Ejection Seat
for Rafale
4 lives saved using a F16F ejection seat
Over 200 F16F ejection seats in service
Ejection Seat
for Rafale
4 lives saved using a F16F ejection seat
Over 200 F16F ejection seats in service
F16F Ejection Seat for Rafale
New generation lightweight fighter aircraft, such as the Dassault Rafale, demand significant weight reduction for all their subsystems in order to achieve a lower aircraft total mass. The Mk16 ejection seat achieves its remarkably light weight by combining the twin catapult outer cylinder tubes as both propulsion system and as the seat’s primary structure. The Mk16 ejection seat design optimises pilot field of view and improves comfort and pilot efficiency.
Reliability and maintainability have been key elements in the design, resulting in an escape system that has full component accessibility in the cockpit. Modular construction enables the seat to be safely removed or installed in minutes without removing the aircraft cockpit canopy. These and other design features will ensure that the Mk16 generation of ejection seat succeeds the Martin-Baker Mk10 as the world’s most popular escape system.
New Seat Installations & Retrofits
Looking to install a new seat into your aircraft? Let us help you find your perfect solution – check out our New Seat Installations & Retrofits page for more information.
F16F Ejection Seat for Rafale
- Operating Ceiling: 65,000ft (19,812m)
- Minimum height/Speed: Zero/zero in near level attitude
- Crew boarding mass range: 63.5 to 106.0 kg
- Crew size range: French Air Force specific crew size range, 3 – 98 percentile of estimated French pilot range in year 2015
- Maximum Speed for ejection: 625 KEAS
- Parachute type: GQ Type 5000
- Parachute deployment: Cartridge initiated
- Drogue parachute: Yes
- Drogue deployment: Cartridge initiated
- Aerosurface deployment system: Yes, gas operated
- Harness type: Combined
- Ejection seat operation type: Ejection guns and underseat rocket motor, Lateral thrust rocket motor (twin seat only)
- Ejection gun: Twin
- Ejection initiation: Handle on seat bucket initiates gas operated seat firing system
- Automatic back-up unit: No, manual override available
- Manual sequencer: Mechanical mode selector, used in combination with barostatic time-release unit
- Barostatic time-release unit: Yes + g-restrictor, cartridge initiated
- Timers: Drogue deployment unit timer
- Seat adjustment: Up/down actuator operated 28 Vdc
- Arm restraints: Yes
- Leg restraints: Passive leg restraint system
- Oxygen supply: Connection to On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS), Emergency oxygen cylinder
- NBC equipment: Nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) ventilator
- Personal survival pack (PSP): Yes + automatic deployment and liferaft inflation
- Aircrew services Aircrew services package, interface for:
– Breathing gas
– NBC ventilation supply
– Mic/tel
– Helmet-mounted display system interface - Command ejection: Yes
- Canopy jettison: No
- Canopy fracturing system: Yes, Canopy pyrotechnic cutting system
- Interseat Sequencing System (ISS): Ye
F16F Ejection Seat for Rafale
Featured in:
- Rafale
F16F Ejection Seat for Rafale
- Seat firing handle pulled, centrale initiates Rigid Hermetic
- Transmission Chain (RHTC)
- Command firing initiated
- Harness power retraction unit retracts shoulder straps
- Canopy fractured by canopy pyrotechnic cutting system
- Primary cartridge fires, bottom latches engage, top latches disengage seat rises up rails
- Aircraft services disconnected
- Emergency oxygen supplied to aircrew
- Legs and arms restrained
- IFF tripped
- Secondary cartridges fire as seat rises
- Multi-purpose initiators fire
- Mechanical Mode Selector (MMS), Barostatic Time-Release Unit (BTRU) and Drogue Deployment Unit Timer (DDUT) sears tripped
- Underseat and lateral rocket motors fire
- Leg restraint lines become taut and rivets shear, freeing lines from floor brackets
- Aerodynamic surfaces deploy
- Drogue deployment unit fires after delay
- Time delays initiated for MMS and BTRU
- Manual Override (MOR) lock disengaged
Low speed, low altitude mode
- MMS senses mode, fires primary circuit
- Drogue canister deployed, pulls bridle clear
- Upper and lower bridle locks released
Intermediate mode
- MMS inhibited above 7500ft (2286m)
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
High speed, low altitude mode
- MMS inhibited above 260 KEAS or 4 G
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
- BTRU runs out firing primary circuit
High altitude mode
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
- Emergency oxygen supply continued
- Drogue releases at barostate altitude of 16400ft (5000m)
- Headbox deployment initiated
- Upper harness locks release
- Man portion PEC release
- Arm and leg restraint lines cut
- Lower harness locks release after delay
- Parachute inflates
- Auxiliary drogue pulls headbox clear
- Personal locator beacon activated
- Personal Survival Pack (PSP) retained
- Aircrew descends on parachute
- PSP automatically lowered after delay
- Liferaft automatically inflates
F16F Ejection Seat for Rafale
New generation lightweight fighter aircraft, such as the Dassault Rafale, demand significant weight reduction for all their subsystems in order to achieve a lower aircraft total mass. The Mk16 ejection seat achieves its remarkably light weight by combining the twin catapult outer cylinder tubes as both propulsion system and as the seat’s primary structure. The Mk16 ejection seat design optimises pilot field of view and improves comfort and pilot efficiency.
Reliability and maintainability have been key elements in the design, resulting in an escape system that has full component accessibility in the cockpit. Modular construction enables the seat to be safely removed or installed in minutes without removing the aircraft cockpit canopy. These and other design features will ensure that the Mk16 generation of ejection seat succeeds the Martin-Baker Mk10 as the world’s most popular escape system.
New Seat Installations & Retrofits
Looking to install a new seat into your aircraft? Let us help you find your perfect solution – check out our New Seat Installations & Retrofits page for more information.
F16F Ejection Seat for Rafale
- Operating Ceiling: 65,000ft (19,812m)
- Minimum height/Speed: Zero/zero in near level attitude
- Crew boarding mass range: 63.5 to 106.0 kg
- Crew size range: French Air Force specific crew size range, 3 – 98 percentile of estimated French pilot range in year 2015
- Maximum Speed for ejection: 625 KEAS
- Parachute type: GQ Type 5000
- Parachute deployment: Cartridge initiated
- Drogue parachute: Yes
- Drogue deployment: Cartridge initiated
- Aerosurface deployment system: Yes, gas operated
- Harness type: Combined
- Ejection seat operation type: Ejection guns and underseat rocket motor, Lateral thrust rocket motor (twin seat only)
- Ejection gun: Twin
- Ejection initiation: Handle on seat bucket initiates gas operated seat firing system
- Automatic back-up unit: No, manual override available
- Manual sequencer: Mechanical mode selector, used in combination with barostatic time-release unit
- Barostatic time-release unit: Yes + g-restrictor, cartridge initiated
- Timers: Drogue deployment unit timer
- Seat adjustment: Up/down actuator operated 28 Vdc
- Arm restraints: Yes
- Leg restraints: Passive leg restraint system
- Oxygen supply: Connection to On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS), Emergency oxygen cylinder
- NBC equipment: Nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) ventilator
- Personal survival pack (PSP): Yes + automatic deployment and liferaft inflation
- Aircrew services Aircrew services package, interface for:
– Breathing gas
– NBC ventilation supply
– Mic/tel
– Helmet-mounted display system interface - Command ejection: Yes
- Canopy jettison: No
- Canopy fracturing system: Yes, Canopy pyrotechnic cutting system
- Interseat Sequencing System (ISS): Ye
F16F Ejection Seat for Rafale
Featured in:
- Rafale
F16F Ejection Seat for Rafale
- Seat firing handle pulled, centrale initiates Rigid Hermetic
- Transmission Chain (RHTC)
- Command firing initiated
- Harness power retraction unit retracts shoulder straps
- Canopy fractured by canopy pyrotechnic cutting system
- Primary cartridge fires, bottom latches engage, top latches disengage seat rises up rails
- Aircraft services disconnected
- Emergency oxygen supplied to aircrew
- Legs and arms restrained
- IFF tripped
- Secondary cartridges fire as seat rises
- Multi-purpose initiators fire
- Mechanical Mode Selector (MMS), Barostatic Time-Release Unit (BTRU) and Drogue Deployment Unit Timer (DDUT) sears tripped
- Underseat and lateral rocket motors fire
- Leg restraint lines become taut and rivets shear, freeing lines from floor brackets
- Aerodynamic surfaces deploy
- Drogue deployment unit fires after delay
- Time delays initiated for MMS and BTRU
- Manual Override (MOR) lock disengaged
Low speed, low altitude mode
- MMS senses mode, fires primary circuit
- Drogue canister deployed, pulls bridle clear
- Upper and lower bridle locks released
Intermediate mode
- MMS inhibited above 7500ft (2286m)
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
High speed, low altitude mode
- MMS inhibited above 260 KEAS or 4 G
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
- BTRU runs out firing primary circuit
High altitude mode
- Drogue stabilises and decelerates seat
- Emergency oxygen supply continued
- Drogue releases at barostate altitude of 16400ft (5000m)
- Headbox deployment initiated
- Upper harness locks release
- Man portion PEC release
- Arm and leg restraint lines cut
- Lower harness locks release after delay
- Parachute inflates
- Auxiliary drogue pulls headbox clear
- Personal locator beacon activated
- Personal Survival Pack (PSP) retained
- Aircrew descends on parachute
- PSP automatically lowered after delay
- Liferaft automatically inflates