The Ejection Site

SAFE Association 40th Annual Symposium
The History of Escape Systems and the
Evolution of Manikins Display


One of the highlights of the SAFE Association 40th Annual Symposium was the History of Escape Systems and the Evolution of Manikins Display. The Display team consisted of Bob Sadler, Gordon Cress, Chris Woodul, Mike Fraizer, Pam Pons, Steve Bolia, Randy Kelly, Gordie Morgan, Glenn Thomas, and myself Kevin Coyne. The main driving force for the display came from the very top of SAFE, from it's President, Alva Karl. My part of the display was to write and assemble a photographic history of egress systems. The display consisted of a total of 19 egress systems, and 23 manikins. These artifacts ranged from a Martin-Baker Pre-Mk. 1 ejection seat up to a 4th Generation Ejection seat and from a 1950s vintage Oscar Manikin up to the latest generation of ADAM and JPATS manikins. Videos and the historical photographs made up the rest of the presentation.

The Egress systems displayed included (in no particular order):

Weber CL-41 Ejection seat (Modified by AERO)
CREST Ejection seat
F-84 Ejection seat First US Production
4th Generation Ejection seat
F-111F Ejectable Crew Module
Pre-Mark 1 Ejection seat
GRU-7A Ejection seat
Stencel S-III-S Ejection seat
SJU-5/6 Ejection seat
Mk. H-7AF Ejection seat
B-1B ACES II Ejection seat
P-80 Ejection seat
K-36D Ejection seat
A-1H YANKEE Extraction System
Escapac IC-2 Ejection seat
F-100 Catapult Ejection seat
B-58 Encapsulated Ejection Seat
SJU-17 NACES Ejection seat
F-105 Ejection seat

This group of systems showed a variety of systems from 1st Generation purely ballistic seats with no automatics, up to the 4th Generation Ejection seat with controlled thrust and fully automatic systems. Also shown were such varied systems as the B-58 Encapsulated Ejection seat developed for the B-58 high altitude bomber, and the F-111F ejectable crew module. These systems were developed for high dynamic pressure ejections to provide shirtsleeve flight environments. Their large size and complexity was quite well displayed. Another unique system displayed was the YANKEE system installed in an A-1H Skyraider cockpit. The YANKEE system was designed as a retrofit to this rather small cockpit designed in the late days of World War II. Click on the above links to see some photos and information on the systems.