Classic British Flight Sim

Tom Everitt AFG wrote:It's one of those rock - hardplace calls I think. Do you risk banging out and never being able to walk again, or try and put it down in a field and risk the seats going off anyway. The civilian mentality would probably be to try and put it down at the nearest airfield before resorting to the seat, whereas I suspect the military guys are taught to pull the handle.

The Vampire has low G ejection guns...about the same as the Ejection Practice Tower so you would be safe to use them. The alternative way out of the Vampire is definitely NOT recommended...You are supposed to get rid of the canopy, undo your harness and push the stick forward to throw you out with the negative G. If you are lucky you will miss the tailplane.

Diving over the side just stuffs you in the intake

You are not liable to damage your back in any way with that gun...Different story with the Hunter though as it has the High G gun with three sleeves and will almost certainly cause some spine damage, especially if the between the legs handle is used :shock:

My ATC squadron used to have a T11 Vampire. I always surmised that ejecting wouldn't be much fun due to cockpit 'limitations'! But I'm 6'3". It would probably be fine for most. I don't recall if it had ankle straps or not!

Having sat in the cockpit of a static one many times, I'm INCREDIBLY envious of Tom! Might have to get the credit card out sometime soon....

James

This problem of ejection limited the height of RAF fighter pilots during the Vampire and Gnat era. I thinl 6ft was as high as you could grow. Having said that a live ejection can leave you an inch shorter (at least).
It is the the length of your legs that seem to be the problem, the Vampire would take off the lower legs in an ejection of anybody over 6ft...good job you are a 'compact' fellow Tom

calypsos wrote:This problem of ejection limited the height of RAF fighter pilots during the Vampire and Gnat era. I thinl 6ft was as high as you could grow. Having said that a live ejection can leave you an inch shorter (at least).
It is the the length of your legs that seem to be the problem, the Vampire would take off the lower legs in an ejection of anybody over 6ft...good job you are a 'compact' fellow Tom

Yes Trev,

It was actually the Gnat that limited the thigh length initially but then the same limitation was applied to the Venoms and Vampires...We had a newly posted in Boss on 266 Squadron who was posted out again after about a week, for that reason...He was delighted as he took over a Hunter squadron

I have a friend who "Failed" to get into the RAF at all, as aircrew, because of his thigh length...He seriously considered surgery but then gave up and emigrated to New Zealand :think:

The limitation we have imposed on the Vampire is a thigh length of 26.5" maximum, measured when sitting down.

Tom.

Tom Everitt AFG wrote:The limitation we have imposed on the Vampire is a thigh length of 26.5" maximum, measured when sitting down.

Tom.

I would seem to fit then. Although it depends how you measure it! :think:

I'd love a go in the Vampire. Our ATC also had (and still has) a Meteor NF14. The Vampire always appealed more to me.

James