The JPATS (Joint Primary Aircraft Training System) is designed to train students in basic flying skills, and is common to the U.S. Air Force and Navy. The US16LA-1/2 lightweight ejection seat is designed for training aircraft. It optimises the pilot field of view, improves comfort and pilot efficiency, and provides increased reliability and maintainability. With the Mk.16 lightweight low speed seat, ejection performance is optimised throughout the escape envelope, from zero height at zero velocity in a near level attitude through to 370 knots. It is designed to accomodate a very wide, size and weight range, including female aircrew.
- Seat firing handle pulled causing seat initiation cartridge to fire
- Interseat sequencing system initiated initiated
- Harness retraction unit operated
- Primary cartridge fires, bottom latches engage, top latches disengage seat rises up rails
- Canopy fracturing MDC initiated
- 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 conditians are satisfactory
- Manual override handle lock released
- Drogue and bridle deployed, stabilise and decrease velocity of seat
- Barostatic time release unit (BTRU) monitors the altitude and g-load conditions
- Above 15 000 ft
- Seat falls, stabilised by drogue
- Emergency oxygen supply continues
- Below 15 000 ft but above 8000 ft
- Seat falls, stabilised by drogue
- Emergency oxygen supply continues
- G-restrictor prevents operation of time-release mechanism until g-load
is satisfactory
- Below 8000 ft
- Time-release mechanism operates, cartridge fires (If BTRU fails manual deployment also available by pulling manual override handle)
- Cartridge of headbox deployment unit fires
- Parachute container (headbox) deploys
- Drogue bridle released
- Sear of time-delay unit (TDU) operated
- After delay, TDU fires
- Upper and lower harness to seat locks released
- Leg restraint lines released
- Parachute container (headbox) 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 (if seat to AUTO)
- If set to MANUAL aircrew pulls handle to manually deploy
- ADU operates, lowers survival pack on drop line below aircrew
- Personal locator beacon operates, automatic liferaft inflation unit (ALIU) armed
- Normal parachute descent follows