ENGINEERING REPORT/INVESTIGATION STATIC EJECTION TEST NO. 2 EL CENTRO TEST PROGRAM (Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00285R000400020015-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2002
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: July 31, 1964
• Content Type: REPORT

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ENGINEERING REPORT/ INVESTIGATION
STATIC EJECTION TEST NO. 2
EL CENTRO TEST PROGRAM
7-31-64
TEST CONDITIONS:
Static ejection out of F-106 A/C, 8:15 A.M. on 7-30-64
Temp..900 F, wind 5 to 8 k., tail.
Modified parachute and C-2 seat with hi-energy 2174
rocket catapult.
TEST PURPOSE:
To demonstrate static performance of hi-energy rocket
catapult and modified parachute.
TEST RESULTS AND CAUSES:
1. Seat rolled and yawed to right, landed 270 feet
forward and 320 feet to the right. Attained calculated height
of 419 feet.
Cause of Yaw: Hi-energy rocket catapult sensitive to c.g. shift
in lateral plane. Normal conditions for this unit and did not
adversely affect seat performance.
2. Parachute did not fully deploy.
Cause: Deployment between legs; dummy roll caused right foot to
catch chute.
On file USAF release
instructions apply.
STATINTL
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CONCLUSIONS:
1. Parachute operation normal. Chute would have
inflated 100-150 feet up if not caught by leg and delayed.
2. A calculated lateral c.g. shift of .25 inches
to the right would cause the rocket to thrust seat/dummy
to the right as experienced.
This degree of c.g. shift can be expected operationally.
Yaw and roll as witnessed is not unusual and is not harmful
to a satisfactory ejection. A yaw-roll of one rev. per sec.
is fully acceptable and in some cases desirable in order to move
pilot let-down out of flight path and probable fire on a low
altitude ejection. This degree of yaw has been specifically
designed into some seat programs.
The yaw tendency is most pronounced on a static test and
least effective on an in-flight test due to the initial forward
velocity (equal to speed a/c). It is unlikely that yaw would
have been produced on the test configuration if it had been an in-
flight test.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. That an additional static test be performed. No
special effort be exerted to laterally balance or ballast the
seat/dummy combination.
All components to be as near operational status as possible.
The dummy is always a problem-arm-leg and hip joints are too
y in a sit
stiff on-this test note that the Tiip joint kept the dumm
ting position. It is probable that a man's leg would not have
maintained the chute entanglement for such a long period and
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permitted chute deployment and recovery.
Check the dummy to insure he doesn't have excessive off
center c.g.
Use a new seat - this was the second test on this seat
and it may possibly have been warped, although this was checked
prior to reuse.
The last time (1963) we made static tests we did not get
chute inflation and recovery because of the low altitude performance
of the "low-energy" rocket catapults.
On this program we are looking for static recovery if possible.
We are using the best performance rocket yet developed to attain
this.
Static test parachute deployment and possible entanglement
on dummy or seat is still there - but any improvement in "LOW and
SLOW" escape envelope is extremely desirable as borne out by
ejection statistics.
2. That the programmed in-flight ejection tests proved
as planned. White it is recognized that in-flight ejection tests
have a degree of risk, it is considered that this seat/rocket
combination with its improved performance is safer than the lower
performance combination successfully tested in this aircraft
a year ago.
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HIGH ENERGY ROCKET CATAPULT (2174)
1. The Rocket Power Inc. 2174 high energy rocket catapult
used on this program is an improved unit recently developed and
fully qualified with industry and the USAF.
Briefly - the improvement over existing rocket catapults
consists of an increased sustainer rocket motor impulse. Although
the thrust level is no higher for this rocket motor than the
existing "low energy" rocket catapults, the thrust is sustained
for a longer period of time giving essentially a flat-longer
thrust curve.
The thrust and acceleration imparted to the seat/dummy
by the catapult portion of the unit is the same for both types of
units. (vertical g forces)
The high energy rocket motor has an improved nozzle
to completely eliminate rosion of the thrust section, thereby
elimination any possible thrust mis-alignment during burning.
2. Test and Service History:
a. 2 in-flight tests for RCAF CF -104 from T33 A/C.
b. Approximately 30 static ejection tests.
F-104 G
5
ea.
CF-104
2
ea.
F-105
2
ea.
F-106
4
ea.
F-101
7
ea.
XC-142
6
ea.
XV4A
(Hummingbird)
4
ea.
c. Approximately 17 sled ejection tests (60-600K)
F-106 15 ea.
CF-104 2 ea.
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d. Unit approved and installed on:
XV4A Hummingbird
F-104G Test A/C
Approved for installation on:
CF-104
XC-142 L.T.V. Tri-service transport
F-106 - retrofit program
VAL
COIN
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TEST DESCRIPTION
Seat launch as expected, vertical g's equal 18, from T.M.
Rocket ignited and seat sustained roll, head back as expected.
Seat also yawed to the right under rocket thrust. At burn out
position was back horizontal and face rotated approximately 900
to the right, right side down.
Trajectory continued, forward and approximately 450 to the
,right. Some roll and yaw continued, but at reduced rate. Seat
landed approximately 270 feet forward and 320 feet to the right.
Seat/man separation was good-parachute deployment started-
down the outside of right leg, and around. and between the legs,
finally catching the chute around the right leg and foot.
Dummy had some roll which wound chute around leg resulting
in halt to normal deployment. This condition prevailed for 4.3
sec. Dummy's foot rolled back by pilot chute pull and chute
cleared right foot, at 2.6 sec, to impact. Line stretch out,
quarter bag release appeared normal, and chute started to inflate
at impact. Total time was 9.7 sec.
Trajectory ground distance was approximately 420 feet and
calculated height was 419 feet.
This data is read from Hulcher prints and summarized on
following page.
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HULCHER FILM DATA
TEST DATA:
Frame
Approx
camera
1
2
Event Time-sec
2
-
Rocket ignition 0.2
7
6
Burn out 0.7 1/4
rev. yaw and
roll
3/
4 rev. yaw and.
roll
13
16
Lap belt sep. 1.3 Sm
oke visible
14
Seat/man sep. 1.4 Fe
et free .
21
29
Pilot chute visible
31
44
Canopy over rt leg
2.8 Ap
prox. 8 ft. of
canopy out
64
Left foot on canopy
44
72
Peak trajectory 4.6
88
Left foot off canopy
68
108
Canopy off rt. foot
121
Quarter bag out
139
Lines extended
90
140
Quarter bag off
93
147
Dummy impact 9.7-
148
Seat impact
Trajectory height calculation, using time from Hulcher prints,
from peak to impact, and assuming no drag:
S - 1/2 at2 = 16.1 x 5.12 = 419 feet.
STATINTL
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