AIR CREW LIFE SUPPORT

incl.

Image: MARK J. CAIRNS

Aircrew Life Support / Personal Survival & Safety Equipment room including our collection of Martin-Baker Ejection Seats.

We have a growing collection of Martin-Baker Ejection seats and other personal survival & safety equipment.

A dedicated new room is being created by hangar volunteers, Mal Deeley and Donna Lappin during 2019~2020.

Amongst our collection of aircraft is a unique display of Aircrew Life Support Equipment from WW2 to the present day, include: Martin Baker ejections seats, which are tested here in Northern Ireland at the old USAF airbase at Langford Lodge.

Image: MAL DEELEY

Also within the collection of Life support equipment are, life rafts from modern day jet aircraft, flying suits and protective flight clothing, life preservers (Mae West) and a complete Personal Survival Pack, PSP from our Canberra PR9 XH131 plane; Rescue equipment from the Irish Coast guard & Irish Air Corps.

We also have an extensive range of uniforms and protection clothing displayed on mannequins, plus clothing badges from the various collections

Towards the end of the Second World War, emergency parachute escapes from military aircraft were becoming increasingly difficult and with the introduction of jet powered aircraft virtually eliminated the possibility of a successful over the wing bale-out.

in 1944, James Martin (later Sir James Martin), Managing Director and chief designer of MB aircraft company was invited by the then Ministry of Aircraft Production to investigate the practicability of providing fighter aircraft with a means of assisted escape for the pilot.

After investigating alternative schemes it soon became apparent that the most attractive means would be by forced ejection of the seat with the occupant still in it.

The ejector seat was born and today has saved over 7638+ aircrew lives, and is in use with over 75 air forces around the world.

Image: MARK J. CAIRNS