Martin Baker Ejection Seat Numbering

3K Vulcan B.Mk.1 only. 3KS B.1A, B.2, K.2. Mk.4 (4th Version). 3L Victor 1. 3LS B.2, SR.2, K2.

John

I can see why I was having problems with ID ing types now, my seats only have the patent stamps remaining (seat pan and headbox) plus the pilots seat has this only ID tag on the lower front of headbox, stating that it’s an MBEU16068 and made on the 3/6/61.

Notice that Martin Baker themselves call it an ‘ejection’ seat this time!:confused:

I think the term ‘ejector’ is correct. In semi-automatic firearms terminology, the bit that ‘pings’ the spent case out of the EJECTION port, is called the EJECTOR.

EJECTOR – A device that causes something to be removed or to drop out
EJECTION – The action of forcing or throwing something out
[INDENT]or[/INDENT]
EJECTION – The action of forcing someone to leave a place or position (my italics!)

so I suppose EJECTOR seat is technically correct, but I agree, most people seem to prefer the term EJECTION seat, as do the military who use the term on the DANGER decals IIRC.

The data plate on the side of my Hunter 2H seat. Not the easiest to photograph when it’s in the ‘pit 🙁 – but the Mk no. can be clearly seen…

That’s interesting – I’ve heard people tut-tutting at the phrase ‘Ejector Seat’.

They say it is properly an ‘Ejection Seat’ – as pagen01 used in starting this thread.

But clearly Martin Baker don’t think so……… 😎

Ken

The data plate on the side of my Hunter 2H seat. Not the easiest to photograph when it’s in the ‘pit 🙁 – but the Mk no. can be clearly seen…

XF940’s Type 3KS1 Mk 4, would often be referred to as a Mk 3KS just to confuse things!

and of course there are foreign aircraft types (this from an ex-Swiss Venom Mk4):

Thanks Mark, that has clarified things – alot!:)
Just need to work out how MBEU numbers work and cross reference now, but I guess that relies on the APs mentioned above.

BTW please feel free to post anything on Martin Baker seats here, it’s all interesting stuff.

Hi Mark, so normally the MB Mk and sub type number should appear on the seat somewhere, ie ‘Mk4 Type DSA2’?
Mine have unit inventry stamps, MBEU IDs, & patent no plates etc but nowhere can I tell what Mk of seats I have by just looking at them. :confused:

James,

yes, they ‘should’ as far as I know, and on all the seats I’ve owned in the past unless the plate has been removed 😉

See the plate from my 3KS1 Mk4 below….. you can see the serial, type, mk and all the mod levels etc…. you can also see where the unit armoury has painted on the local numbers, which are also on the other removeable/servicable parts too.

Thanks for that Fouga, excellent info!:)

You would know better than I, but I thought that the Fouga (Magister?) didn’t have bang seats?

It Doesn’t. It was found they took up too much space in the cockpit. BUT, there was a proposal. Martin Baker developed a special seat for the Magister and real-life ejection trials were made using a German Fouga. This was the MB GZ-4 seat. There are pictures floating around the net. I even found all the paperwork to install them into the aircraft. Seems the Belgian AF seriously considered installing them.

Edit: http://www.seatejectcolor.com/seat/sedili/ditte/martin%20baker/mk4/images/gz.htm

Hi Mark, so normally the MB Mk and sub type number should appear on the seat somewhere, ie ‘Mk4 Type DSA2’?
Mine have unit inventry stamps, MBEU IDs, & patent no plates etc but nowhere can I tell what Mk of seats I have by just looking at them. :confused:

It seems a complex subject and must have been a bit of a headache for stores and and armourers …. So I assume that the seats were known by MBEU or other numbers in service?

My Vulcan seats have hand-painted ID’s on them, and actually on some of the usual servicable parts, such as Drogue Gun, Guillotine, BRTU etc. I have both SCAxx and WADxx ID’s and also the seat tends to be annotated as 1st Pilot, 2nd Pilot etc. Have seen Hunter T-bird and JP seats with Left and Right or Port/Stbd painted on …. I know it was common also to paint the aircraft serial onto seats too …. obviously done to make life easier for the armourers and to help identify seats when in bay service.

AFAIK, if all the ID plates are on the seat, the seat Type and Mk should be stamped on adjacent to the serial number, but the plates are in different places. My 2H seats have them on the head box, whereas the Vulcan seats they are on a plate just below the bracket for the Horseshoe pack and where the harness yoke attaches to the lean-forward reel.

You would know better than I, but I thought that the Fouga (Magister?) didn’t have bang seats?

Fouga is GZ-4

The 10B is fitted to the Hawk T1 and the 16A to the Typhoon

Thanks for the info everyone.
It seems a complex subject and must have been a bit of a headache for stores and and armourers, for example the Vixen has two different seats fitted for pilot and nav, three different types were used overall (DSA 2-4) on the FAW.2 alone, yet the seat type dosen’t appear on the seats at all – you wouldn’t want to get them mixed up!
So I assume that the seats were known by MBEU or other numbers in service?

9A and sub types are first generation RAF Harrier

.

Here’s my list:

1 Meteor
1CA Canberra
1E Meteor
1F Venom
2A Attacker
2B Wyvern
2CA Canberra
2CB Canberra B(l)8
2D Sea Hawk
2E Meteor
2F Venom
2H Hunter
2HAN Hunter
3A Valiant
3B Vampire T11
3CA Canberra
3CS Canberra PR9 Pilot
3CT1 & 2 Canberra T4
3CT3 Canberra T4
3H
3J Javelin
3K Vulcan
3L Victor
4A Sea Venom
4BSB & 4BSC Lightning
4DSA Sea Vixen
4HA Hunter T7
4MSA Buccaneer S2
4P Jet Provost
4QS Canberra PR9 Nav
5A Phantom
6MSA Buccaneer S2
6MSB Buccaneer S2
7A Phantom
9 &9A
9B Jaguar
9D Harner7a
10A Tornado
10H Sea Harrier
11
12 Harrier GR7

Not guaranteed though. Anybody care to add to it?

It’s not the physical appearance but the mechanics which denotes the Type (correct title) or Mk as is commonly used. Martin Baker list them as Seat Type ie 1 with following letters to denote the type. For instance Type 1C Canberra B.2, B.6 and B.I.8 (pilot only). Type 2CA, Canberra various. 2E Meteor single seaters. 2D, Seahawk. 2G Swift. 2F Venom. 2H Hunter etc. Then it gets more complicated
3B Vampire T.11. 3CT Canberra T.4 (pilot ,inst) et al. Type 4’s 4BSA, B, C, Lightnings F.
When we get to export Type 4’s we change to, M4, Etendard. M4A Super Etendard. AM4 Mirage III.also RM4. FIRM4 Mirage F.1 YAM4 Mystere IVA. Complicated…. The CF100 seat is a 2CFE.

I have a book approx 1 inch thick with all the seats listed and illustrated up till about 1990.

John

AP.129 Vol.1 also has a list.