what happens with P51D canopy as pilot bails out?

[Flyingkag]

Hi all,

thanks for your kind and interesting answers; the explenations in the pilots manual concerning the bail-out proceeding are very usefull for me!

thanks!

Mathias

[Flyingkag]

Hi,

according with the bailout procedure described in the pilots manual above in same thread (link), could it be possible to give an estimation of the delay between the decision of bailout and the jump out of the plane?
Pilot had to:

- lower seat and head and then
- eject canopy
- disconect headset and oxygene
- open seat security belt and shoulders harness, throught it away on the sides
- get with feets on the seat and then
- jump...

can that all take about 5 seconds? or 10 ? 15?

No idea at all...
Thanks for any possible idea...

Mathias

[Andy Saunders]

You may find the answer on any film of the P-51 bale out at Duxford yesterday, 10 July 2011.

[Faenor]

Originally Posted by Andy Saunders

You may find the answer on any film of the P-51 bale out at Duxford yesterday, 10 July 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_A4x...layer_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmsJW0-6JB0

Faenor

[Flyingkag]

incredible true experience yesterday!

thanks for the information and links;

at the exact moment the pilot was bailing out at Duxford I was trying to find some plexiglas little parts of a P51D canopy in the forest some hundred meters before the Mustang crash site I'm working about;

Do you believe the canopy plexiglas would "explode" in hundreds of little parts as hitting big trees and the ground, or does it "normaly" stay in one or some big fragments - some of them still attached on the metal frame?

No idea at all about the resistance of such a plexiglas part as falling from about 50 or 20 meters high at about 150 mph!

Second hypothese would let few chances of finding something today, first one would be hopefull for a more successfull "fragments hunt"!

thanks for your kind help!

[SMF144]

Here's a better view of what happens to a P-51 coup-top.

http://www.flyingfilm.co.uk/archives/58