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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1463.PDF
FLIGHT International, 16 August 1962 255 INDUSTRY International Flight Systems Products Company News Flight Systems Stanley Ejection Capsule For some years Stanley Aviation Corporation of Denver, Colorado, have been developing an ejection capsule to replace the open seats in all three crew positions of the B-58 Hustler. This new unit has now been tested throughout the intended flight envelope—lOOkt at runway level to M2 at maximum altitude and 690kt i.a.s.—and was recently demon strated to the British Services and MoA at the Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough. The capsule was designed to replace the existing seat without modification to the crew position, and the designers accordingly had to overcome the inherent aerodynamic difficulties of a less-than-optimum capsule shape. It was also stipulated that the occupant must be able to work entirely in a shirt-sleeve environment, but be provided within the capsule with full survival facilities at high altitude and in all climates on ground or water. Stowage of the elaborate survival equipment presented a problem of its own. Practical tests, both on rocket sleds at Hurricane Mesa and from B-58s, have shown excellent performance and safe operation in all the required conditions, with human and animal test subjects. Humans have also lived in the capsule on the ground in all climate conditions and at sea for three days at a time. The capsule accommodates the man on a standard padded seat-pan and back rest with a special powered inertia-reel harness consisting of a plain lap-belt and a special four-strap torso restraint system developed by Stanley. The control column emerges through the baseplate of the pilot's capsule, but crewmen have additional rescue equip ment stowed in this location. The clam shell doors in the open position form a hood over the occupant's head, but leg and arm movement are virtually unrestricted. The first task of the capsule is to provide a pressure cabin in case of aircraft cabin failure, and the man need simply pull one or both of the lateral initiator levers to encapsulate himself. Immediately, the harness is tightened and the forward part of the seat pan folds upwards: an articulated linkage raises the thighs and snaps down to tuck the feet into the confined space. Encapsulation is achieved by a compressed- air charge, occurs with a thunderous bang and takes less than one second. The pilot can then continue to fly the aircraft, because the stick remains inside the capsule, and he has controls for reducing throttle setting and adjusting aircraft e.g. Small windows give a view of the instrument panel, so that the aircraft can be flown down to lesser altitudes. If desired, the capsule may then be reopened manually before being reclosed and ejected. Pressur- ization to 37,500ft builds up within eight seconds after encapsulation. To eject, the man pulls either of the two triggers revealed by movement of the encapsulation levers. The canopy is ejected and 0.3sec later the capsule leaves the air craft, with an ejection velocity of about 60ft/sec, under the power of two rocket guns at its back. Almost immediately a stabilization frame bearing two fins and a 9.2ft ribbon parachute stressed for M2.2 deploy to stabilize the capsule, which has an inherent tendency to roll and pitch down. In this condition, the capsule would fall free, face-down to 15,000ft before the main parachute opened. Manual override is provided, but will not operate at above 15,000ft. Fins and drogue are deployed by explosive charges triggered by latches on the ejection rails. The thrust vector of the rockets is adjusted for a compromise in capsule e.g. between a light man with the seat fully raised and a heavy man with it fully down, there being no adjustment for individual occupants. On leaving the aircraft, the capsule pitches up between 503 and 70° and rolls slowly after rocket burn-out. The trajectory has been shown to clear the fin of the B-58 in a 4g pull-out at Ml.05 at sea-level or M2.2 at 35,000ft. After a brief time delay further cartridges eject the main 42ft ring-sail recovery parachute, the attachment points of which are such that the stabilizer frame is retracted and the capsule flipped over into a back down attitude, in which it eventually strikes the ground or water. The occupant now loses his view of the ground through his small window, but he can time his descent from 13,000ft, at which the deploy ment is complete. In an undelayed sequence, the main parachute is completely deployed 8sec after ejection. In a ground-level ejection, the capsule travels 1,100ft forward and reaches 195ft before returning to the ground. Faster sequencing and under water ejection can be allowed for. The mouth of the main parachute remains reefed by a circumferential cord for 2sec to reduce opening shock, the reefing line being severed by three individual electric guillo- The Stanley escape capsule for the B-58, below, closed and with stabilization fins extended. The twin rocket guns are not fitted. At right, Stanley engineer Mr R. G. Ervin is in the "retracted" position immediately before the doors slam down to encapsulate him
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