F-111 question. Ray-K if you could please..why was it fitted with an escape capsule.....?

Question

or detatching cockpit section, rather than conventional ejection seats? was it because of the side by side seating? because other similar configurations have ejection seats. Was Just wondering, thanks

Thanks for the answers so far people, high speed high altitude ejection, I forgot about that possibility. Looks like a massively technical system i bet it added a few lb's to the plane! looks like it could provide a lot of protection though. Was this similar to the Valkyries?

Remember reading that in take-off mag about the valkyrie crash and the ejection pods. Thanks for all the answers, all excellent.

ps i hope thats true about the ejected F111 pilots having a cheeky tab on the way down hahaha

Ray-k didnt know it had zero/zero capabilities either, the rockets must have been extremely powerful, I bet the zero/zero's saved a lot of pilot hide on carriers.

Answer 1

According to Ejection Site, the crew capsule can be separated safely even when doing Mach 2.5 supersonic dashes. You can't do that with a conventional ejection seat. The module itself has a rear "sleeve" that acts as stabilizers after separation

Here's some VERY good details on it:

http://www.ejectionsite.com/f111.htm

EDIT: However, it's postulated that the ejection capsule itself could be attacked by missiles, as it's big enough to show up on radar the way a plane is, and it's defenseless, and gently floating down.

Factoid? about F-111's... It has a fuel jettison nozzle just between the engine outlets. If you jettison the fuel at the right speed w/ afterburners, you'll get a trailing flame tail about 100+ ft long. Maybe Ray can confirm this. :)

Answer 2

The others have given you a good idea of part of the system's capability. The entire cockpit, including the windshields and hatches, were released via pyrotechnics for the skin and guillotines for the cables. A rocket then blasted you clear of the airframe at approximately 17 Gs, if memory serves. The system was zero/zero capable as well as mach 2.5 plus, and if the skin and cable separators failed, the rocket was strong enough to rip the capsule free of the airframe. The beginnings of the wing shape, called gloves, separated with the capsule for stabilization and a drogue chute deployed for further stabilization and slowing the module down enough for the main cargo chute to deploy. Flotation devices deployed under the capsule for water landings and to soften impact for ground landings. It was a roomy, comfortable cockpit by fighter standards, thanks to no personal parachutes being needed. The side-by-side seating may have played a part in deciding to use that type of system, but I really don't know. General Dynamics designed the system, so it may have. Like all ejection systems, with a couple of exceptions, you needed to be flying upright or it would blow you into the ground, especially since the 111 mission included a lot of very low altitude work.

Roger that, Randle. Having your wizzo with you also meant extra support against the indians.

SIGH !! Just remembered the politically correct crowd. We sometimes called charlie (guess I have to be careful or someone named Charlie will take offense) the indians, as in cowboys and indians. No denigration of anyone intended.

Answer 3

Simple terms:
Being a low level, supersonic bomber, if an emergency comes up, there isn't much time for individual pilots to eject, since for safety reasons each pilot has to eject separately. Also, the flame from the ejection rocket from the first seat would burn the other pilot, since they are side by side.
This also elimitates the force of the air that would sudenly slam the pilots as they leave an aircraft traveling ad Mach +2, which can cause severe injuries.

Answer 4

XB-70 answer

The XB-70 had two individual capsules that when activated closed around the seat and pilot. The single real life use resulted in one not operating correctly and that pilot rode the jet into the ground while the other pilot completed a successful mach 1 plus ejection and survived. This was the only crash of the 2 XB-70 Prototypes. The other aircraft is on display at The USAF Museum of Flight at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH.

Retired B-1B Maintenance Guy

Answer 5

Yes - it had a so called "escape module". Upon ejection, part of the cockpit would detach. A rocket motor then takes it away from the stricken aircraft. A parachute is then deployed, and the entire module lands safely.
The crew, thus, does not need ejection seats, nor parachutes. This makes their life on board much easier and comfortable. In addition, the module enables them to eject to safety in much higher speed/heights.

A photo of an escape module after a successful ejection:
http://www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com/collection13.htm

A very thorough explanation of the system:
http://www.f-111.net/ejection.htm#219

Answer 6

I can't add much to all the excellent answers already recieved. I'm glad there are so many out there into aviation like myself. I do remember reading that a couple of guys popped a window open for some breeze and lit up cigarettes on the way down.

Answer 7

-Ray: Don't forget the reduction / elimination of man-seat-chute entanglement, wind-blast, flailing injuries and the need for SAR forces to search two locations. You knew where the other guy was. Plus no worry about malfunctions in the two-person ejection sequencing.

Answer 8

If I remember correctly it was for high altitude ejection. It seems it operated at an altitude where the blood would boil at 98.6 F. I was at Willow Grove when they were doing tests at Pax. That was the scuttlebutt at the time.