The Mi-28 is also equipped with sideways ejection seats.

IMHO I don't think the Bell 214 or Ka-32 belong in this list because you still have to bail out of the helicopter to get to the rafts, after they are deployed.

As long as you had fun.

Thanks for the info! I admit I'm not as knowledgeable on Russian helicopter types as you guys are, but it's always a pleasure to learn new things especially on the subject of aerospace.

Wasn't there a proposal for the Apache to use a type of ejection system? Or was that purely hypothetical?

After a quick Google search I've confirmed my own speculation, lol. This Popular Mechanics article shows the same design, and according to the article it IS in fact an early concept for the Kaman SAVER:

http://aviadejavu.ru/Images6/HI/HI-14/109-1.jpg

More about the ejection system for the S-72 RSRA airframe.... a downward ejection system was proposed like on the XF-104 prototypes but since the RSRA programe required so many trials closer to the ground it was decided that conventional upward-launching methods were better. The aircraft's blade-severance system consisted of shaped explosive charges in the blade roots to jettison the blades away from the hub. It was designed in such a way that the blades never hit the escaping pilots as they were blown off in a very specific sequence. The ejection seats were designed by Stanley Aviation and used rocket motors that pulled the pilots out from the canopy rather than a rocket catapult that pushes them out. It was never tested in flight but it was successfully tested on the ground.

Footage of the test at 1:20...

-- Edited by Leela25 on Saturday 28th of March 2020 08:42:04 PM

I couldv've sworn there was a proposal to install a cabin escape system that jettisons the c.ockpit away Goldeneye style. Or was it for a Cobra? I remember it was for a modern US attack helicopter type. The rotors separate and the c.ockpit blasts away from the fuselage and then deploys chutes. I can vaguely see the artist's graphic in my head. I must be going crazy.

*cough wheeze* Nope

Too soon.

Rafale D wrote:

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Pepper wrote:

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I couldv've sworn there was a proposal to install a cabin escape system that jettisons the c.ockpit away Goldeneye style. Or was it for a Cobra? I remember it was for a modern US attack helicopter type. The rotors separate and the c.ockpit blasts away from the fuselage and then deploys chutes. I can vaguely see the artist's graphic in my head. I must be going crazy.

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 Now that I think about it this sounds extremely familiar. I think I've seen the same graphic you are talking about. Count me in on your lapse of sanity.

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 On the Apache?? Im almost certain there wasnt. You two probably saw a generic study proposing an emergency escape system on the Apache or some other attack helicopter but there was never a real project for one.  Hypothetical concepts for emergency escape systems on helis done by random people or univ students are common AF... :P

Rafale D wrote:

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Quick question about the sideways ejection seat: how would a system like this work without causing injury to the pilot? Wouldn't the sudden jolt break his neck? And what if the helicopter is banking sideways? It just seems really dangerous compared to the conventional alternatives.

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 You would be surprised how much more danger is found in upward ejection systems over launhing forward or to the side. Gs from upward acceleration forces blood to rush from the brain and can cause the pilot to lose consciuosness but forward you can possibly handle up to 20G. Unless the pilot's head is not oriented sideways the acceleration to the side wont affect much.

Out of all proven ejection methods, downward was the most dangerous and has actually killed several test pilots.

As far as the aircraft banking? circumstances, circumstances.... not much you can do. Better to use the tried and true approach.

maybe if you redesigned the co.ckpit to accommodate such seats. Right now the armour arrangement, seats, internal structure are designed specially for projectile absorption and hard landing. You would either have to sacrifice this to install the ejection seats or design the ejection seats with similar protection, to adapt it in a way. That and installing a rotor system that can be jettisoned like the Russian counterparts. its plausible, just maybe not cost effective these days.

the Goldeneye example would be a bigger engineering headache, better to just use individual ejection seats. :P

I would love to find a report about the AH-1 test to get some context as to why it was abandoned, especially after reading that report about so many pilots wanting such a system installed. from there i think we can judge its potential on the AH-64 series.

Leela25 wrote:

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Unless the pilot's head is not oriented sideways the acceleration to the side wont affect much.

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Why should the direction of their head matter? A sudden jolt to the body in a direction like that could do a number on the neck/spine and support muscles, no matter what direction they are facing, from what I know about most car accidents and law of inertia.

Credit to Hillberg for originally posting this in the other thread (forgot to add this here, sorry), this 1960s U.S. Navy film (D-A-PHD-6-01) is about the helicopter escape capsule ballistic system tested on the UH-25B:

And there's also this 16mm video from August 1966:

Also, we apparently have a thread about the Mi-4 jettisoning rotors test (i made it a long time ago without realizing what it was lmao)....  https://stingraysrotorforum.activeboard.com/t48507774/mi-4-experiment-shooting-rotor-blades/

HA!! I needed a hearty laugh today, thank you!