The American military has a funny way of thinking about size. Some ground vehicles are sized not necessarily for battlefield functionality, but rather to fit inside the cargo airplanes that will take them to said battlefield. And pilot size and weight restrictions aren’t written to limit who can stuff themselves inside a tight cockpit, but who can be blasted out of one. In fact, ejection seat capabilities have been limiting pilot selection for decades, to the disappointment of countless would-be aviators and the frustration of military commanders desperate to fill increasingly empty cockpits. The situation improved a few years ago with the Martin-Baker MK 16 seat, which allows pilots weighing as little as 103 pounds and as much as 245 pounds to eject from the F-35 fighter jet at 65,000 feet. The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role stealth bomber capable of penetrating sophisticated enemy defenses to strike targets with both conventional and nuclear payloads. Now, another new ejection system meets even stricter safety standards, works with today’s gear-laden helmets, and further expands the pool of eligible pilots climbing into the B-2 stealth bomber and future airplanes that will also use the system. Download Image of Close up of the exterior cockpit area of a B-2 Spirit, stealth bomber, from the 509th Bomb Wing. For the first time in the 30-year history of the Air Force’s B-2 stealth bomber program, video footage recently filmed in a B-2A Spirit stealth bomber cockpit while in flight is available. North Koreas Kim Gets a Close Look at Russian Fighter Jets. “In the past, simply surviving an ejection was considered a good enough standard. Categories Military Aircraft Air Force Aircraft Bombers Air Force Equipment. Now the Air Force expects its pilots to be able to walk away from an ejection, start training again, and be back in action right away,” says John Hampton.
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