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The Zvezda K-36 is a series of ejection seats made by NPP Zvezda. Variants of this ejection seat have been used on a variety of aircraft, including the Su-25, Su-27, MiG-29, and the Sukhoi T-50.
Contents
Design
The K-36 Ejection seat provides emergency escape for a crew member in a wide range of speeds and altitudes of aircraft flight, from zero altitude, zero speed (zero-zero) upwards, and can be used in conjunction with protective equipment, such as pressure suits and anti-g garments. The seat consists of the ejection rocket firing mechanism, gear box, headrest rescue system with a dome stowed in the headrest, and other operating systems all of which are aimed at providing a safe bail-out. The ejection seat ensures safe emergency escape of a pilot within the range of velocities (Ve) from 0 to 1,300 km/h (700 kn; 810 mph) to 1,400 km/h (760 kn; 870 mph) (depending on the type of protective equipment), altitudes from 0 to 20,000 m (66,000 ft) and Mach numbers up to 2.5.
The ejection seat is used in combination KKO-15 protective and oxygen equipment and the installation weight of the seat is less than 103 kg (227 lb) (including the parachute system, survival kit, emergency oxygen system and pyrotechnic charges).
Operational ejections
Notable ejections using the K-36 occurred at the 1989 Paris Air Show when Anatoly Kvochur successfully completed a low-altitude ejection from a MiG-29 just prior to ground impact. Two pilots also survived when a pair of MiG-29s collided over Fairford, England, in 1993 at the Royal International Air Tattoo.