BUT IT COMES AT A PRICE \h\h\h\hFOR THE PILOTS.
\h\hTHE FORCE OF AIR FLYING AT 300 OR 400 MILES AN HOUR
MAKES ESCAPING THE COCKPIT \h\h\h\hALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.
AND EVEN IF YOU CLEAR IT,
THE CHANCES OF SURVIVAL \h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE SLIM.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHallion: THE PROBLEM WITH AN AIRPLANE
IS THAT IF THE PILOT \hTRIES TO LEAP OUT,
\h\h\h\hHE IS IN RISK OF HITTING SOMETHING,
TYPICALLY THE HORIZONTAL TAIL, HITTING THE VERTICAL FIN.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AND THE FASTER THE PLANE,
THE GREATER THE RISK \h\h\h\hOF COLLISION.
IN THE RACE FOR AIR SUPREMACY,
GERMAN ENGINEERS DESIGN SOME OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST PLANES.
\h\h\hAND AT THE SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM,
THE DANGER FACING THEIR PILOTS IS CLEAR TO SEE.
Robert van der Linden: \hWELL, THE HEINKEL 219
\h\hWAS ONE OF THE FASTEST NIGHT-FIGHTERS OF THE WAR.
IT COULD DO WELL OVER \h\h400 MILES AN HOUR
AND WAS A DEVASTATINGLY \h\hEFFECTIVE FIGHTER.
\h\h\h\hNarrator: DESIGNED TO DESTROY ALLIED BOMBERS,
THE COCKPIT OF THE HEINKEL 219
IS RIGHT AT THE FRONT \h\hOF THE AIRCRAFT,
SO PILOTS CAN EASILY \h\h\hSCAN THE SKIES.
\hvan der Linden: THE PROBLEM WAS,
\hIF YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE WING IS INSTALLED RIGHT ABOUT HERE,
\hAND I’M ABOUT WHERE THE ENGINE WOULD BE.
AND IT WOULD HAVE A LARGE \hTHREE-BLADED PROPELLER
\h\h\h\hTHAT WOULD BE SPINNING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRPLANE,
WHICH MADE IT VERY DANGEROUS
JUST TO JUMP OUT OF THE AIRPLANE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AND THE LUFTWAFFE’S DORNIER 335
IS EVEN MORE LIFE-THREATENING.
van der Linden: THE DORNIER 335 HAS TWO ENGINES--
ONE IN THE NOSE,
VERY LARGE ONE HERE, \h\hPROPELLER-DRIVEN.
\h\h\hBUT IT HAS ONE IN THE TAIL AS WELL.
AND THE CHALLENGE THERE
WAS TO GET OUT OF THIS \h\hVERY LARGE AIRPLANE
\h\h\h\h\h\hAND MISS THE TAIL AND ALSO MISS THE PROPELLERS.
WITH THE ENGINE IN THE REAR,
GETTING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE \h\h\hWAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
UNLESS YOU HAD SOME HELP.
Duford: SO, GERMANY LOOKED \hAT A NUMBER OF SOLUTIONS
FOR HOW TO GET AN AVIATOR
OUT OF AN AIRCRAFT.
AND ULTIMATELY THEY DECIDED \h\h\hON THE EJECTION SEAT
AS THE BEST SOLUTION.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: EVEN BEFORE HOSTILITIES,
\h\hGERMAN ENGINEERS HAD BEEN DESIGNING AN EJECTION SYSTEM.
\h\h\h\h\hBUT THE WAR MAKES IT MORE URGENT.
IN A VAULT
\h\h\h\hAT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE,
JEFF DUFORD HAS UNCOVERED \h\h\h\hSECRET DOCUMENTS
\h\hPRODUCED BY GERMANY’S HEINKEL AIRCRAFT COMPANY.
Duford: THE ORIGINAL GERMAN DOCUMENT WAS MADE IN 1943.
\h\h\h\h\hTHIS WAS TRANSLATED SHORTLY AFTER THE WAR ENDED.
\h\hNOW, I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT
BEFORE I STARTED DOING RESEARCH FOR THIS PRODUCTION,
BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY \h\h\hAMAZING TO SEE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL FORMULAS
\h\h\h\hABOUT VELOCITIES AND FORCES, ACCELERATION.
AND THEN THIS ILLUSTRATION \h\h\h\h\hABSOLUTELY SHOWS
THAT THE GERMANS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WITH EJECTION SEATS.
\h\h\h\h\hIT SHOWS THAT THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM
IS EJECTING THE SEAT HIGH ENOUGH
\h\h\h\h\hTHAT IT CLEARS THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AFTER EXPERIMENTATION,
THE GERMANS DEVELOP THE FIRST \hOPERATIONAL EJECTION SEAT,
USING COMPRESSED GAS.
Duford: AND IT WORKED \h\h\hLIKE THE PISTON
IN THE ENGINE IN YOUR CAR.
THE CYLINDER IS ATTACHED \h\h\h\hTO THE AIRPLANE.
THE PISTON WAS ATTACHED \h\h\h\h\hTO THE SEAT.
THE COMPRESSED AIR WAS RELEASED,
WHICH PUSHES THE PISTON,
WHICH PUSHES THE SEAT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE.
\hNarrator: SOON EJECTION SEATS ARE SAVING LUFTWAFFE AIRCREW--
MUCH TO THE SURPRISE AND CONFUSION OF THE ALLIES.
Hallion: IT SEEMED \hTHAT NAZI GERMANY
WAS ALMOST A MAGICIAN’S SHOP.
\h\h\h\h\hPILOTS WERE LITERALLY POPPING OUT OF THEIR AIRPLANES.
Duford: SO, THE ALLIES WERE EXTREMELY CURIOUS.
WHAT ARE THESE GERMANS DOING?
Narrator: DURING THE WAR,
GERMANY’S EJECTION SEATS \hARE USED OVER 60 TIMES.
BUT AS THEIR DOCUMENTS SHOW, \hIT HAS SEVERE LIMITATIONS.
Duford: HERE’S THE BASIC PROBLEM OF EJECTION:
THE SEAT AND THE PILOT CAN’T RISE TOO QUICKLY,
\h\h\h\h\hOR ELSE THE PILOT WILL BE INJURED OR KILLED.
THE HUMAN BODY CAN ONLY \hHANDLE SO MUCH FORCE.
\h\hSO THERE’S THE ISSUE OF HOW QUICKLY THEY ACCELERATE
OUT OF THE COCKPIT.
\hNarrator: EJECTING THE PILOT FAST ENOUGH
WITHOUT CAUSING INJURY
IS A PROBLEM THAT WILL PLAGUE \h\hEJECTION SEAT DESIGNERS.
AND SOLVING IT COULD POTENTIALLY CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THE WAR.
BUT THE GERMANS AREN’T ALONE
IN REALIZING THE NEED TO DEVELOP AN EJECTION SYSTEM.
\h\h\h\hTHE ALLIES ALSO SEE ITS LIFE-SAVING POTENTIAL.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHallion: ROYAL AIR FORCE FIGHTER COMMAND
HAD WON THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN,
BUT IT HAD ALSO TAKEN \h\hVERY HIGH LOSSES.
Duford: FIGHTER PILOTS \hARE NOT MANUFACTURED.
THEY HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED.
THEY HAVE TO BE TRAINED.
\h\h\h\hHallion: THEY REPRESENT A TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT IN TIME
\h\h\h\h\hAND THE EXPERTISE THAT THEY HAVE ACCUMULATED.
Narrator: IN 1944,
\h\hBRITAIN’S MINISTRY OF AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION
LOOK FOR BRITISH ENGINEERS TO HELP SAVE THEIR PILOTS.
\h\h\h\h\hIRONICALLY, IT’S THE TRAGIC DEATH
OF PILOT AND AIRCRAFT DESIGNER CAPTAIN VALENTINE BAKER,
DURING A TEST FLIGHT,
THAT LEADS MINISTRY OFFICIALS
TO THE MARTIN-BAKER \hAIRCRAFT COMPANY.
\h\h\h\h\h\hAndrew Martin: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN BAKER
\hWAS A TERRIBLE BLOW TO SIR JAMES MARTIN,
MY GRANDFATHER.
AND THAT, I BELIEVE,
WAS THE MOMENT THAT HE DECIDED TO FOCUS THE COMPANY’S RESOURCES
ON THE EJECTION SEAT.
Narrator: UNLIKE THE GERMANS,
WHO FIRST USED COMPRESSED GAS \h\h\h\h\h\hTO EJECT PILOTS,
MARTIN-BAKER ENGINEERS DECIDE TO USE SOMETHING FAR MORE VOLATILE.
\hTHEIR SEAT CONTAINS EXPLOSIVE CARTRIDGES.
\h\h\hMan: THE EJECTOR RAM IS SITUATED BEHIND THE SEAT
\h\h\hAND IS ACTUATED BY A CORDITE CHARGE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: IT’S DUBBED "THE BANG SEAT."
\hDuford: BANG SEATS SHOOT THE SEAT OUT OF AN AIRPLANE
LIKE SHOOTING A BULLET \h\h\h\h\hOUT OF A GUN.
IT’S VIOLENT, AND IT’S SHORT.
\h\h\hNarrator: EXPLOSIVES ARE POTENTIALLY MORE RISKY.
TO UNDERSTAND HOW RISKY \hREQUIRES A VOLUNTEER.
Martin: BERNARD LYNCH WORKED \h\hAS AN ENGINEERING FITTER.
HE WAS A LARGER-THAN-LIFE FIGURE BY ALL ACCOUNTS
AND BRAVELY VOLUNTEERED \hTO BE THE GUINEA PIG.
Narrator: THE SEAT’S EXPLOSIVES
ARE TRIGGERED BY PULLING DOWN \h\hA PROTECTIVE FACE BLIND.
[EXPLOSION]
Narrator: LYNCH MAKES A SERIES OF GRUELING TESTS.
LIKE A HUMAN CANNONBALL...
[EXPLOSION]
HE’S THRUST HARDER AND FASTER...
[EXPLOSION]
\h\h...UNTIL THE PAIN BECOMES TOO INTENSE.
[EXPLOSION]
\hBUT HIS ENDURANCE PROVES INVALUABLE.
AT THE AIRCREW BIODYNAMICS \h\h\h\hAND PROTECTION UNIT
\h\h\h\h\hAT THE UNITED STATES WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE,
CHRIS PERRY UNDERSTANDS WHY.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hChris Perry: FOR THE DESIGN OF THE SEAT
TO WORK PROPERLY,
YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THE ENERGY THAT THE SEAT GENERATES
TO PUSH THE PILOT OUT
WITH THE ENERGY THAT WE KNOW \h\h\hTHAT WILL CAUSE DAMAGE
TO THE SPINE.
Narrator: AS THE SEAT ACCELERATES UPWARDS,
\h\h\h\hGRAVITY PULLS THE PILOT DOWNWARDS,
COMPRESSING THE SPINE.
\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE SPEED AT WHICH THE PROPULSIVE FORCE IS APPLIED
IS CRITICAL.
APPLY THE FORCE TOO QUICKLY,
AND THE SPINE WON’T HAVE TIME \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO ABSORB IT,
RESULTING IN INJURY.
Perry: MEANING RUPTURED DISCS \h\hAND FRACTURED VERTEBRAE,
\h\hWHICH CAN OBVIOUSLY BE VERY PAINFUL FOR THE PILOT.
AND IF THE FRACTURES \hARE SEVERE ENOUGH,
\h\hYOU CAN GET SEVERED SPINE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO PARALYSIS.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE OTHER CRITICAL FACTOR
IS POSTURE.
IF THE HEAD, NECK, AND SPINE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE STRAIGHT,
\h\h\h\hTHEN THE FORCE DUE TO THE SEAT’S ACCELERATION
CAN MOVE DOWN THE SPINE.
BUT IF THE SPINE IS CURVED,
THAT FORCE CAN STRETCH VERTEBRAE OUT OF ALIGNMENT,
LEADING TO INJURY.
INCREDIBLY,
LYNCH’S BRAVERY DOESN’T STOP \h\h\hWITH THE GROUND TESTS.
ON JULY 24, 1946,
\h\h\h\h\h\hHE VOLUNTEERS FOR THE FIRST AERIAL TEST
OF MARTIN-BAKER’S EJECTION SEAT.
Martin: BERNARD, WHILE SMOKING ONE OR TWO CIGARETTES,
\h\h\hBRAVELY STRODE OUT TO THE GLOSTER METEOR F3,
\h\hSTRAPPED HIMSELF IN THE EJECTION SEAT.
\h\hA SHORT WAVE OF THE HAND, AND THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED AWAY.
\h\hNarrator: TRAVELING OVER 300 MILES AN HOUR,
AT AROUND 8,000 FEET,
\h\h\h\hLYNCH EJECTS OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Martin: HE THEN HAD TO MANUALLY SEPARATE HIMSELF FROM THE SEAT,
FALL CLEAR OF THE SEAT,
\hAND THEN MANUALLY PULL HIS PARACHUTE.
AND THAT WHOLE PROCESS TOOK AROUND 30 SECONDS.
HE SAFELY DESCENDED \h\h\hTO THE GROUND
AND WAS GREETED AS A HERO.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: LYNCH DOESN’T EJECT JUST ONCE,
BUT 30 TIMES,
ALLOWING MARTIN-BAKER
\h\h\h\hTO PRODUCE THEIR FIRST FLIGHT PRODUCTION EJECTION SEAT,
THE MB-MARK 1.
Duford: WHEN YOU LOOK \h\h\hAT THE HISTORY
OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF EJECTION SEATS,
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY STAND OUT,
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO \h\h\hRISKED THEIR LIVES,
THEY RISKED THEIR HEALTH.
ONE OF THE EARLY ONES \hWAS BERNARD LYNCH.
Narrator: DESPITE ITS SUCCESS,
\hTHE MB-MARK 1 COMES TOO LATE TO HELP PILOTS DURING THE WAR.
EVEN SO,
\hTHE ENGINEERS ARE ABOUT TO REALIZE THE POTENTIAL
OF EJECTION SEATS.
MAY 30, 1949, CENTRAL ENGLAND.
PILOT JO LANCASTER IS TESTING
\hTHE EXPERIMENTAL A.W.52 FLYING WING
TO SEE HOW IT HANDLES \h\h\hAT HIGH SPEED.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hJo Lancaster: I WAS TO INCREASE THE SPEED
\hTO SOMETHING LIKE 330 MILES AN HOUR,
AND AN OSCILLATION IN PITCH SET IN VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
\hNarrator: SUDDENLY JO’S BEING THROWN UP AND DOWN OVER SIX FEET
EVERY ONE AND A HALF SECONDS.
Lancaster: THE RESULT OF THAT
\h\h\h\hWAS THAT I BECAME COMPLETELY DISORIENTATED.
THERE WAS A HUGE NOISE GOING ON.
I THOUGHT THE AIRCRAFT \h\h\hWAS BREAKING UP.
AND I THINK IT WAS JUST INSTINCT THAT TOLD ME TO EJECT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: JO PULLS DOWN HIS FACE BLIND,
\h\hFIRING HIS SEAT’S EXPLOSIVE CATAPULTS,
\h\h\h\h\hEJECTING HIM AWAY FROM HIS CRIPPLED AIRCRAFT.
SOON AFTER THAT, \hHE BLACKS OUT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLancaster: THEN I CAME TO MY SENSES
AND REALIZED THAT I HAD TO \h\h\h\hRELEASE MY HARNESS,
LEAVE THE SEAT,
\h\h\h\h\hAND THEN PULL THE PARACHUTE RIPCORD.
AS SOON AS THE CANOPY DEPLOYED,
\h\h\hI SAW THE SEAT GO FLASHING PAST ME.
I LANDED VERY BADLY, DAMAGED MY SHOULDER.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hUH, BUT OTHERWISE I WAS ABLE TO GET UP AND WALK.
Narrator: JO LANCASTER
\h\h\hBECOMES BRITAIN’S FIRST SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY EJECTEE,
AND THE ENGINEERS ARE ECSTATIC.
Martin: THERE WAS A GREAT CHEER AROUND THE SITE.
AND MY GRANDFATHER AND THE WHOLE TEAM
WERE RIGHTLY PROUD
\h\h\hTHAT A SEAT THAT HAD BEEN DESIGNED BY HIMSELF AND HIS TEAM
SUCCESSFULLY SAVED A LIFE.
Narrator: BUT THE RAPID \h\h\hPACE OF AVIATION
MEANS EJECTION SEAT ENGINEERS CAN’T REST ON THEIR LAURELS.
CAPTAIN CHUCK YEAGER
\h\h\h\h\h\hPAVES THE WAY FOR MUCH FASTER AIRCRAFT
\h\h\hWHEN HE BREAKS THE SOUND BARRIER...
[BOOM]
...IN OCTOBER 1947.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHallion: WITH SUPERSONIC FLIGHT,
NOW ONE HAD TO BE CONCERNED
ABOUT GETTING THE PILOT \h\h\h\hOUT OF AIRCRAFT
THAT WERE MOVING MUCH FASTER.
Narrator: IT’S THE SAME PROBLEM ENGINEERS FIRST ENCOUNTERED
DURING WORLD WAR II,
ONLY NOW TAIL FINS \hARE MUCH TALLER,
\h\h\hAS THIS F-102 DELTA DAGGER SHOWS.
\h\h\hDuford: THIS TAIL IS ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS
AND KNIFE-EDGE SHAPE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE PILOT, GOING AT SUPERSONIC SPEED,
HAD TO CLEAR THAT TAIL.
\h\hHallion: ONCE AGAIN WE SEE THAT CHALLENGE,
HOW DO WE KEEP THE PILOT
FROM HITTING THE STRUCTURE \h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE VEHICLE?
\h\h\h\hHOW DO WE GET THE PILOT HIGH ENOUGH FROM THAT AIRPLANE?
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE SIMPLE SOLUTION SHOULD BE
TO ADD MORE EXPLOSIVES \h\h\h\h\hTO THE SEAT.
Duford: THE EJECTION SEAT HAS TO EJECT FAST ENOUGH
TO CLEAR THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
BUT THE FASTER IT GOES,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE LESS LIKELY THE PILOT IS GOING TO SURVIVE.
Narrator: WITH BANG SEATS \hALREADY EJECTING PILOTS
AT THE LIMITS OF HUMAN SAFETY,
SUPERSONIC JETS
\h\hPRESENT A SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE PROBLEM.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDuford: SO IT BASICALLY CAME DOWN TO,
IF YOU CAN’T GO UP, \h\h\hTHEN GO DOWN.
Narrator: IT’S A NOVEL IDEA.
\hDROPPING AIRCREW DOWNWARDS AVOIDS THE JET STRIKING THEM,
NO MATTER HOW FAST \h\hIT’S TRAVELING.
THE NEW DOWNWARD SEAT IS FITTED TO THE F-104 STARFIGHTER JET.
BUT IT HAD ONE FATAL FLAW...
FOR PILOTS EJECTING \hAT LOW ALTITUDE.
Duford: THERE WERE AT LEAST \h\h\h\h20 AIR FORCE PILOTS
WHO WERE KILLED,
\hAND IN PARTICULAR ONE NOTABLE PILOT,
IVAN KINCHELOE.
Narrator: KINCHELOE WAS A HERO OF THE KOREAN WAR
AND AN ACE TEST PILOT.
\h\h\h\hBUT IN JULY 1958, HE GETS INTO DIFFICULTY.
Hallion: HE TRIED DESPERATELY \h\h\h\hTO ROLL THE AIRCRAFT
SO THAT THE SEAT WOULD GO UP,
BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DO IT IN TIME.
\h\hDuford: HE WAS KILLED AT LOW LEVEL IN AN F-104,
USING A DOWNWARD EJECTION SEAT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: KINCHELOE’S TRAGIC DEATH
SHOCKS THE AIR FORCE FRATERNITY,
\h\h\h\h\h\hENDING THE IDEA OF DOWNWARD EJECTION SEATS.
\h\h\h\hTO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF EJECTING RAPIDLY WITHOUT INJURY,
IT’S BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
IN ENGLAND,
ENGINEERS AT THE MARTIN-BAKER \h\h\h\h\h\hAIRCRAFT COMPANY
THINK THEY HAVE A SOLUTION:
ROCKET MOTORS.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMartin: THE ENGINEERING TEAM REALIZED
THAT AN UNDER-SEAT ROCKET MOTOR ATTACHED TO THE SEAT
\h\h\h\h\hWOULD SOLVE A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS
THAT THEY WERE BEING FACED WITH.
Narrator: ROCKET MOTORS ALLOW \h\hFOR A HIGHER TRAJECTORY,
BUT WITH A RELATIVELY GRADUAL ACCELERATION.
Perry: SO YOU HAD A NICE BALANCE
OF YOU’RE GETTING THE SEAT \h\hAWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT,
AND YOU’RE NOT PROVIDING \h\h\h\h\hSO MUCH ENERGY
\hTHAT YOU’RE DAMAGING THE SPINE OF THE PILOT.
\h\h\h\hDuford: THE CHANGE FROM EXPLOSIVES TO ROCKETS
WAS REVOLUTIONARY.
[WHIZZING]
Narrator: BUT SUCCESSFULLY \hESCAPING A SUPERSONIC JET
IS JUST THE FIRST PART \h\h\h\hOF THE PROBLEM.
\h\h\h\hPerry: WHEN A PILOT EJECTS OUT OF HIS AIRCRAFT
AT A SUPERSONIC SPEED,
ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE.
THE BODY IS NO LONGER PROTECTED FROM AERODYNAMIC FORCES.
Narrator: SLAMMING INTO THE AIR AT HIGH SPEED,
\h\h\h\h\h\hPILOTS EXPERIENCE A MASSIVE DECELERATION FORCE.
\h\h\h\hAND AT THE DAWN OF THE SUPERSONIC AGE,
\hNOBODY KNOWS HOW MUCH THE BODY CAN WITHSTAND.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT ONE MAN IS DETERMINED TO FIND OUT--
CAPTAIN JOHN STAPP.
\h\h\h\h\h\hDuford: JOHN STAPP IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FIGURES
WHO IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL \h\h\h\hTO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF SAFE AND EFFECTIVE \h\h\hEJECTION SEATS.
Hallion: OF ALL THE AVIATION \h\hRESEARCHERS WE THINK OF,
I THINK HE WAS REALLY THE MOST REMARKABLE.
Narrator: AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
IS A STORAGE HANGAR.
\h\h\h\hINSIDE LIES THE REASON JOHN STAPP IS SO REVERED TODAY.
\h\hDuford: AND JUST BEHIND THIS OLD CAR, HERE IT IS--
JOHN STAPP’S ROCKET SLED.
\hTHIS IS A TRULY SIGNIFICANT PIECE
OF EJECTION SEAT HISTORY.
Narrator: STAPP’S INTERESTED
IN HOW RAPID DECELERATION \h\h\h\hAFFECTS THE BODY.
\h\h\hHIS CURIOSITY LEADS HIM TO DESIGN
SOME OF THE MOST EXTREME HUMAN EXPERIMENTS EVER UNDERTAKEN.
\h\hDuford: NOW, NORMALLY THIS COVER WASN’T ON IT.
HE WOULD HAVE THE FULL WINDBLAST IN HIS FACE.
AND THEN IF WE COME AROUND \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE BACK,
\h\hTHESE ROCKETS TOGETHER HAD A THRUST THAT WAS EQUAL
TO A TYPICAL JET FIGHTER \h\h\h\h\h\hAT THE TIME--
4,000 POUNDS OF THRUST.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AT OVER 200 MILES PER HOUR,
STAPP’S FIRST SLED, \h\hTHE GEE-WHIZZ,
IS FAST...
BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS FAST \hAS SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT.
Duford: THEN WHAT DOES HE DO?
HE CREATES ANOTHER SLED THAT CAN GO MORE THAN 600 MILES AN HOUR.
Man: COLONEL STAPP WILL COME FROM OVER 600 MILES PER HOUR
TO A STOP
IN LESS THAN 1 1/2 SECONDS.
THREE, TWO, ONE...
FIRE!
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: STAPP DRAMATICALLY SIMULATES
\hTHE DECELERATION A PILOT WOULD FEEL
AS HE EJECTS AT HIGH SPEED.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPerry: HE WAS EXPOSING HIMSELF
TO ENERGY LEVELS THAT NOBODY THOUGHT WOULD BE SURVIVABLE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHallion: HE WAS RISKING HIS OWN LIFE.
\h\h\h\h\h\hHE WOULD RECEIVE VIOLENT, POUNDING PUNISHMENT
\h\h\h\h\hFROM THE G LOADINGS OF MAKING THOSE ABRUPT STOPS.
Perry: HE ENDED UP WITH BROKEN BONES AND SOME BROKEN RIBS,
\h\h\h\h\h\hAND HE RUPTURED ALL THE CAPILLARIES IN HIS EYEBALLS
FROM HIS TEST.
Man: FOUR, THREE...
\h\h\h\hNarrator: STAPP’S FINAL RUN
SUBJECTS HIM TO AN INCREDIBLE \h\h\hFORCE OF ALMOST 40 Gs--
OVER TWICE WHAT’S CONSIDERED \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE LETHAL LIMIT.
HE LIVES,
\h\hPROVING EJECTING AT SUPERSONIC SPEEDS
IS SURVIVABLE.
BUT PERSUADING PILOTS WOULD TAKE AN EQUALLY DEATH-DEFYING EVENT.
FEBRUARY 26, 1955, \h\h\hLOS ANGELES.
TEST PILOT GEORGE SMITH PREPARES TO FLY THE NEW SUPER SABRE JET.
\hHallion: HE WAS FLYING A PRODUCTION TEST FLIGHT
IN A NEW NORTH AMERICAN FIGHTER, THE F-100,
AND HE HAD A CONTROL PROBLEM
THAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT \h\h\h\h\h\hTO PITCH OVER
\h\hAND ACCELERATE AT VERY HIGH SPEED.
Duford: HE WAS GOING FASTER \hTHAN THE SPEED OF SOUND,
STRAIGHT AT THE EARTH,
AND HE WAS IN REAL TROUBLE.
AND AT 6,000 FEET, HE EJECTED.
Hallion: SMITH EJECTED \hAT VERY LOW ALTITUDE
INTO VERY DENSE AIR.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AT 777 MILES AN HOUR--
FASTER THAN SOUND--
HE’S SUBJECTED TO A DECELERATING FORCE OF ALMOST 40 Gs.
THE SUDDEN DECREASE IN PRESSURE CAUSES HIS ENTIRE BODY TO SWELL.
\h\h\hDuford: IN FACT, HE WAS SO BLOATED FROM THE WINDBLAST
THAT WHEN HE LANDED IN THE WATER BELOW,
HE ACTUALLY FLOATED.
Narrator: SMITH’S EJECTION PROVES JOHN STAPP IS RIGHT.
WITH AN EJECTION SEAT,
SURVIVING AT SUPERSONIC SPEEDS IS POSSIBLE.
\h\hMan: ANY MEMORIES OF THAT LAST FLIGHT?
\h\h\h\hGeorge Smith: WELL, UP TO THE POINT I EJECTED.
AFTER THAT MY MEMORY’S A BLANK.
I GUESS I’M PRETTY LUCKY \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO BE HERE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDuford: IT SEEMED TO BE A MIRACLE
\h\h\hTHAT HE SURVIVED A SUPERSONIC EJECTION.
AND IF GEORGE SMITH CAN SURVIVE,
\hTHEN OTHER PILOTS COULD SURVIVE, TOO.
Narrator: IT’S A BREAKTHROUGH
\h\h\hTHAT PROVES VITAL IN THE YEARS TO FOLLOW.
\h\h\hTHE 1950s SEE INCREASING TENSIONS BETWEEN EAST AND WEST,
ESCALATING A COLD WAR,
WHERE ONCE AGAIN AIR SUPERIORITY AND PILOT SURVIVAL IS CRITICAL,
\h\h\h\h\h\hUPPING THE STAKES FOR EJECTION SEAT DESIGNERS.
\h\hDuford: EVERY LEAP IN AIRFRAME TECHNOLOGY,
PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY
\h\h\h\hALSO DEMANDED A LEAP IN EJECTION SEAT TECHNOLOGY.
Announcer: TODAY, THE PROBLEM \h\h\h\hOF GETTING THE PILOT
\h\h\h\h\h\hSAFELY OUT OF A SUPERSONIC INTERCEPTOR
AT EXTREME ALTITUDES AND HIGH MACH NUMBERS
IS A GROWING CHALLENGE.
\h\h\h\hNarrator: A CHALLENGE THAT STRETCHES THE INGENUITY
OF EJECTION SEAT ENGINEERS
\h\h\hINTO THE REALMS OF BLUE-SKY THINKING.
[EXPLOSION]
\hAT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
\h\h\h\h\h\hIS AN EXAMPLE OF JUST HOW SOPHISTICATED
THE DESIGNS WOULD BECOME.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDuford: THE B-58, WHICH IS RIGHT BEHIND ME HERE,
COULD FLY MORE THAN TWICE
THE SPEED OF SOUND.
THE ENVIRONMENT AT THAT SPEED \h\h\hWAS ABSOLUTELY DEADLY.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ARMED WITH NUCLEAR WARHEADS,
THE B-58 FLIES AT AN ALTITUDE \h\h\h\hOF OVER 50,000 FEET,
WHERE THERE’S LITTLE AIR
\hAND THE TEMPERATURE IS MINUS 70 DEGREES.
THE CHALLENGE OF PROTECTING \h\h\h\hITS THREE-MAN CREW
\h\h\h\h\h\hFALLS TO DESIGNERS AT STANLEY AVIATION IN DENVER.
THEIR SOLUTION:
A CAPSULE THAT COMPLETELY COCOONS EACH CREW MEMBER
ON EJECTION.
Duford: IT WORKED \hBY A CLAMSHELL.
THERE’S THREE PIECES HERE,
AND THESE CLAMSHELL DOORS WOULD CLOSE IN LESS THAN A SECOND...
\hMan: THE RESTRAINING STRAPS PULL HIM BACK INTO THE SEAT,
AND THE KNEES AND LEGS FOLD UP.
Duford: ENCAPSULATING THE AIRMAN IN A PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT
THAT WAS PRESSURIZED AND CONTAINED OXYGEN.
Man: THE PILOT WAITS \h\hFOR THE EJECTIONS
OF THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS
\h\h\h\h\hAND THEN PULLS HIS OWN EJECTION HANDLE.
Duford: THEN A PARACHUTE \h\h\h\h\h\hWOULD DEPLOY,
AND IT WOULD COME DOWN.
IT EVEN HAD FLOTATION CUSHIONS IF IT LANDED IN THE WATER.
\h\hNarrator: THE B-58 CAPSULE IS USED SUCCESSFULLY NINE TIMES
DURING THE COLD WAR,
BUT IT COMES AT A COST.
\h\h\h\hDuford: IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN,
AND PERHAPS, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WEIGHED ABOUT 500 POUNDS,
WHICH WAS MORE THAN \h\h\hTWICE AS MUCH
AS A TYPICAL EJECTION SEAT.
SO, FOR THOSE REASONS, WE DON’T SEE THESE EJECTION CAPSULES
ON FUTURE AIRCRAFT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BUT AS THE COLD WAR DEEPENS,
\h\hDESIGNERS SEEK NEW WAYS TO IMPROVE PILOT SURVIVAL.
Duford: IT’S REMARKABLE
JUST HOW MUCH OF AN INFLUENCE \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE COLD WAR WAS
ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF EJECTION SEATS.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS,
\h\hRAY CARTER AT THE AEROSPACE ENGINEERING TEST ESTABLISHMENT
AT THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
\h\h\hHAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN IMPROVING EJECTION SEATS.
Ray Carter: A BIG BREAKTHROUGH
IN EJECTION SEAT TECHNOLOGY
WAS AUTOMATION.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: SEAT LIMB RESTRAINT AUTOMATION
\h\h\hIS DRIVEN BY THE NEED TO PROTECT A PILOT’S LIMBS
WHEN EJECTING AT RAPID SPEEDS.
Carter: YOU CAN IMAGINE STICKING YOUR ARM OUT OF YOUR CAR
AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.
IT WANTS TO PULL BACKWARDS.
\h\h\hIF YOU DO THAT AT 600 MILES AN HOUR,
YOU’RE GONNA START \h\hBREAKING LIMBS,
\h\h\h\hYOU’RE GONNA DISLOCATE SHOULDERS,
\h\h\hYOU’RE GONNA HAVE ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.
Perry: LET’S TEST.
Narrator: TO DEMONSTRATE,
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER CHRIS PERRY
AND HIS TEAM AT WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE
RUN A TEST ON A DUMMY \h\hFOR OUR CAMERAS.
Man: THREE, TWO, ONE...
Narrator: DELIBERATELY LEAVING ITS LIMBS UNRESTRAINED,
IT’S CLEAR TO SEE THE INJURIES THAT PILOTS RISK.
Carter: SO, AUTOMATION \h\hHAS TAKEN OVER NOW.
IT PULLS YOUR LEGS BACK,
\hAND THE CALVES ARE PUSHED INTO THESE CALF GUARDS HERE
TO PREVENT ANY LEG FLAILING,
AND IT SECURES THEM TIGHTLY TO THE BUCKET OF THE SEAT.
\h\h\h\h\hARM RESTRAINTS AVOID THAT FROM HAPPENING
\h\h\h\hBY PULLING YOUR ARMS INTO THE CENTER OF YOUR CHEST
AND HOLDING THEM THERE
\h\hUNTIL THEY’RE BALLISTICALLY RELEASED AS THE PARACHUTE OPENS.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: OTHER AUTOMATED FEATURES
HAVE ALSO BEEN BUILT INTO EJECTION SEATS:
AUTOMATIC STABILIZATION DEVICES.
AUTOMATIC SEAT SEPARATORS.
AND AUTOMATIC DROGUE CHUTE \hAND PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT.
ALL INCREASE THE CHANCES \h\h\hOF PILOT SURVIVAL,
EVEN IN THE HARSHEST \h\h\h\hENVIRONMENTS.
EX-MILITARY PILOT BRIAN UDELL
\h\h\h\hIS LIVING TESTAMENT TO THE INGENUITY OF THESE CHANGES.
\h\h\h\hWITHOUT THEM, HE WOULDN’T BE HERE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBrian Udell: THE STRIKE EAGLE THAT I FLEW
WAS THE NEWEST, MOST ADVANCED \h\h\h\hFIGHTER IN THE WORLD.
AND WHEN WE STARTED THAT AIRCRAFT UP THAT EVENING,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE COMPUTERS DIDN’T WANT TO COME TO WORK.
MAINTENANCE COULDN’T FIND \h\hANY SEVERE PROBLEMS,
SO THE AIRPLANE MUST BE GOOD.
Narrator: BUT AS BRIAN \hIS ABOUT TO FIND OUT,
\h\hTHE COMPUTERS ON BOARD HIS F-15 ARE FAR FROM GOOD.
Udell: THE FIRST INDICATION \h\h\hTHAT I HAD A PROBLEM
WAS I COULD HEAR THE WIND RUSHING OVER THE CANOPY.
I KNEW THIS AIRPLANE \h\hWAS GETTING FAST,
\h\hBUT WHAT I’M SEEING IN MY HEADS-UP DISPLAY
DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.
\h\h\hNarrator: UDELL IS UNSURE HOW FAST HE’S ACTUALLY FLYING.
Udell: SO I BROUGHT UP \hAN ATTITUDE INDICATOR
\hON A COLOR DISPLAY DOWN BETWEEN MY LEGS,
AND WHEN I LOOKED DOWN,
\h\hI SAW THE AIRCRAFT SCREAMING AT THE WATER.
THAT’S WHERE MY LIFE \h\hCHANGED FOREVER.
IT’S NIGHT, IT’S PITCH BLACK,
THERE’S NO MOON, NO STARS, \h\hNO DISCERNIBLE HORIZON,
AND I’VE GOT A LIMITED TIME \hTO TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT
AND MAKE A DECISION.
AS I SAW 10,000 FEET GO BY
AND I KNEW THAT WE WOULD \h\h\h\h\hHIT THE WATER,
I COMMANDED THE EJECTION--
EJECT, EJECT, EJECT--
GOT IN THE BODY POSITION \hAND PULLED THE HANDLES.
IN THAT LENGTH OF TIME, \h\h4,000 FEET WENT BY.
Narrator: UDELL IS TRAVELING \h\hALMOST 800 MILES PER HOUR
WHEN HE SLAMS INTO THE AIR
BARELY 1,500 FEET ABOVE THE OCEAN.
\hUdell: HAD I WAITED EVEN A THIRD OF A SECOND LONGER
TO PULL THE HANDLES,
I WOULD HAVE IMPACTED THE WATER STILL IN MY EJECTION SEAT.
Perry: WHEN BRIAN EJECTED
AT SUPERSONIC SPEED AT A LOW ALTITUDE,
\h\h\hHE EXPOSED HIS BODY TO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY
BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER \hDENSITY OF THE AIR.
Udell: THE DECELERATION FORCES WERE UPWARDS OF 50 Gs.
\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE HUMAN BODY IS NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE THAT.
IT NORMALLY JUST RIPS YOU APART.
Perry: TO DESCRIBE,
\h\hTHAT WOULD BE JUMPING OFF A CLIFF SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET
AND LANDING IN THE WATER \h\h\h\h\hPANCAKE-STYLE.
Udell: THE WINDBLAST IMMEDIATELY SNATCHED MY HELMET FROM MY HEAD.
IT BROKE ALL THE BLOOD VESSELS IN MY HEAD AND FACE.
MY HEAD, FROM THE PRESSURE,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS SWOLLEN THE SIZE OF A BASKETBALL.
MY LIPS WERE THE SIZE \h\h\h\hOF CUCUMBERS.
MY EYEBALLS, ALL THE BLOOD \h\h\hVESSELS WERE BROKEN.
Narrator: SEVERELY INJURED,
BRIAN RELIES ON THE SEAT’S RAPID AUTOMATED SEQUENCERS
TO SAVE HIS LIFE.
Udell: IT SEPARATED ME \h\hFROM THE AIRCRAFT.
IT DEPLOYED A DRAG-CHUTE \h\h\h\hTO SLOW ME DOWN.
IT SEPARATED ME FROM THE SEAT,
GAVE ME MY MAIN CANOPY BEFORE I HIT THE WATER.
MY BODY WENT FROM 800 MILES AN HOUR
TO HANGING UNDER A PARACHUTE \hIN JUST OVER THREE SECONDS.
Narrator: 20 YEARS ON,
BRIAN STILL HOLDS THE RECORD
AS THE FASTEST SURVIVING \h\h\h\h\hEJECTEE ALIVE,
\h\hTHANKS TO THE INGENUITY OF EJECTION SEAT ENGINEERS.
Udell: I’M ALIVE.
UH...
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU KNOW, THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE
\hTHAT PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT AND WORK
TO SAVE PEOPLE LIKE ME.
\h\h\hNarrator: EJECTING FROM SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT
IS TECHNICALLY CHALLENGING,
BUT IN REALITY, IT’S RARE.
BUT THERE’S A PART OF FLYING
WHERE THE NEED TO GET OUT \hOF A STRICKEN AIRCRAFT
IS FAR MORE FREQUENT:
FLYING LOW AND SLOW.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA PILOT EJECTING IN AN EMERGENCY DURING LANDING
\h\hFACES A NUMBER OF ADDED PROBLEMS.
THE FIRST IS CALLED \h\hTHE SINK RATE.
Carter: IF YOU THINK OF YOURSELF FLYING ON A COMMERCIAL AIRLINE
AND YOU’RE COMING IN \h\h\hFOR A LANDING,
YOU FEEL THE PIT OF YOUR STOMACH MOVING A BIT.
WELL, THAT’S THE AIRCRAFT \hFALLING OUT OF THE SKY,
LITERALLY TO THE RUNWAY.
\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AS A PLANE DESCENDS,
THE PILOT IS FALLING, TOO.
IF HE EJECTS,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHE’LL NEED AN EXTRA PROPULSIVE KICK
\h\h\h\h\hTO OVERCOME THIS DOWNWARD MOTION.
Duford: SO NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE TO GO UP TO COUNTERACT GRAVITY;
IT’S GOT TO GO OUT TO COUNTERACT THE SINK OF THE AIRCRAFT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE SECOND PROBLEM IS PITCH.
ON TAKEOFF OR LANDING,
\h\h\h\h\hTHE COCKPIT IS RARELY HORIZONTAL.
DURING EJECTION,
IF THE SEAT DOESN’T CORRECT FOR PITCH,
IT CAN END UP TUMBLING.
THE LAST CHALLENGE IS DEPLOYING THE SEAT’S PARACHUTE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDuford: THE PROBLEM WITH LOW AND SLOW,
OR EVEN BEING ON THE GROUND,
IS THAT THE PILOT HAS TO BE \h\h\h\hEJECTED HIGH ENOUGH
FOR THE PARACHUTE CANOPY \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO OPEN.
\h\h\h\h\h\hIF IT’S TOO LOW, THE PILOT WILL HIT THE GROUND
BEFORE THE PARACHUTE \h\h\hCAN CATCH THEM.
Narrator: JULY 2010.
CANADIAN PILOT BRIAN BEWS
IS ABOUT TO FACE THE DANGERS \h\hOF EJECTING LOW AND SLOW.
Bews: FEEL IT BITE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: REHEARSING FOR AN AIR SHOW,
\h\hHE’S FLYING LESS THAN 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND
WHEN ONE OF HIS ENGINES FAIL.
[ALARM SOUNDS]
\h\hBews: YOU PULL THE EJECTION HANDLE HERE BETWEEN YOUR LEGS...
\h\hComputer voice: ALTITUDE. ALTITUDE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBews: THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS
IS THE CANOPY IS EJECTED.
\hAND THEN THE SEAT GOES UP THE RAILS.
AT THE TOP OF THE RAILS, THE ROCKET MOTORS LIGHT.
\h\h\h\h\hDuford: THE KEY TO OVERCOMING THE PROBLEM
OF LOW ALTITUDE EJECTION
IS ROCKETS.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THESE REMARKABLE IMAGES
REVEAL HOW ROCKET MOTORS \h\h\h\h\hIN BRIAN’S SEAT
REACT TO HIS DEADLY PREDICAMENT.
HIS JET HAS ROLLED,
AND HE’S ALMOST HORIZONTAL \h\h\h\h\h\hWHEN HE EJECTS.
BUT ROCKETS WITH MOVABLE NOZZLES PROVIDE DIRECTIONAL THRUST,
AND AS THIS PICTURE SHOWS,
THEY SOON UPRIGHT HIM.
AND AT SUCH LOW ALTITUDE,
ROCKETS ARE USED TO RAPIDLY \h\h\hDEPLOY HIS PARACHUTE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBews: IT’S A ROCKET-ASSISTED PARACHUTE
SO IT ACTUALLY HAS \hA ROCKET ON THERE
\h\hWHICH DRAGS THE PARACHUTE OUT OF ITS BAG VERY QUICKLY.
Narrator: THE SEQUENCE \h\hOF AUTOMATED EVENTS
HAPPENS IN AN INSTANT.
[EXPLOSIONS]
Man: WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
Man: BRIAN, I HOPE \hYOU’RE OK, BUDDY.
I GOT EVERYTHING ON TAPE.
Bews: AND THE ONE THING \hTHAT REALLY STRUCK ME
WAS IT JUST HAPPENED SO FAST.
\h\h\h\hSO, FROM HAVING A FULLY SERVICEABLE JET
UNTIL BEING IN A PARACHUTE
WAS ONLY ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO.
Narrator: THE CANADIAN AIR FORCE MIGHT HAVE LOST
A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR \h\h\h\h\hJET FIGHTER,
\hBUT ITS EJECTION SEAT SAVES THE MOST VALUABLE COMPONENT:
THE PILOT.
Bews: I, UH, I SURVIVED, \h\h\h\hAND ALL IS WELL.
[EXPLOSION]
Narrator: AUTOMATED ROCKETS
HAVE REVOLUTIONIZED THE EJECTION SEAT,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTURNING IT INTO A MANEUVERABLE FLYING MACHINE.
\h\hBUT THERE’S ONE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
IN THE EJECTION SEAT STORY...
A CRITICAL COMPONENT
THAT ALLOWS EJECTION SEATS \hTO THINK FOR THEMSELVES.
TODAY, PILOTS PUSH THE LIMITS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF AVIATION,
CHALLENGING ENGINEERS
\h\h\h\h\hTO DESIGN EVER MORE SOPHISTICATED EJECTION SEATS.
Duford: IT’S IMPOSSIBLE \h\hFOR THE HUMAN MIND
\h\h\h\hTO TAKE IN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CONDITIONS
THAT ARE GOING ON IN AN AIRCRAFT IN AN EMERGENCY.
IT’S ALL JUST TOO FAST.
Man: TUCK UNDER, ROLL.
Narrator: PERHAPS THE MOST \h\hSIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT
IN EJECTION SEAT TECHNOLOGY
HAS BEEN USING THESE.
\h\h\hMICROPROCESSORS ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A NEW BREED OF SEAT:
THE SMART SEAT.
Duford: A SMART SEAT USES A MICROPROCESSOR
\h\h\h\hTHAT TAKES IN ALL THIS INFORMATION,
VIRTUALLY INSTANTANEOUSLY
\h\h\h\h\h\hSETS THE SEAT IN THE BEST CONFIGURATION
THAT HAS THE MOST LIKELIHOOD OF SAVING THAT PILOT’S LIFE.
Narrator: MARCH 3, 2006.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCYNTHIA LISA AND HER THREE NAVY CREW MEMBERS
\h\h\hARE PRACTICING LOW FLYING MANEUVERS
IN THEIR PROWLER JET,
\h\h\hAN AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED WITH SMART SEAT TECHNOLOGY.
\hCynthia Lisa: WE WERE FLYING ALONG NORMALLY,
PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHT AND LEVEL.
WHEN WE CAME UP OVER THE RIDGE, WE HEARD A LOUD WHINING SOUND.
Narrator: ONE OF THE PROWLER’S ENGINES DISINTEGRATES.
\hAS CYNTHIA PULLS BACK ON THE STICK TO CLIMB,
THE AIRCRAFT STARTS TO SHUDDER.
SHE SEES SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.
Lisa: AFTER THAT, THE JET STARTS TO KIND OF ROLL TO THE LEFT
\hAND THE NOSE STARTS TO DROP A LITTLE BIT.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AS IT STARTS TO LOSE HEIGHT,
\h\h\h\hCYNTHIA FIGHTS TO CONTROL THE PROWLER.
\h\h\hLisa: I LOOKED OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT,
AND I SEE THE GROUND \hREALLY RUSHING UP.
SO, AT THIS POINT,
\h\h\h\h\h\hI HAVE NO CONTROL FROM THE STICK OR THE RUDDER.
I CAN’T RIGHT THE AIRCRAFT.
\h\hAND I HAVE THE FIRE, WHICH WAS THE SMOKE AND FUMES IN IT.
I SAID, "I DON’T HAVE IT. \h\hEJECT, EJECT, EJECT."
Narrator: PULLING THE HANDLE
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINITIATES AN ELECTRONIC SEQUENCER
WHICH EJECTS ALL FOUR CREW \h\h\h\h\h\hAUTOMATICALLY,
AND CYNTHIA IS LAST TO GO.
Lisa: AND I REMEMBER \h\hTHE RIGHT SEATER,
YOU KNOW, AS HE STARTED \h\hTO GO UP THE RAILS,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hI THOUGHT, OK, I’M GOING TO BE NEXT.
\h\h\hNarrator: EACH SEAT EJECTS 0.4 SECONDS APART,
IN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS TO AVOID COLLISION.
ONCE AIRBORNE, THE SMART SEATS ASSESS THE SITUATION
\h\h\hTO SELECT THE BEST COMPUTERIZED FLYING MODE.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDuford: WHAT THE MICROCHIP ALLOWS
IS SENSORS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
HOW MUCH DOES THE PILOT WEIGH?
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHallion: IT’S SENSING SINK RATE,
IT’S SENSING ATTITUDE,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT’S SENSING ROLL, PITCH, AND YAW RATE.
Duford: WHAT ALTITUDE \hIS THE AIRCRAFT AT?
HOW FAST IS IT GOING?
Hallion: AND THEN IT’S FIGURING
\h\h\hWHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO ORIENT THIS SEAT
THROUGH MY LITTLE ROCKET THRUSTERS?
Narrator: IN JUST SECONDS,
\h\hTHE MICROPROCESSORS CALCULATE AND INSTRUCT
\h\hA PRECISE SERIES OF AUTOMATED ACTIONS,
\h\h\h\hSAVING THE LIVES OF ALL FOUR CREW MEMBERS.
Lisa: IT ALL HAPPENED TREMENDOUSLY QUICKLY.
I CANNOT BELIEVE I JUST EJECTED OUT OF AN AIRPLANE,
AND THANK GOD THAT SEAT WORKED.
Narrator: THE REVOLUTION \h\h\hIN MICROTECHNOLOGY
ALLOWS EJECTION SEAT ENGINEERS
\h\hTO KEEP PACE WITH THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN AVIATION TODAY,
EQUIPPING A NEW GENERATION OF AIRCRAFT LIKE THE F-35.
\hSteve David: THE US16E IS THE MOST ADVANCED SEAT
THAT MARTIN-BAKER \hEVER DEVELOPED,
TO MEET THE DEMANDING \h\h\h\hREQUIREMENTS
FROM THE JOINT STRIKE \h\hFIGHTER PROGRAM.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THIS NEW BREED OF JET FIGHTER
REQUIRES A SEAT TO SAVE A PILOT
WHETHER FLYING FAST OR SLOW,
HIGH OR LOW,
OR EVEN IF THEY’RE STATIONARY.
ONE VERSION FOR THE U.S. MARINES IS SO ADVANCED,
IT CAN EJECT PILOTS \h\h\hAUTOMATICALLY
\hIF THE PLANE SENSES THE PILOT CAN’T RECOVER FROM AN EMERGENCY.
David: THE AUTO EJECT SYSTEM \h\h\h\hIS TOTALLY AUTOMATIC,
\h\h\h\h\h\hWITHOUT THE PILOT HAVING MADE A MANUAL ATTEMPT
AT THE FIRING HANDLE.
AND THE PILOT WILL NOT KNOW THAT HE’LL HAVE BEEN EJECTED OUT
UNTIL HE’S ON THE PARACHUTE.
AND THAT IS A UNIQUE FEATURE OF THIS SEAT.
Narrator: COMPUTING POWER
\h\h\hHAS ALSO INCREASED PARACHUTE RELEASE SPEEDS
A HUNDRED TIMES.
David: SINCE JO LANCASTER \h\hEJECTED IN MAY 1949,
THE PARACHUTE INFLATION TIME
\h\h\h\h\h\hHAS GONE FROM SOMETHING LIKE 30 SECONDS
WITH A MANUAL BAILOUT TIME
TO .3 OF A SECOND.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THESE ADVANCES ARE CRITICAL
\h\hIN HELPING THE SURVIVAL OF COUNTLESS FUTURE PILOTS.
SINCE THE 1940s,
EJECTION SEAT ENGINEERS \h\h\hAROUND THE WORLD
HAVE SAVED OVER 10,000 LIVES.
Lancaster: ON THIS WALL \h\h\hWE HAVE THE NAMES
OF EVERY MARTIN-BAKER EJECTEE \h\h\hUP TO THE PRESENT TIME.
SEE THAT THEY HAIL
FROM PRACTICALLY EVERY CORNER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE WORLD.
AND I HAPPEN TO BE NUMBER ONE, AND I’M RIGHT UP AT THE TOP,
RIGHT THERE.
Martin: JO, HOW ARE YOU?
Lancaster: MORNING, ANDREW.
Martin: WELCOME BACK \h\hTO MARTIN-BAKER.
\h\hVERY NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. Lancaster: HONORED TO BE HERE.
Martin: WE’VE GOT A SURPRISE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR YOU TODAY.
Lancaster: REALLY?
Martin: WE’VE JUST COMPLETED \h\h\h\h\h\hTHIS NEW MUSEUM,
AND RIGHT AT THE FOREFRONT OF IT
IS SOMETHING THAT YOU \h\h\hMAY RECOGNIZE.
Lancaster: GOOD GRACIOUS.
\h\h\hMartin: THE SEAT THAT YOU STRAPPED INTO
\hNEARLY 66 YEARS AGO THAT FATEFUL MORNING.
[LAUGHS]
\h\hDOES SEEING THE SEAT BRING BACK SOME MEMORIES?
Lancaster: UH, WELL, YES, IT’S A LONG TIME
SINCE I SAW ONE LIKE THIS.
OH, IT’S A BIT NARROW.
Martin: THE TECHNOLOGY’S \h\hMOVED ON QUITE A LOT
SINCE YOU SAT IN THAT SEAT \h\h\hALL THOSE YEARS AGO.
\h\hNarrator: AND SURVIVORS FROM ALL ERAS SHARE THE SAME EMOTION.
Lancaster: I WAS JUST GRATEFUL \h\h\h\h\hFOR HAVING SURVIVED.
I’VE NOW HAD 66 GOOD YEARS \h\h\h\h\h\hOF EXTRA TIME,
AND COUNTING.
Bews: TO BE THAT CLOSE TO DYING
\h\hAND YET HAVING A SEAT LIKE THIS...
\hTHANK YOU FOR BUILDING SUCH AN AMAZING PRODUCT.
IT’S PHENOMENAL.
Udell: THE WORK YOU DO
SAVES LIVES AND SAVES FAMILIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Martin: WE’RE SO VERY LUCKY \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO DO A JOB
THAT LEADS TO LIVES BEING SAVED
\h\hAND BRAVE AIRCREW FROM AROUND THE WORLD
BEING ABLE TO RETURN HOME \h\hTO THEIR LOVED ONES.
Lisa: IT’S KIND OF LIKE \h\h\h\hA BIT OF MAGIC
\h\hTHAT YOU DON’T EVER THINK YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO USE.
HOW DO YOU THANK PEOPLE?
HOW DO YOU THANK ANYBODY FOR THAT?
Narrator: THE EJECTION SEAT
IS A REMARKABLE PIECE \h\h\hOF ENGINEERING
\h\h\h\hWHICH CHANGED THE FACE OF AVIATION,
MAKING SURVIVAL IN THE SKIES
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA REALITY FOR THOUSANDS OF AIRCREW
AND ONE THAT WILL SAFEGUARD \hTHE PILOTS OF THE FUTURE.