Warbird Information Exchange

Latest blog update - variety of pilot photos and a 1958 film clip onboard the USS Essex aircraft carrier

http://heritageflightgeardisplays.wordp ... -jan-2012/

Phil

The X-15 seat Al White is trying on was pretty unique. It was built so that those two shoulder boards deployed horizontally when the seat left the airplane along with a telescoping balance pole that extended aft to stabilize the seat so it wouldn't tumble. The stabilizing devices and the pilot restraints kept everything tucked in since leaving the bus @ 3+ @ 95000 ft could be considered somewhat outside the bounds of 'normal' and you could seriously lose major body parts if they flapped around (plan #1 was to stay with the airplane to lower altitudes in the inerted cockpit atmosphere, but if it was really bad the seat was good to, I believe 100,000 ft. and Joe Kittinger had free fallen from 107,000 ft.out of a balloon). The seat/suit remained a joined unit until more hospitable altitudes were reached before separating and automatically deploying the parachute in case the pilot was incapacitated or knocked out. The seat pan portion was designed and built by International Harvester off the design of a farm tractor seat since the pilot might have to sit in the aircraft for hours before flight and IH was the recognized expert in studying the natural frequency of the human spine and in building seats that a farmer could sit in all day long and not suffer back issues, boy I wish some motorcycle manufacturers would stumble onto that bit of design wisdom.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-