Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle in Pakistan Service and Ejection History

[mike bennett]

Dear Forum Members,
I am beginning a new section on my web site on ejection history concerning the actual ejection seats used in aircraft.

I would like to begin with the aircraft used, past and present, by the Pakistan Air Force.

I want to take this slowly and ensure that the details are correct.

I'd like to begin with the Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle light bomber.

Did any Forum members fly or maintain such an aircraft - be great to hear your memories and experiences with the aircraft.

The aircraft was fitted with two upward firing ejection seats for the pilot and navigator operating by first jettisoning the canopy above the pilot and the hatch above the navigator.

A ventral escape hatch by which the gunner bailed out using a conventional parachute.

I understand that it had two versions of the seats fitted.
An early type and the later type with leg restraints, face protection visor and a seat belt tightening mechanism.

I have no actual photos or details of any of the seat types in the Il-28 so would appreciate if anyone has details, maybe an old manual, or photos from when seats were maintained.

Which type of seats were fitted into the Pakistan ones - early or late type. Who manufactured them?

I believe that these aircraft were Soviet built and not Chinese versions.
Can anyone provide serials for the PAF Il-28s?

I know I have asked for a lot of information but hope that Forum visitors will respond. I will make available all the information I receive via my web site so as not to clog up the forum.

Well its a beginning - and yes - I will work through the other PAF aircraft one by one. Be interesting to try to get information on the Chinese Seats.

Thanks for reading this request


Best regards
Mike Bennett
Project Get Out and Walk
www.ejection-history.org.uk
mbenshar@aol.com

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

PAF had operated a number of H-5s designated B-56.... These aircraft served alongside American-built Martin B-57s. The H-5s were not popular with Pakistani pilots bcoz they lacked some sort of aiming device....And at night, they only had electro/ optical manual bomb sights! the B-57's were far more sophisticated with their RB-1A'sand they were eventually traded back to China in exchange for more Shenyang F-6s..

 

[fatman17]

the fact of the matter is that the IL-28 never entered front-line service with the PAF due to its many limitations and most of all its obsolete systems. i remember seeing one flying over pindi in the mid 60's.

 

[mike bennett]

Thanks for the photos of the PAF Il-28s and that they never entered front line service.
Did they arrive with Maintenance Manuals and if so what happend to them?
By now they must surely be un-classified and if so does anyone have access to a copy (ditto this all MiG fighters and trainers) where a scan or digital copy of the ejection seat parts can be made?
Regards
Mike

 

[Chogy]

Mike, good luck with a cool project. I'm afraid resources are going to be pretty limited. Your very best bet would be to find an english-speaking Russian military forum... I'll bet there'd be guys who could help with some of the basics, at least.

Ejection seats for these older jets are all pretty basic. Most of them used a modified artillery shell to literally bang you out, and worse, there was no automatic man-seat separator. So the ejection sequence was probably...

1) MANUALLY jettison canopy. There may have been an automatic canopy jettison, but more likely, the pilot would pull an emergency canopy release, and the slipstream would remove the canopy.

2) Pull the ejection handle. The seat is ejected.

3) Pilot must unstrap from the seat (probably a single-point emergency release) and get away from the seat.

4) pull D-ring

All this is speculation based upon typical vintage ejection technology. The T-37 still uses an artillery shell, very hard on the spine vs. rockets, but it does have automated man-seat separator.

 

[Jango]

Mike, good luck with a cool project. I'm afraid resources are going to be pretty limited. Your very best bet would be to find an english-speaking Russian military forum... I'll bet there'd be guys who could help with some of the basics, at least.

Ejection seats for these older jets are all pretty basic. Most of them used a modified artillery shell to literally bang you out, and worse, there was no automatic man-seat separator. So the ejection sequence was probably...

1) MANUALLY jettison canopy. There may have been an automatic canopy jettison, but more likely, the pilot would pull an emergency canopy release, and the slipstream would remove the canopy.

2) Pull the ejection handle. The seat is ejected.

3) Pilot must unstrap from the seat (probably a single-point emergency release) and get away from the seat.

4) pull D-ring

All this is speculation based upon typical vintage ejection technology. The T-37 still uses an artillery shell, very hard on the spine vs. rockets, but it does have automated man-seat separator.

That would have been a really horrid experience. Have you ever had the opportunity to try one artillery shell?

 

[Chogy]

I've never ejected. Those that have always say something like "Oh good Lord I hope I never have to do that again!" There are almost always injuries sustained.

 

[Jango]

I've never ejected. Those that have always say something like "Oh good Lord I hope I never have to do that again!" There are almost always injuries sustained.

but you do get ejected from a rail type platform in training?

 

[Desert Fox]

Here is a really rare video of the aircraft:

 

[VCheng]

I've never ejected. Those that have always say something like "Oh good Lord I hope I never have to do that again!" There are almost always injuries sustained.

The older ejection seats were notorious for causing vertebral collapse, usually at multiple levels, due to the shock of the ejection. Quite often it meant the pilot had to give up on flying afterwards.

 

[Safriz]

^^^yes heard that from old timers....there was some hydraulic ram involved in ejection seats? in old planes?

 

[VCheng]

^^^yes heard that from old timers....there was some hydraulic ram involved in ejection seats? in old planes?

Like Chogy said above, the older designs used an explosive charge to eject the seat, which was very harsh on the spine.

 

[Chogy]

The training device everyone goes through does not have the force that a real set does. IIRC it was something like 33% of the power; otherwise, half the students would end up injured to some degree.

It's not just the seat that can hurt you. Any velocity much above 300 knots can produce flail injuries, dislocations, etc. Above 600 knots, it's usually fatal, which is why some aircraft like the F-111 used an "escape capsule". For the F-111, 600 knots indicated was loafing along.

F-111 capsule:

 

[Jango]

But does the 33% power give accurate results, or is it just to familiarize oneself to the extremes.?

And what effect does the wind have on somebody, the volumes of air pounding against you, and is there a risk of simply ramming against the canopy? Or into some other objects?

 

[razgriz19]

i remember watching a small documentary in which a F-15 pilot had to eject at super sonic speed i think
there are two 1-inch thick metal plates on the sides of the seat, which suppose to keep your legs inside so that they wouldnt snap!
anywayy when the pilot ejected, the speed was so much that he felt like he had fallen from a building!
and those metal plates were bent, and couldnt keep his legs inside. his legs were snapped, in other words he had two knees!!
doctors told him that he wouldnt be able walk, but six months later he was back where he belonged!
IN THE COCKPIT OF HIS F-15!

anyway the point is even hose modern ejection seats can cause some serious injuries..