Ejection seats in Saab jet fighters

The small scale double delta Saab 210, used for trials for the Draken planform, also had a Saab Mk I seat.

At first harness release was by static line, later on automatic. It was also modified later to delay parachute opening until 3000 m.

This seat was licence manufactured by Folland Aircraft for their Gnat fighter and trainer.

From aircraft number 66, the face blind initition was replaced by a fixed head rest. The initition handles at the lower outer sides of the seat were fitted with Molly guards and a new powder cartridge was introduced.

Later on, they were modified in two steps with first a new head rest, more powerful cartridge, better straps and pads to help fix the legs; Then, they got an energy absorging head rest of Klegacell, handles on both outer side to command back up seat separation and a gunpowder powered strap between the ends of the seat to separate it from the pilot.

For the J 35D, a seat with the parachute pack integrated was developed. The parachute was of the same type as made by G.Q. Parachute Co. for Folland Gnat. However, the first batch of J 35Ds had the same seat as used in J 35A and J 35B, first the early, then upgraded to the later version.

The parachute was integrated into the seat back, the seat bottom contained the emergency pack, including dinghy and so on.

The third J 35D batch got a seat that was further modified. It had a still more powerful cartridge, another mechanism for seat - pilot separation which also had a delay built in at speeds over 515 km/h to make high speed ejections safer, better leg fixing and initiation handles which were better placed and separated from the seat upon ejection.

In order to increase survivabilty at low altitude ejections, down to 0 altitude, the ejection seats in J 35Ds were modified to incorporate a rocket motor. This was the Saab RS-35 generation 1 seat. It was retrofitted to all remaining J 35A, J 35B, Sk 35C and S 35E Drakens.

The RS-35 genaration 2 was fitted to the J 35F Drakens. It had a still more powerful cartridge, more powerful rocket engine, stabilisers, longer seat guides, better leg fixing and side guards for the feet and faster acting opening parachute.

All remaining Drakens were retrofitted with these seats.

Safe ejection speed is 100 - 1150 km/h and altitude 0 - 16000 m.

• Up to speeds of 1150 km/h or Mach 1.8
• Up to an altitude of 16 km
• At zero altitude and zero speed
• Down to an altitude of 100 m during inverted flight
• Down to an altitude of 700 m during a vertical dive
• During G loads between +6G and -3G

Another Ejection Seat Page.