General Category > Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board
The Cool Video Thread
SpazSinbad:
Next question: Why do some have the harness UNlocked?
PhantomTweak:
So they can maintain a good lookout all around them?
Not easy to lean forward a little to look over your shoulder when the harness is locked.
Maybe some just find reaching forward for switches and buttons around the cockpit easier with the harness unlocked? Slightly shorter arms, maybe?
If I remember correctly the seat isn't adjustable fore-and-aft, only up-and-down. The rudder pedals are adjustable, but the basic position of the seat, relative to the UFC, if nothing else, not to mention the soft-buttons on the MFD's, isn't. May make reaching for such things a lot easier to have the harness unlocked, and rely on the inertia reels to do their job.
Thanks very much, Mr. Wingnut, sir, for 1) Your service, Sir, and 2) Settling the discussion about the trap video.
Appreciate both!
As we always said: College education to break 'em, high-school education to fix em! ;D
That was back when we at I-Level actually repaired radar systems, down to replacing the components. Now, they just swap out circuit cards. A trained monkey can do that...
Humph :P
Anywho...
Pat☺
SpazSinbad:
To me it is interesting to know these details. For example the F-35C non-test pilots (OK - maybe some test pilots also) had trouble with the initial bounce of the nose gear during catapulting at light weights (usually encountered during CarQuals - not as bad when at heavy operational weight). One of the solutions was to adjust how the F-35C pilot strapped in (not sure the exact details here). Anyway one of the complaints was that IF the pilot strapped in too tight then he could not eject (totally false - just a misunderstanding I reckon) or reach the EMERGENCY JETTISON BUTTON (which clueless aviation reporters took for ejection). :-) Anyway they have made sufficient changes to the hold back release and how the pilot straps in to modify the issue to 'acceptable'.
Also during this 'initial F-35C pilot catapult bounce at light weights' the HMDS could hit the canopy OR the visor fly UP (which has the vHUD on it!).
My thinking is perhaps these initial F-35C CarQuallers from the training squadrons were NOT strapping in TIGHTLY so that they BOUNCED up and down more than they would if STRAPPED DOWN TIGHT! :-) See my post above about how I suffered permanent bruising.... And remember the F-35C pilot can ALWAYS reach the EMERG JETT button and ALWAYS eject using the only handle - the seat pan handle.
First F-35C Catapult Instant One Eighth Slow Motion
F-35C CVN-73 Fly Up Visor Catapult & 3 Wire August 2016
F-35C Afterburner Catapult Nose Gear Compression Slow Motion
micro:
From my (very limited) experience, PhantomTweak is partially right. You want to be able to move around a bit in the cockpit. However, at least in the T-45, not locking your harness would "soften" the blow of the trap since you would be a little more flexible. If the harness was locked fully back, your literal TRAP (trapezius) muscles behind your neck bore the brunt of stopping your head. If you unlocked your harness you could lean into it, so to speak, and ease the stress on those muscles. Oddly when I went out to CQ, all of our instructors insisted we lock our harnesses so as not to "get embarrassed". Whether that was a right of passage, or the instructors having a bit of fun with us, I'll never know. But my neck sure did hurt the next few days.
PhantomTweak:
--- Quote ---One of the solutions was to adjust how the F-35C pilot strapped in (not sure the exact details here).
--- End quote ---
I was going to say, how can "how one straps in" be a solution?? Only way I know of is tightly. The inertia reel(s) (depending on seat version, there may be one, or two) provide all the room one needs to move around the cockpit the little bit that's necessary for operation of the aircraft. The rest of the harness certainly permits enough range of motion to reach anything in the cockpit, I would think. If not, they need to see Survival Equipment for an adjustment of the harness.
--- Quote ---Anyway one of the complaints was that IF the pilot strapped in too tight then he could not eject (totally false - just a misunderstanding I reckon) or reach the EMERGENCY JETTISON BUTTON (which clueless aviation reporters took for ejection)
--- End quote ---
Yeah, Emergency Jettison of the pilot from the aircraft, right?? No? ??? ::)
Like you say, igornant (yes, I spelled that as I intended) reporters.
--- Quote ---...and ALWAYS eject using the only handle - the seat pan handle.
--- End quote ---
If a pilot can't reach THAT, I'd hate to think what the poor SOB had to go through if he had an itch in a certain place any male can understand. And we all have had an itch like that. Usually with our hands otherwise occupied. THAT is torture! ;D
--- Quote ---Oddly when I went out to CQ, all of our instructors insisted we lock our harnesses so as not to "get embarrassed". Whether that was a right of passage, or the instructors having a bit of fun with us, I'll never know. But my neck sure did hurt the next few days.
--- End quote ---
The instructors may have known that the inertia reels weren't maintained as well as they should have been? Time constraints, money shortages, parts availability, etc.
Just a thought. If they knew the inertia reels sometimes didn't lock properly, or would slip, or payed out too far in the T45 before they locked up, and the student happened to be leaning forward too far, they would be embarrassed when their helmet bounced off a part of the control panel :D
Probably knocked silly, too, and at a really bad time to be not paying attention.
Just a thought...
Thanks for the videos, Sinbad!
Pat☺
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