Since the invention of the ejection seat in the 1940s, tens of thousands of lives have been saved - including John Nichol's. Now, Nichol tells the incredible story of the ejection seat in war and in peace - and of the men and women who were given a second chance at life after facing disaster.
Escaping is just the first step to making it home alive, so we hear of thrilling rescues from enemy territory, of capture in North Vietnam, of surviving high-speed mid-air collisions, how ejection can lead to extraordinary tales of discovery and redemption.
Packed with gripping action and cutting-edge science, Eject! Eject! is fuelled by dramatic, deeply moving and previously unheard first-hand accounts.
Because pulling the yellow-and-black ejection handle is just the start of the story.
Review: This is a book about aeroplane ejector seats. As aeroplane development during the 1930s and 1940s meant that they flew faster, particularly with the introduction of the jet engine, it became increasingly difficult for aircrew to bail out in an emergency. Hence the development of the ejector seat. One of the pioneers in this field in the United Kingdom was the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company. Its chief engineer James Martin was inspired following the death of his business partner Valentine Baker in an aeroplane accident. Based on interviews, official accident reports and his own personal experience, the author John Nichol presents a history of the development of ejector systems together with numerous accounts of their use. He is well qualified for this subject, having used a Martin-Baker ejector seat in 1991 when his aircraft was shot down during the First Gulf War.
The book follows the ejector seat’s development and testing, followed by the first ejection from a stricken aircraft in 1949, through peacetime incidents and various conflicts up to the time of publication in 2023. Although it tends to concentrate on British developments, there is coverage of other ejection systems, such as the American Stanley and ACES ejector seats, and also incidents involving other countries’ air forces. The fate of aircrew following their ejection over enemy territory during conflicts is also covered. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs. Although most ejections are straightforward, problems can arise and I should add a warning that some of the descriptions of injuries suffered when being thrust out of an aircraft flying at high speed are quite graphic. As an interesting and informative account of a little-known aspect of flying fast jets by someone with first hand experience, I would recommend this book.
To order your copy now, just click here!
No comments:
Post a Comment