25 Years of Improvement in Crashworthy Cockpit Seat Design - The Development and Qualification of the UH-60M Cockpit Seat

In 1978, Simula developed and qualified the first production crashworthy cockpit seat for the UH-60A. In 2003, Simula developed a new crashworthy cockpit seat for the UH-60M. This article describes the technology advancements employed for the UH-60M seat development, including the use of the following: revolutionary monolithic armor tile, computer-based tools such as FEM, CAD, and DFM/A, and Simula's 25 years of experience building crashworthy seats. The challenges of expanding the occupant range to accommodate 5th-percentile female through 95th-percentile male aviators and improving occupant comfort through inflatable thigh and lumbar supports and improved cushion contouring is described. The qualification of the UH-60M seat to Environmental, Static, and Dynamic requirements and a comparison to the UH-60A seat's performance in the same tests is discussed. A weight comparison of the two seats is provided. The UH-60M seat demonstrates that crashworthy seat technology continues to mature, resulting in lighter-weight, lower-cost seats that meet or exceed the demanding performance requirements of the first generation of seats.