Russian Company Unveils Ejector Seat For Light Aircraft

NPP Zvezda, manufacturer of spacesuits for Russian Cosmonauts has invented a light aircraft ejector seat that helps the pilot to get to safety in a split second.

The idea for new ejector seat was first announced in 2013 during a light aviation expo in Germany. Weight restrictions on light aircraft have been constraints for traditional ejector seats as they weigh too much for these types of planes.

The ejection seat system will be beneficial in the military light aircraft market as they are majorly used in combat conditions.

The pole is operated by a pneumatic cylinder to eject the pilot high enough to avoid getting hit by the tail wing. The seat itself is relatively light, with the entire system weighing just 16.5 Kgs (36.4lb) and does not have to be jettisoned to make a safe landing. The system also comes with its own life-saving parachute

Without ejector seats, if a plane gets into trouble, pilots have to go through the long process of undoing their seat belts, breaking out of the cabin and then using their parachute to get to the ground safely.

“A pilot may find it hard to leave the cabin of a stalling plane because he would have to first unbuckle the harness, remove the canopy, get out and push himself away from the hull. It all takes time”. RT quoted a spokesperson for Zvezda as saying. “Our system does it all in less than a second.”

The design has recently been patented in Russia but NPP Zvezda has announced that they are keen to introduce the seat to other international markets.