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F14 Ejection Seat


MasonK
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These are being offered at a local shop I frequent in Horsham, PA. I'm not an aviation enthusiast, but thought I would put these out there in the event anyone was looking to add one to their collection. However, I think if I had the money and space, I would just have to pick one up! I wouldn't be surprised if this somehow came from the Willow Grove Air Base which is right around the corner.

 

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/clt/3205915271.html

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I might have come from the Mechanicsburg Navy Depot.

 

Where did they find it ??

 

Someone would have brought them into their shop (there are a few, with the photo I provided being the best out of the bunch). There is also the Navy Depot down in Philly (Lawncrest) so that's a possibilty.

 

The Willow Grove Airbase is a mile up the road from the shop and closed last year, sans the PANG, so I'm leaning more towards it coming from there.

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A 1983 date on it it looks like. Looks like a pretty high retail on it too, considering it is missing some bits, but a tougher seat to find in terms of aircraft seats.

 

MW

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A 1983 date on it it looks like. Looks like a pretty high retail on it too, considering it is missing some bits, but a tougher seat to find in terms of aircraft seats.

 

MW

 

Thanks for the info, MW! Out of curiosity, what would typical retail be in its current condition? I assume their price is negotiable.

 

They just listed another one, this time on EBay. It is from a different aircraft. Any idea which aircraft?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320965039972?ssPag...9#ht_559wt_1397

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Heh... if only I had the dough. I have a seat kit for a GRU-7, too.

 

That second one is a Northrop-designed seat, used in the T-38 and F-5. Not sure of the actual designation, though.

 

 

Fade to Black...

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Heh... if only I had the dough. I have a seat kit for a GRU-7, too.

 

That second one is a Northrop-designed seat, used in the T-38 and F-5. Not sure of the actual designation, though.

Fade to Black...

 

Thanks for the ID, Steve!

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northcoastaero

The Rigid Seat Survival Kit/Seat-Survival Kit Unit for the GRU-7A (F-14), GRU-7 (A-6, EA-6A), and GRUEA-7 (EA-6B) are the RSSK-7, SKU-2/A, and SKU-12/A.

The parachute assembly for these seats is the NES-14. The GRU-7A was used in the F-14A,B aircraft.

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Thanks for the info, MW! Out of curiosity, what would typical retail be in its current condition? I assume their price is negotiable.

 

I think it is probably a $1500 to $2000 seat "as is", I'd want to be at the $1500 or even $1000 price as is, but it all depends on who is looking and serious and how long they want to hold on to it unsold. You'd have to crate it across the country if you did not live local, that'd add up, or need a truck or trailer to get it hauled if you were able to pick it up. The RSSK seat kits do pop up from time to time on eBay, they are out there, but they seem to start at $125 plus shipping, more or less depending on the pad on top or not and condition, if you want to replace the contents of the seat kit that'll add up as well, at least a few hundred, then the parachute pack will probably be at least a couple hundred as well.

 

I guess the price depends ultimately on how bad one would want it, but to have "complete" it in a basic sense will I think cost at least $500, and that if you can get the parts cheap. They are out there, but all the on-line retailers seem to charge so much for the stuff, even basic small parts.

 

There is a certain "cool" factor to seats though, they are neat to own - definately they get people talking! A lot of people wpuld love to own such things, but that base cost alone turns a lot of folks off.

 

Oh, and if you want a stand or base for it, as opposed to that very low to the ground look they have as seen in the pics, that will cost you at least a couple hundred too, and that just for a basic shop type stand or cart, I don't know that you can even sit in those.

 

I am sure others can weigh in on price more effectively, but just wanted to throw my thoughts out there. I've been watching and looking for seat parts for the last year or so, and have searched a lot of sites, but know that others here on the Forum have way more real life experience with these things and in fact deal with them every day still.

 

MW

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Willow Grove closed? Or more correctly, converted to PA Air National Guard?

 

Wow!

 

They used to put on a really great airshow.

 

Another of the great things about Willow Grove were the historic aircraft displayed just inside the fence next to the highway.

Some remain there in a new museum, while others have been relocated.

 

http://wingsoffreedommuseum.org/index.php?...9&Itemid=27

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Sadly, the AB officially closed September 15th, 2011. PANG has a small presence there, however the majority of the land is being turned over to Horsham Township.

 

I remember the air show well and used to watch it from the rooftop of the building of the company I work for in Horsham (rooftop access - benefit of being in facilities management).

 

The Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum is great. I actually posted a thread on it in the Museums sub-forum. I believe you posted in that thread, Gil, but for others who may be interested:

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...=121581&hl=

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MW and Northcoastaero, thanks for the additional info! I'll pass it onto the shop.

 

Where is this shop located, and what else do they sell? I'm right up the road in Willow Grove.....

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  • 7 months later...
danmccarthy

These are being offered at a local shop I frequent in Horsham, PA. I'm not an aviation enthusiast, but thought I would put these out there in the event anyone was looking to add one to their collection. However, I think if I had the money and space, I would just have to pick one up! I wouldn't be surprised if this somehow came from the Willow Grove Air Base which is right around the corner.

 

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/clt/3205915271.html

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  • 1 year later...
HesTNTonPMS

As far as the Ejection seat from the F-14 Tomcat, I thought it was illegal to sell anything from that particular aircraft?

I have a Martin Baker MK H-7 ejection seat from a F-4 Phantom that was completely de-milled, stripped to bare metal then powder coated.

A new Red leather seat and backrest put onto it then set on a custom laser cut steel base and to keep it from tilting on the base a few stainless steel Motif's were created, Two Mr. Spook and one Phantom, on the head rest there is an embroidered image of the F-4 Phantom . . . it is wonderful piece of Military /aviation history and a work of art . . . .expensive is an understatement

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HesTNTonPMS

Ughhh trying to post image did not go well, I'll try this and see how it goes.

a little different here than some forums where I can just link to my photo bucket.

This is my ejection seat from the F-4 Phantom, post-152494-0-96442500-1398869658.jpgpost-152494-0-34521400-1398869677.jpgpost-152494-0-67475600-1398869687.jpg

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I'm surprised they have one out of a Tomcat. The government is paranoid about any F-14 parts getting out in the public where they may end up in Iran for repair of their F-14s. When they retired the Tomcat, and loaned some out to museums they stripped the seats and everything else in the cockpits that might be used for parts. Was that particular seat type used in any other aircraft?

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HesTNTonPMS

Tleo The tomcat seat as well as some A-6 intruder seats { Later model a-6's ) and even some Prowlers all had what are basically MK-7 ejection seats only with different modifications .

The MK GRU-7A seat is a later model MK-7 just like the one I have.

They are in the family of the GRU-5 seat used in the earlier A-6 intruders.

That seat became the GRU-7 when a heavy amount of modifications were made to it.

From that the GRUEA-7 was created for the EA-6 Prowler but the F-14 Tomcat required even more modifications so that seat became the GRU-7{A} They redesigned the head rest and the drogue chute container that sits at the top .

It has a survival container with an oxygen bottle inside and the seat bucket was made a little bit longer.

Modifications were also made to the rocket which was under the seat, timer release mods , drogue gun units mods and rocket initiator mods all had to be done to make it the GRU-7{A} so while it is basically similar , they are in no way the same seat.

 

It is my understanding the Tomcat is the only plane with that particular seat in it , with all of those mods.

I would love to have that seat and I have seen a few go up on EBAY only to be taken down within hours.

Even seen them go up on Forums and those were also taken down so I don't know how anyone is able to sell or purchase a real Tomcat seat.

 

All of the tooling to make parts for the Tomcat has been long destroyed as not to get into the hands of the Iranians, the only other country that ever had and is actually still flying this lovingly crafted killing machine and they actually are cannibalizing some of their Tomcats that are not as flight worthy to repair ones that still have a shot just to keep them in the air, to me that speaks volumes of this machine in it's self.

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I saw the topic and just had to check this out. I also was led to believe that it isn't legal to buy or sell anything Tomcat. On a certain giant internet auction site there is someone selling what they claim is a F-14 wingtip.

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  • 4 months later...

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