Bears were used in first supersonic jet bomber
When the U.S. Air Force was the first supersonic jet bomber designs in the 1950s, the bears were an important part of the process, making the new aircraft ejection seats during the Cold War to test, according i09.com.
The website has put together a summary of the role of bears in the test supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler. Apparently, because the Himalayas and American black bears are pretty close in size to the people, they were so acceptable substitutes, after a team of people killed in an early ejection test.
So while Chief Warrant Officer EJ Murray became the first man successfully from a B-58 to push nonsupersonic speeds of 28 February 1962, it was a 2-year-old female black bear that made it into the history books for the first successful supersonic ejection aircraft. It happened about a month later, on 21 March.
The bear was ejected from the plane at 35,000 feet above Edwards Air Force Base at a speed of Mach 1.3. It took almost eight minutes for the capsule with the bear to reach the ground safely.
Io9 describes exhaust: "In the new system, pulled a pre-ejection lever pilot legs in close and made a scalloped shell that surrounded him, while still allowing rudimentary control of the aircraft Actually ejection handle sent capsule. With a rocket burst, implement automatically a parachute. capsule is designed to float, and the contained food and supplies. "
Statistically, the bears actually fared better than their human counterparts: While a team of people killed in an early exhaust test of the B-58, no bears died during the subsequent test. But in an extremely disturbing twist, the bears killed so that their bodies could be examined after exhaust tests.
It seems unlikely that such measures will be used today. Bears and chimpanzees were undoubtedly exposed to a painful and scary process. Nevertheless, the report sheds light on a really unusual little aviation history and the role that animals have played in efforts to science and technology.
The website has put together a summary of the role of bears in the test supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler. Apparently, because the Himalayas and American black bears are pretty close in size to the people, they were so acceptable substitutes, after a team of people killed in an early ejection test.
So while Chief Warrant Officer EJ Murray became the first man successfully from a B-58 to push nonsupersonic speeds of 28 February 1962, it was a 2-year-old female black bear that made it into the history books for the first successful supersonic ejection aircraft. It happened about a month later, on 21 March.
The bear was ejected from the plane at 35,000 feet above Edwards Air Force Base at a speed of Mach 1.3. It took almost eight minutes for the capsule with the bear to reach the ground safely.
Io9 describes exhaust: "In the new system, pulled a pre-ejection lever pilot legs in close and made a scalloped shell that surrounded him, while still allowing rudimentary control of the aircraft Actually ejection handle sent capsule. With a rocket burst, implement automatically a parachute. capsule is designed to float, and the contained food and supplies. "
Statistically, the bears actually fared better than their human counterparts: While a team of people killed in an early exhaust test of the B-58, no bears died during the subsequent test. But in an extremely disturbing twist, the bears killed so that their bodies could be examined after exhaust tests.
It seems unlikely that such measures will be used today. Bears and chimpanzees were undoubtedly exposed to a painful and scary process. Nevertheless, the report sheds light on a really unusual little aviation history and the role that animals have played in efforts to science and technology.
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