In June 2005 Martin-Baker was selected to upgrade the escape system in the supersonic T-38 Talon advanced trainers of the US Air Force, Air Education and Training Command (AETC). This major project will improve pilot safety, increase accommodation and guarantee ejection seat logistic and technical support to ensure that the Talon remains one of the best advanced training aircraft in the World. The US16T seat is based closely upon the US16LN that Martin-Baker delivered to NASA for their T-38 Talon fleet used for astronaut training. The seat offers state of the art – life saving performance, Interface with existing canopy jettison system, Survival kit contents matched to operator’s requirements and to suit aircraft role, maximum possible pilot size and weight range accommodation (without airframe changes). The seat installation is simple and provides reduced life cycle costs.
- Seat firing handle pulled causing seat initiation cartridge to fire
- Command firing initiated
- Harness retraction unit operated
- Canopy jettison initiated
- Primary cartridge fires, bottom latches engage, top latches disengage seat rises up rails
- Aircraft services disconnected
- Leg restraint lines draw back and restrain aircrew’s legs
- Secondary cartridges fire as seat rises
- Multi-purpose initiators fire
- Underseat rocket motor fires
- Leg restraint lines become taut and rivets shear, freeing lines from floor brackets
- Emergency oxygen supplied to aircrew
- Barostatic time-release unit (BTRU) mechanism set to operate when altitude and g-load conditions are satisfactory
- Drogue and drogue deployment unit turn to operating position
- Automatic backup unit (ABU) set to operate if necessary
- Drogue deployed, stabilises and decreases velocity of seat
- Barostatic time release unit monitors the altitude and g-load conditions
- Above pre-determined altitude -
- Seat falls, stabilsed by drogue
- Emergency oxygen supply continues
- Below pre-determined altitude –
- BTRU mechanism operates, cartridge fires (If BTRU fails ABU operates. Manual deployment also available by pulling manual override handle)
- Cartridge of headbox deployment unit fires
- Parachute container (headbox) deploys
- Drogue bridle released
- Upper and lower harness to seat locks and leg restraint lines released
Parachute container separates from main parachute and is pulled clear by auxiliary parachute
- Sticker straps momentarily hold aircrew in seat
- Main parachute develops, lifts aircrew and survival pack from seat and pulls sticker clips from clips causing aircrew and seat to diverge
- Aircrew and survival pack (attached to aircrew) separate from seat
- Pulling survival pack from seat causes automatic deployment unit (ADU) cartridge to fire
- Automatic deployment unit operates, lowers survival pack on drop line below aircrew
- Personal locator beacon operates, liferaft automatically inflates
- Normal parachute descent follows
- Underwater automatic release system automatically releases harness on immersion