Science And Technology of Aircraft Seat Ejection: Advanced Concepts

This paper reviews the work done on science and technology of aircraft seat ejection with history, present, and futuristic interest. It is topic of interest that is receiving significant attention in the recent years due to importance of the pilot life saving during war, mishaps, and emergencies. In the early days, the ejection seats used the concept of compressed air and simple mechanical springs. The escape of the aircrew from high-speed aircraft is a serious drawback during World War (WW) II. The jumping out of aeronauts from high-speed aircraft is extremely difficult because of high blast wind pressure, turbulence around the exposed cockpit, and accelerations during the aircraft maneuvers. All these systems are dangerous and damage to the vertebra column of an aviator. As the speed of the aircraft is low, the pilot has to jump out with his parachute. However, as the speed of the aircraft increases, jumping out from the disabled aircraft with the parachute is merely a matter of luck and does not guarantee the aeronaut’s survival. Therefore, it is highly essential to use an ejection seat when damage is caused due to either the fighter or trainer plane. The ejection of the pilot is of utmost importance to the services. Hence, the lives of the pilots are crucial than saving military planes. Safeguarding the pilots from disabled aircraft plays a significant role in services such as Indian Air Force and Indian Navy since their introduction. Different policies and regulations are enforced to ensure the survival and safety of pilots. These are considered an essential area in the safety programs. Security and safety are always threat to the pilots. The novelty of this research paper is to bring about the historical developmental concepts to advanced concepts through science and technologyelated aircraft seat ejection. This paper is based on oration presented by the author on the occasion of National Science Day in Feb 2021. Therefore, an attempt is also made to highlight the important contributions made by various scientists, researchers in the frontier areas related to science and technology of ejection seat for military fighter aircraft.