How tall are you?
- Thread starter David Morton
- Start date
Ian Anderson
Lifetime Supporter
6'3" and too heavy(280lb) but can get into the DAX!
Now I need to get the diet sheet from Paul - how many lbs have you lost Mr Thompson?
Ian
Now I need to get the diet sheet from Paul - how many lbs have you lost Mr Thompson?
Ian
Pete McCluskey.
Lifetime Supporter
Doc Watson said:
Always a good Idea if one can manage it. I'm 5' 9'.
Doc Watson
Lifetime Supporter
If you do have to eject from a modern jet the chain of events is not to good.... but put into context it’s better than still being in the plane when it hits the ground.
You temporarily lose 1/2" - 3/4" in height due to the 30-40g that you pull when the seat goes off. This is due to the discs between the vertebrate compressing although you will regain about 50% of the height loss shortly (ha no pun intended) after the event.
When I was in the rules were that you have 3 bangs and you’re grounded for life... although every time its used martin baker are kind enough to send you a certificate (nice of them...) which puts you in the martin baker ‘club’.
Anyway the list of events is as follow...if memory serves me well...
1) Something happens that makes you want to leave the aircraft....
2) Either you (the navigator...I had a left eye that was about 1/4 degree off parallel so they said no to me being a pilot but yes to being a nav so I’m telling it from a back seat drivers point of view.... we always tell the pilots where to go....) or the pilot shouts eject eject eject.
3) Pull down your visor (important for about 1 second later)
4) Firmly push your head back with your neck straight (you can break your neck if your head is down)
5) Pull the eject handles (either from above your head or between your legs)
6)...now the fun really starts...
7) Those lovely black lines that you see on the top of a cockpit canopy in a plane equipped with ejection seats is an explosive charge placed on the inside of the cockpit. It’s then covered with lead to force the explosion out and into the 1" or so thick cockpit glass. So this stuff explodes cracks the canopy and sprays the cockpit with thousands of bombs of molten lead travelling away from the explosion at haste. Important note…. Must remember to pull down my visor first (see item 3).
8) At the same time two straps which are looped loosely around your lower legs are tightened to pull your lower legs under the seat (and not out straight which can result in you loosing the legs from the knee down) it’s done so quickly that some people get their knees broken in the process.
9) A charge fires in a long pipe at the back of your seat compressing air inside it and forces the whole seat to rise.
10) The seat rapidly accelerates upwards.
11) Your arse is 'hit' by the seat and you start rapidly accelerating upwards with the seat.
12) The top of the seat hits the fractured canopy glass and the rest follows.
13) If you’re lucky you might have gyro-assisted rockets which will aim the seat upwards after the initial exit from the cockpit.
14) Seat will disengage below a set altitude and chute deploy
15) If landing in the sea goto 21
16) Enjoy the view and relax
17) Try and remember how you were taught to land correctly when that hard stuff comes and hits you.. can be difficult with broken knees….
18) Land and quickly release the chute, or alternatively quickly grab the chute by running behind it (there’s enough silk and para cord to make endless traps and tents)
19) Await pick up. Might be there for a while.
20) Goto 23.
21) If in North Sea you will have about 10 minutes tops if you have your dry suit on and you can get into a small ‘raft’ that was located in your seat. Survival time depends on temperature of water…
22) Await pick up… Might be there for a while.
23) Finally join the Martin Baker club.
You temporarily lose 1/2" - 3/4" in height due to the 30-40g that you pull when the seat goes off. This is due to the discs between the vertebrate compressing although you will regain about 50% of the height loss shortly (ha no pun intended) after the event.
When I was in the rules were that you have 3 bangs and you’re grounded for life... although every time its used martin baker are kind enough to send you a certificate (nice of them...) which puts you in the martin baker ‘club’.
Anyway the list of events is as follow...if memory serves me well...
1) Something happens that makes you want to leave the aircraft....
2) Either you (the navigator...I had a left eye that was about 1/4 degree off parallel so they said no to me being a pilot but yes to being a nav so I’m telling it from a back seat drivers point of view.... we always tell the pilots where to go....) or the pilot shouts eject eject eject.
3) Pull down your visor (important for about 1 second later)
4) Firmly push your head back with your neck straight (you can break your neck if your head is down)
5) Pull the eject handles (either from above your head or between your legs)
6)...now the fun really starts...
7) Those lovely black lines that you see on the top of a cockpit canopy in a plane equipped with ejection seats is an explosive charge placed on the inside of the cockpit. It’s then covered with lead to force the explosion out and into the 1" or so thick cockpit glass. So this stuff explodes cracks the canopy and sprays the cockpit with thousands of bombs of molten lead travelling away from the explosion at haste. Important note…. Must remember to pull down my visor first (see item 3).
8) At the same time two straps which are looped loosely around your lower legs are tightened to pull your lower legs under the seat (and not out straight which can result in you loosing the legs from the knee down) it’s done so quickly that some people get their knees broken in the process.
9) A charge fires in a long pipe at the back of your seat compressing air inside it and forces the whole seat to rise.
10) The seat rapidly accelerates upwards.
11) Your arse is 'hit' by the seat and you start rapidly accelerating upwards with the seat.
12) The top of the seat hits the fractured canopy glass and the rest follows.
13) If you’re lucky you might have gyro-assisted rockets which will aim the seat upwards after the initial exit from the cockpit.
14) Seat will disengage below a set altitude and chute deploy
15) If landing in the sea goto 21
16) Enjoy the view and relax
17) Try and remember how you were taught to land correctly when that hard stuff comes and hits you.. can be difficult with broken knees….
18) Land and quickly release the chute, or alternatively quickly grab the chute by running behind it (there’s enough silk and para cord to make endless traps and tents)
19) Await pick up. Might be there for a while.
20) Goto 23.
21) If in North Sea you will have about 10 minutes tops if you have your dry suit on and you can get into a small ‘raft’ that was located in your seat. Survival time depends on temperature of water…
22) Await pick up… Might be there for a while.
23) Finally join the Martin Baker club.
Pat Buckley
GT40s Supporter
5 8 170
I agree with you, Ron.
I agree with you, Ron.
I'm 6'4" and (too) solid.
The front bulkhead on my DRB has been moved forward about 6" and I've lowered the seat / floor down flush with the underside of the chassis floor pan. The seat has been modified extensively to suit me and make sure it's as far back in the cabin as possible. I fit comfortably with no gurney bubble. The hardest part was to get the steering column over my feet / pedals.
I've tried several GT40's on for size (DRB, GTD, Tornado) and the DRB seems to be a bit more roomy. I think the engine bulkhead is a bit more vertical and intrudes into the cabin less, as a result.
Lance
The front bulkhead on my DRB has been moved forward about 6" and I've lowered the seat / floor down flush with the underside of the chassis floor pan. The seat has been modified extensively to suit me and make sure it's as far back in the cabin as possible. I fit comfortably with no gurney bubble. The hardest part was to get the steering column over my feet / pedals.
I've tried several GT40's on for size (DRB, GTD, Tornado) and the DRB seems to be a bit more roomy. I think the engine bulkhead is a bit more vertical and intrudes into the cabin less, as a result.
Lance
I'm 5'6" now(was 5"7') 168 lbs, always been just the right size, women 4"10" -5'10", I was intimidated by a Corsair until I got in and realized that airplane was designed to be flown by 18yr olds my size. It turned out to easy to fly(if you consider a fully cross controlled landing easy, it was the only way to see ahead of the thing when on approach).
Race cars, bikes, planes, I was always right sized!
I have always felt sorry for anyone unfortunate enough to be taller than 5'7"!
Dave
Race cars, bikes, planes, I was always right sized!
I have always felt sorry for anyone unfortunate enough to be taller than 5'7"!
Dave
Just right at 5'9" and 165 lb.
5' 11" plus change. Have elongated GTD footwell option as more of me is leg than anything else (yeah brain most likely included) and have just fitted Gurney bubble after 15 years of ownership for use with crash helmet. Also I can't fit the wife's Lotus 51 as too tall, unless I remove the seat and sit on the fuel tank. Hmmm not really a great option. Best height for drivers of race cars is 5'8" to 5'10" in my books and if you want to drive for ferrari, make sure it is all in your upper body not legs!
David Morton
Lifetime Supporter
Absolutely. Avatars only go so far so now we can get a better picture of who is who. I've got a G/bubble on mine but if I shrink any more then a normal door would be better. Maybe a swap in a couple of years. Any body painting with Racing Green?
ps I got more of the take offs.
ps I got more of the take offs.
OK, I'm 196 cm (about 6ft 5in), which is a worry re 40's. Haven't got one yet, but here in Oz Peter can set up a DRB chassis with the seats extra low and the footwell moved forward to accommodate me. I don't intend to race, so don't need helmet room. The seat being so low is a bit of a worry, as the thought of losing your bum on a surprise speed bump in the road is scary.
Dalton
Dalton
David Morton
Lifetime Supporter
Dalton,
tallest so far - Chris and Paul are similar.
Do you guys need especially long beds as well as cars?
tallest so far - Chris and Paul are similar.
Do you guys need especially long beds as well as cars?
I'm 6'0" 175