MK7
EJECTION
SEATS
Over 2400 lives saved and currently over 1500 seats in service
Currently flying in F-4 and Prowler
SEATS
The introduction of the rocket pack to the range of Mk. 4 and Mk. 5 seats created the basic Mk. 6 and Mk. 7 ranges respectively. However, many of the Mk. 7 range of seats were subsequently embodied with additional improvements in design such as Power Retraction Systems, Remote Fired Rocket Systems and Sequencing Systems as later described.
| Operating Ceiling | 50000+ ft (15,250m) |
| Minimum height/Speed | Zero/zero |
| Crew boarding mass range | 7A, F-4 US Phantom - 70.8 to 120.6kg Q7A, F5 - 65.5 to 110.0kg GRUEA7, Prowler - 71.7 to 114.8kg 7A F-4 RAF Phantom – 72.6 to 111.1kg Q7, F104 Starfighter – 68.5 to 107.5kg H7 – 73.6 to 112.2 kg |
| Crew size range | 7A - 3rd to 98th percentile Q7A - 3rd to 98th percentile GRUEA7 - 5th to 95th percentile 7A - 5th to 95th percentile Q7 - 5th to 95th percentile H7 - 5th to 95th percentile |
| Maximum Speed for ejection | 600+ KIAS |
| Parachute type | Irvin I 24 |
| Parachute deployment | Drogue assisted |
| Harness type | Combined |
| Ejection seat operation type | Ejection gun and multi-tube rocket pack |
| Ejection gun | 80 ft/sec One primary cartridge, two secondary, cartridges, 72 in. stroke |
| Ejection initiation | Face screen or seat pan firing handle |
| Barostatic time-release unit | Yes, with g-restrictor |
| Manual override handle | Yes |
| Guillotine | Yes |
| Timers | Time delays for command ejection, Time-release unit for man/seat separation |
| Seat adjustment | Up/down, manual operation |
| Arm restraints | No |
| Leg restraints | Yes, two garters |
| Oxygen supply | Bottled oxygen |
| Personal survival pack | Yes with liferaft |
| Aircrew services | Personal equipment connector (PEC) provides connections for - main oxygen - emergency oxygen - air ventilated suit - anti-g suit - mic/tel |
| Canopy jettison | Yes, aircraft variant dependent |
| Command ejection | Optional |
- F-104
- Vought F-8
- EWR VJ 101C
- PHANTOM
- Lockheed F104G/TF104G
- PROWLER
- F-5
- F-104
- F-4
- F-14
- The pilot pulls the face screen seat firing handle
- Canopy jettison initiated
- Ejection gun fires, seat moves up guide rails and the secondary cartridges fire
- Emergency oxygen tripped
- Aircrew services disconnect
- Leg restraints operate
- As seat rises, static line initiates time-delay which fires drogue gun after 0.5 seconds
- As seat rises, static line initiates time-release unit
- 22 in. dia then 5 ft dia drogues stabilise and slow seat
Above 10000ft
- Barostat prevents operation of time-release mechanism
High speed
- g-restrictor prevents operation of time-release mechanism
Below 10000ft, (low speed)
- 1.5 sec after initiation of time-release unit the plunger releases scissor shackle to transfer pull of drogue to lifting lines of parachute, releasing it from seat
- Release face blind
- Harness and leg lines released from seat
- Drogues deploy main parachute, pilot separates from seat
- Normal descent
- Manual separation system available if necessary. Operation of manual separation handle fires a cartridge that operates a guillotine, severing the parachute attachment line, linkages function releasing parachute harness, negative-g strap, PEC and leg restraint cords.
- Freeing parachute from seat.
- Aircrew can then use rip cord to operate parachute.
