Jump to content

Way To Compress Your Spine!


Recommended Posts

Thought I'd share this photo of the Martin Baker Test Facility being put to use.

23945124395_1b7c5620a4_b.jpg

It belongs to the excellent Barry Raymond, who posted it on one of the FB pages I follow -so I guess he won't mind me showing you folks.

The page is 'Eastcote, Ruislip, Uxbridge now and Then'. I grew up in Uxbridge (and how I WISH I was still there!), and the Martin Baker works was a couple of miles down the road at Higher Denham in the leafy Buckinghamshire countryside. Not sure I'd want a job there, though... :woot.gif:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Life of dummies is hard!

In early years of ejection seat trials human “dummies” were also used but as far as I know nowdays only test dummies are used, of course unless you are a fighter pilot and have to eject to save your life.

Still a great photo.

Best regards

Gabor

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not sure I'd want a job there, though... :woot.gif:/>

I would have loved a job there!!!!!!! :woot.gif: :woot.gif: Now I have a job with ejection seats but it is very, very far from a M-B job. Still I also have two Martin-Baker seats to restore so in a way it is a job for M-B. :D :D :D

Best regards

Gabor

Link to post
Share on other sites

In early years of ejection seat trials human “dummies” were also used but as far as I know nowdays only test dummies are used, of course unless you are a fighter pilot and have to eject to save your life.

Looks like that pic is from the dummy era (what is it -Jaguar?); these have become so sophisticated y'can't go far wrong. However, ages ago maybe in the '70s, I recall reading an article about a 'live dummy' who routinely knocked six bells out of himself on bang seat tests. One day, after a particularly adventurous excursion, he got pretty beaten up but went stoically to bed that night feeling 'bruised'. Waking up the next day, everything inside was so swollen and out of whack he told his wife: "Darling...I think I'm pregnant!" I believe her reply was to the effect that he was only around one-tenth of the way to experiencing the real thing...not including the actual birth!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Interesting story.

I think it is an Alpha Jet cockpit test and a Zero Zero one, not a sledge test.

Our pilots had to go through "real" ejection tests few decades ago, there was dummy cockpit with a rail (some 10 meters or so) on which the ejection seat was fired. The pilots had the choice between two different piro charges. Have to say that they were not to happy to do this.

In later years a small class room system was used which only gave a small kick with air pressure where the seat traveled just few centimeters. It was intended for familiarization with what to do before ejection. Have seen similar trainer used by USAF even up to this day.

Best regards

Gabor

Link to post
Share on other sites

Looks like that pic is from the dummy era (what is it -Jaguar?); these have become so sophisticated y'can't go far wrong. However, ages ago maybe in the '70s, I recall reading an article about a 'live dummy' who routinely knocked six bells out of himself on bang seat tests. One day, after a particularly adventurous excursion, he got pretty beaten up but went stoically to bed that night feeling 'bruised'. Waking up the next day, everything inside was so swollen and out of whack he told his wife: "Darling...I think I'm pregnant!" I believe her reply was to the effect that he was only around one-tenth of the way to experiencing the real thing...not including the actual birth!

Doddy Hay was the Martin Baker seat live dummy and he wrote a book called "The man in the hot seat". It is a good read on early ejector seat testing.

Link to post
Share on other sites

A cunning deception ploy! :lol:/> (And my eyesight is getting worse...)

Well, on the nose of all Gripen fighters it says "No Grip"*, but I don´t think that has fooled anyone yet. :-D

(*In Swedish "Grip" is griffin in singular, one grip, several gripar and the gripen)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...