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A-7E Corsair ejection seat


hink441
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Yes these risers have 4 snaps each. My parachute container unfortunately did not have any corresponding snaps to attach to. At least I couldn’t find any snaps. 
 

Here is the sellers picture and this is what mine looks like. 
 


 

 

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1 hour ago, hink441 said:

Could be as you say. I really don’t know the reason the upper handle has two positions. I am learning as I go and it really has been fun.
 

Really need to find the NAVAIR publication in order to really know the purpose. 
 

How is your seat coming along? Would love to see more of your ejection seat. 
 

Chris

Well Chris, my seat project has definately changed a little...

Another seat crossed my path that was MUCH nicer than the first, and I just had to take it home.

This seat has decent paint, and all the decals look decent too.  This seat came with shoulder straps (though they have AF connectors) and they are connected to the inertial reel.  For some reason, the reel was installed upside down when I got it.  I flipped it over and connected it to the friction lever on the left thigh.  Everything works as it should!  The seat is marked A-7E, so it was not an AF model.  This seat had what I believe to be an older style survival kit, but I think I'm going to swap in the RSSK-8 that locks in as it should with the right thigh release handle.  The canopy breakers have the one-way ratchets removed, so I can reset them back to the ready position. There is an inert training "ear burner" rocket installed (not pictured), which is something I've never seen on a seat for sale.  I'd like to fabricate a main rocket, but details on those seem slim.  The main rocket's part number is 10407-3 I believe.

So, now I need to sell the original seat.  Maybe I'll see how the office chair modification goes with the first chair and mod this one too.  Might increase its attractivness.

 

I'll post more pictures as I get it cleaned up.

 

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Wow that is great!!  
 

I liked your first one and now you have a great second seat!  I really look forward to seeing where you go with this one. 
 

I think both of your seats look better than mine LOL.

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Can you post a close up picture of your inertial reel? I need to locate one. 
 

I would love to see the manufacturer tag on your newer seat.

 

Chris

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20 minutes ago, hink441 said:

Can you post a close up picture of your inertial reel? I need to locate one. 
 

I would love to see the manufacturer tag on your newer seat.

 

Chris

https://www.flighthelmet.com/product/EJSP-1522.html

 

I think that might be the same one, but I'll post a close-up of the one on my seat later for you.  The one pictured from the flighthelmet link is missing the latches on the end of the straps.

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That new seat of yours looks to have the USAF CNU survival kit.  Can see the Air-Lock quick release fittings for the survival kit rings on the USAF torso harnesses.

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10 hours ago, mohawkALSE said:

That new seat of yours looks to have the USAF CNU survival kit.  Can see the Air-Lock quick release fittings for the survival kit rings on the USAF torso harnesses.

mohawk, where in Ohio are you located?  I live on the West side of Cleveland.

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11 hours ago, Crow929 said:

mohawk, where in Ohio are you located?  I live on the West side of Cleveland.

Cbus area.  Are you finding these seats in state?   Not sure how those Escapac seats would be marked between services etc but that new seat you found with the AF related components could have been something from the OH ANG back in the A-7 days.  They had them all over, Toledo, Mansfield, Springfield and Columbus/Lockborne.  There is a Naval reserve unit at LCK that has a A-7 on display painted in Navy colors but its a fake, actually one of the old ANG ones that was based there at the Guard unit.

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Ill admit, the A-7 isnt my strong knowledge but I always thought the E was just basically a Navy version of the D with a few other Navy mods, so the seats might have been identical. 

 

Another thing with the state being loaded at one time with those ANG A-7s, the A&P school I went to had an TF-41 engine in our turbine shop that the ANG donated still on its transport cart from the A-7.  Had a Mx unit zap stuck on the cart from the unit it came from over at LCK.  We never got to play with it unfortunately, just sat in there un touched.

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The latest one was in Kentucky, but the parts are quite mis-matched so I can't say with any confidence it could have been an ANG seat.  The nameplate on the seat itself is marked A-7E, but like it was discussed I can't say if the D model planes used the exact same seat as the E.

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9 hours ago, Crow929 said:

The latest one was in Kentucky, but the parts are quite mis-matched so I can't say with any confidence it could have been an ANG seat.  The nameplate on the seat itself is marked A-7E, but like it was discussed I can't say if the D model planes used the exact same seat as the E.


Regardless it is still a great looking seat that has great potential!!

 

On your manufacturers tag, does it have a contract number, and are there any rework stickers on the seat?

 

Could you get a picture of the tag? I think that should show which service used your seat. 
 

If it is an USAF seat you could restore one to Navy use and the other to USAF use!!
 

Chris

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The non RSSK-8 seat doesn't have the rectangle tabs in the back (highlighted in yellow).  Any idea how the container would connect to the seat frame?  My seat has a set of pins that hold the tabs of the container in place, pulling on the escape lever releases these pins as well as the pin holding the shoulder straps to the inertia reel.  

It looks like the intention is for the RSSK-8 lid to remain on your butt while the rest hangs off, which makes sense as the oxygen is in the lid.  The lap belts on the other container release from the container, so the lid would no longer stay on your butt.

 

I never realized making an office chair ejection seat would make me so educated on how these seats work.  This is fun!

Yello Tabs.jpg

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I am unable to offer any ideas about the non RSSK-8 seat kit. I have no idea how it would be secured to the seat.
 

Seems to me it might possibly have been put together by a collector at a later point in time. 
 

I have a thought about your two seats.  I know these are your seats and you can do what you like with them, but I would take the NES-12 and the RSSK-8 and put them in the seat that is marked for the A-7E. The other unmarked seat would get the USAF seat kit and other gear. You would have two great looking seats one representing both the USAF and the USN.  
 

Chris

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I've since learned that the USAF style seat has straps that attach to the same point the Navy style seat does.  My USAF survival kit's straps have obvious cuts on them, I'm assuming that's where is used to attach to the seat. I'm still not sure about the plans, but I still only intend to keep one of them.  Since the seat is marked for a Navy jet, i'd like to make it as it should be, but the only pair of shoulder straps I have are AF.  Oh well, I'll keep looking for appropriate patrs and someday have a near complete seat.

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You already have the straps/risers so all you need to do is remove the male Koch fittings and locate some female Koch fittings and you would be good to go.
 

I still wonder why your RSSK has cut attachment points?  I still think some previous collector might have made the changes for some unknown reasons.  

 

I think you are in a great position with whatever  direction you decide to go with. I really like that 2nd seat you got !!

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Just got a beacon for the seat. Pretty cheap on eBay.  This one is a URT-33C but it will work well for display purposes. 
 

Still need to find the pull lanyard. 
 


 

 

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I now have the beacon partially installed. I still need to get the lanyard assy. 
 

I also have the equipment bag and the life raft cover installed. It is a tight fit. The equipment bag and the raft cover are filled with foam. 

 

The first picture shows the equipment bag in the bottom of the seat kit. The second picture shows the life raft on top of the equipment bag. The last picture shows the beacon. 
 

I am kind of guessing how the bag and cover are situated in the seat kit but it seems to fit. 

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Wow, that looks great!

Is your O2 bottle connected to the lines that run to the back of the seat?

Any way of knowing if the beacon still works?  (and is it legal to activate?)

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Thanks, the O2 bottle is hooked up and it runs to the rear of the seat. 
 

The beacon (URT-33/C) has an outdated battery, so I don’t know if this one still works. I have a PRC-90 radio that has a good battery and it still works.

 

As far as legal to operate the beacon, I live nearby to NAS Oceana and they monitor the “Guard” frequency so I wouldn’t try it. I have turned on the PRC-90 for a momentary operational check but I don’t leave it on for long. The frequency is 243Mhz. 

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