- For 80 years, Martin-Baker has been a trusted name in ejection seats. Since 1945, the company has saved 7,777 lives, including 3,600 U.S. aviators. It supplies seats to the U.S. government, Air Force, Navy and Marines.
- Martin-Baker has evolved its ejection seats to minimize injury risk to just 5%, with the US16E seat for the F-35 incorporating new technology like electronics, parachutes and neck protection devices.
- The number of lives saved by Martin-Baker ejection seats has grown to 7,781, with the latest saves occurring during a practice demonstration when two Patrouille de France Alpha Jet aircraft collided east of Paris.
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The last thing anyone strapped into a fast-moving aircraft wants to hear is the command to eject. But if the moment comes and the decision is made, pilots and passengers alike hope they’re strapped into a Martin-Baker ejection seat. That’s why it’s this week’s weapon of the week.
What’s the history of Martin-Baker?
For 80 years, Martin-Baker has been a name aircrews could count on when things went wrong. Since 1945, the company has saved 7,777 lives, including 3,600 U.S. aviators, according to Steve Roberts, head of business development at Martin-Baker.
“The U.S. government, Air Force, Navy and Marines are our biggest customers,” Roberts said. “We have about 3,000 seats in the U.S. Navy and 2,300 seats in the U.S. Air Force.”
Over the decades, the expectations of what an ejection seat can deliver have evolved alongside the aircraft they are installed in. Initially, the goal was to survive the ejection. Roberts says the focus is on getting the pilot back into the fight.
“It’s about escape and evasion and minimizing the risk of injury to just 5%,” he explained. “Legacy seats had a much higher risk of injury.”
What makes Martin-Baker ejection seats different?
Martin-Baker continues to innovate to reduce that risk. The US16E ejection seat, explicitly developed for the F-35, incorporates new technology, including electronics, a new parachute, and airbags known as neck protection devices.
“It accommodates a wider range of aircrew and allows safe ejection at high speeds,” Roberts said.
The company has also adapted its seats to accommodate different body types.
“The seat can tilt from 22 degrees to 16.5 degrees, and the seat bucket moves up by about seven and a half inches,” Roberts explained. “For a huge male, the seat tilts back with the bucket down. For a very small female, the seat tilts fully forward with the bucket in the top position.”
This adaptability means the same equipment can handle a six-foot-five airman weighing 300 pounds and a four-foot-eleven airman weighing as little as 103 pounds.
Since Straight Arrow News’ visit with Roberts, the number of lives saved by a Martin-Baker ejection seat has grown to 7,781. The latest saves occurred during a practice demonstration when two Patrouille de France Alpha Jet aircraft collided east of Paris.
Both pilots and a passenger successfully ejected using Martin-Baker’s F-10-LN seat.
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