Ejection Seat Systems
Over 60 Years of Collaboration and ENGINEERING Experience
Airborne Systems expertise in the engineering and manufacture of ejection seat parachute systems is unsurpassed by any commercial entity.
In 1946 the first "live" ejection was made from an aircraft using a Martin-Baker ejection seat fitted with an Airborne Systems (then Irvin Aerospace) parachute assembly. In 1951 the two companies collaborated to develop the first autonomous pilot seat ejection system.
Martin-Baker is the world's longest-established and most-experienced manufacturer of ejection seats and related equipment to safeguard an aviator during aircraft escape, survival, location and recovery phases. Only Martin-Baker ejection seats have saved over 7,340 aircrew lives in more than 93 Air Forces.
Every parachute used on a Martin-Baker ejection seat was designed and qualified by Airborne Systems. Today, Airborne Systems ejection seat parachute systems are in service on a wide variety of fighter jets worldwide. The equipment supplied includes main parachutes, seat stabilizing drogues and headbox auxiliary parachutes. Our most recent achievements include the fielding of the Type 5000 parachute system on the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Type 6000 parachute system on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.
Due to their superior stability and deceleration performance, our Aeroconical™ series of main parachutes (Type 1000 through to Type 6000 parachutes) are the most technically advanced in the world. The very recognizable Aeroconical™ canopy shape is capable of opening and landing the pilot safely at low speed as well as high speed. At high speed (certified for velocity up to 650 knots at altitudes up to 50,000 ft) it limits the parachute opening shock to the pilot to 25g allowing him to carry out a safe descent. At low speed (certified at velocity 0, altitude 0) it is capable of opening very fast to increase the descent time to the ground. The variants of conical-ribbon, seat-stabilizing drogues produced by Airborne Systems exhibit cutting edge technical performance combined with durability and affordability.
Airborne Systems ejection seat parachute systems are under an exclusive design, development and sales agreement with Martin-Baker. All inquiries for these systems (new or parts) should be directed to Martin-Baker.
