Monday, January 17, 2022

That weird coat hanger thing above the pilot. What is it?

 


36 comments:

  1. Explosive det cord to blow canopy out for ejection seat to pass throught.

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    1. As lexan is some pretty hard stuff. Look up its spec's and what it can survive. See below.

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  2. Just to get the shattering process started, the ejection blows it out.

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  3. Thanks. I've always wondered about that.

    A-6's had to depend on the hard-headed-ness of their crews to do this.

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  4. No, it's not to blow the canopy. That seat will go right through the canopy like it wasn't there. (I have seen Martin Baker seats punch through canopies in the Air Farce)

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    1. But shattering it first reduces chances of the pilot being injured going through it.

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    2. Yes, it is. Pilots cost too much to push them out through a plexiglass Playdoh mold at 500MPH.

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    3. Actually, that is exactly what it is. But if you're going to claim it isn't then you must state what you believe it is instead. We're waiting.

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  5. Crew gets out faster when they are the first thing to go, instead of second, behind the canopy. Also, it tends to eliminate the "Goose" problem. Pre-breaking the 'glass lets the seat maintain maximum ejection velocity, as punching through the old style robs energy.

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  6. Yeah, really, did you NEVER see Top Gun? What a sheltered child....

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    1. Hollywood is the best teacher isn't it?

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    2. Not sheletered, we just have taste.

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    3. You're dangerous. But you can be my wingman any time.

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  7. I thought it might be an antenna of some sort.

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    1. That was my thought too. I find it hard to believe that is det cord. I was a demo specialist in the army. It doesn't look like det cord, and why the tight bends in it, and why isn't it placed to where it will take out ALL the canopy and not just the top? Wouldn't that leave a dangerous jagged edge? Lastly, the sound of det cord detonationg (26k feet per second) that close would be eardrum shattering, not to mention the back blast. Until I see provable profession opinion I'm still doubtful.

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    2. Canopy Severance Cord. It's a thing.

      Burn rate is 8k m/s.

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    3. Canopy Severance Cord

      Pilots are wearing sound-insulated headsets inside padded helmets, so that provides some hearing protection. Also, I doubt the canopy shattering would be much, if any, noisier than the canopy ejection rockets on other aircraft, and the sheer noise of the ejection itself (between the noise of the rocket and suddenly emerging into a several hundred knot or faster wind blast. Ejections are dangerous in several ways, just less dangerous than bailing out the old-fashioned way.

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    4. Rear window defogger.

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  8. Your all wrong! That is a Texas Air Guard bird and that is a hat rack for the pilots that wear a Stetson.

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    1. THAT aint funny ..ITS TO SMALL....LOL

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    2. It's a Harrier (aka, 'the widowmaker')

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    3. @Anonymous, it certainly proved able to make Argentinian widows.

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    4. Cowboys wear their hats indoors, unlike rednecks, who posses the manners to take them off.

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  9. For the geniuses who persist in thinking we're making all this det cord business up:

    https://youtu.be/JJsEYWx3pJQ

    https://www.militarysystems-tech.com/sites/militarysystems/files/supplier_docs//CEUK-Canopy-Severance-Cord.pdf

    That took two whole mouseclicks on the internet.

    Look it up or shaddup, eh?

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  10. my question is why doesn't it kill the pilot? i took down large trees with it.

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    1. Because it's not wrapped around his neck...

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  11. While the material is explosive, it most certainly is not PETN "det cord" or primer cord, that's a completely different animal.

    Its purpose here is to shatter the canopy, not blow it off, so the ejector seat can then go through it as opposed to having to jettison the entire canopy, frame and all, prior to ejection. Saving time, weight and reducing the complexity of the canopy.

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  12. Purpose? Screw a buncha purpose, it is what it is. Sadly, no mention is made of the coolest handle of any latter day fighter jock; "Shanks" Longwell. Just hope he's about 5' 8". And never forget the difference between rich people and poor people; the rich have a canopy over the bed. Poor people have a can of pee under the bed.

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  13. I think it might be some kind of antenna.

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  14. All very interesting. Thanks guys.

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  15. It is boom, believe what you want. It is there to break the canopy and allow the seat to pass through the fastest and safest way possible.

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  16. That is a Harrier Jump Jet and because it can be very low and not moving the canopy would take too long to move out of the way if the pilot ejected at low altitude and low velocity. The lines are explosive to shatter the canopy so the pilot can eject safely and be clear of the aircraft in the least amount of time.

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