GENERAL DYNAMICS F-111 AARDVARK CREW MODULE ESCAPE SYSTEM EJECTION SYSTEM 80040
In this U.S. Air Force training film (TF-6164b) from 1968, viewers learn about the ejection, recovery, and landing of the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark Crew Module Escape System, an “escape crew capsule system that allows one or more occupants of an aircraft or spacecraft to escape from the craft while it is subjected to extreme conditions, such as high speed or altitude.” The film opens with a shot of a test F-111 Crew Module taking off and the crew escape capsule parachuting to the ground. A test ejection from a simulated F-111 sled cockpit on a ground track is conducted (01:30), with crewmen being ejected individually at 300 knots. The men parachute to the ground, lacking clear stability. The crew module is ejected at this point, demonstrating a more stable ejection than the previous test. An officer speaks to the camera about the automated ejection system of the F-111 crew escape module (02:30). A crew prepares a 3,000-pound static module for a test run (03:00). The module is ejected, and the recovery chute is quickly deployed. A sled ejection system flies down the track and the crew module is ejected (03:44), peaking at about 1,200 feet. The module safely parachutes to the ground. The officer stands in front of a crew module in a hanger (04:34), and he shows off aspects of the module, including the rocket nozzles for boosting the ejection (05:22), the stabilization glove of the module (05:50), and the pitch flaps and stabilization flaps (06:15). He then shows where the recovery chute is stored and deployed from (06:58). Animation is used to show the full eject system of the F-111 (07:40): how the rocket motor is initiated, tightening of the crew’s harnesses, the severance of recovery gear, the deployment of the stabilization break chute, the stabilization of the module, the deployment of the recovery chute (14:25), and the inflation of impact attenuation bags. The crew module safely lands on the ground. The officer holds a small model of the crew module and speaks to the camera about the manual method to sever the recovery chute once the module has landed and how to initiate a manual ejection without the rocket severance system. An F-111 taxis on the ground (18:28), and the film ends with the aircraft taking off and flying off into the distance.
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I worked on these at Sacramento Air Logistics Center (SMALC) from the late 1980s till they were retired by the USAF. That was a sad day for me, I had never experienced one tapping at the sound barrier except for that one day. When the Gulf war was finished I watched as 111’s from Lakenheath, Cannon AFB, Luke AFB and locally were wrapped in foil and placed on flatbed trucks and sent down to Davis-Monthan, “The Bone-Yard”. Some of those planes still had wet sealant and wet paint on them. Thank God for the Aussies which flew them for several more years.
In 1977 I watched one up close and real life as a Engineer at Eglin AFB in the 3214th Armament Development and Test Squadron.
My pa and uncle were part of this program. So proud of them and their contribution to defense of United States and American people. They were the ejection dummies.
I highly recommand the Fighter Pilot Podcast Episode 111. Where former F-111 pilots talk about their knowledge and experiences about the plane. Especially the ejection module.
Thank you for what you do in bringing us these priceless films showing rare situations and events in history.
We have had 2 RAAF F-111C crashes here in NZ and the crew lived to talk about it✈️👍🇳🇿
Great video--one of the most informative and well produced I've seen! Thanks for sharing it with us!
I always learn something new from watching your informative videos. Thank you for your efforts in providing this information.
Lovely plane, brilliant,
I worked for Grumman on Long Island in 1981 ,and the first program that I was working on was the EF111 A . I knew about the crew escape module from one of my coworkers who was in the Air Force and was a crew chief on the F111A. He told about how this system worked, but not as detailed as this video. Thank you for the video.
I remember playing on one of these modules. It was over 30 years ago. It was dumped outside RAF Woodbridge (I think!) I still have pictures of it. I had a piece of it for years, lost now !
Thank you! WE appreciate you!
there was a report that was made in the late 60,s about the escape system that the chute failed to properly deploy and it landed upside down and tumbled into a ravine and killed the crew when they had to eject from the jet after both engines malfunctioned while on a training mission .
This was really cool.
fantastic model there
I know why you have the counter,just wish it could be lower on the video.
Here's a weird piece of trivia. The sound of an F-111 flyby was included on the Voyager space probe Golden Record. Why this was done is a mystery.
Hey, would you mind not bucking rivets for 5 minutes so we can get this shot?
I worked on the EF111A’s and one of the fire extinguisher bottles was in the nose wheel well right beside the discharge nozzle of the capsule rocket motor. Every so many hours we would have to change out the extinguisher explosive squib and your face would be right at the discharge of the rocket motor nozzle. Needless to say it was a little unnerving when you would ground the squib wiring to discharge any static electricity before connecting a new squib that was the equivalent to a 10 ga. Shot gun shell of explosive.😅
The module was designed for the early models, when the Air Force added the long nose and cathode Ray tube displays for the terrain following systems it overloaded the module.we had several failures in the F111d at Clovis NM. Pilots lost faith in it.