WORD motor and drogue release assembly and
arm the 14,000-foot aneroid-actuated initiator.
Meanwhile, the 1.3-second delay initiator arms
the 7,000-foot aneroid-actuated initiator, which
acts as a backup. The seat and pilot, which are
stabilized by the drogue parachute, descend to
14,000 feet pressure altitude. At that point, the
14,000-foot aneroid-actuated initiator fires,
actuating the personnel parachute container
opener assembly. The personnel parachute
assembly is then deployed by the aerodynamic
forces acting on the drogue parachute assembly.
Should either the 3-second delay initiator or
the 14,000-foot aneroid-actuated initiator fail, the
sequence would proceed as described above,
except that free fall would continue to 7,000 feet
pressure altitude. There, the 7,000-foot aneroid-
actuated initiator would actuate the personnel
parachute container opener assembly. The
personnel parachute assembly would then be
deployed by the drogue parachute assembly.
Emergency Parachute Operation
and Seat Separation
If all automatic modes fail after the seat is
ejected, the emergency release handle may be
used for parachute deployment or seat and pilot
separation. Operation of the emergency release
handle overrides all automatic modes, but it
should not normally be used above 14,000 feet.
Upon actuation, mechanical linkage fires the
seat and man separation initiator directing ballistic
gas to the inertia reel strap guillotine. The
guillotine severs two straps and releases the pilot’s
upper torso restraint. Ballistic gas also actuates
both the WORD motor and drogue release
assembly and the parachute container opener
assembly. The personnel parachute assembly is
Figure 6-38.—Safe/arm control assembly and link.
6-54
