The Design and Development of New Crashworthy Seats for Navy Helicopters

U.S. Navy funded programs to design and develop new crashworthy crew seats for the SH-3D, G, and H anti-submarine and the CH-53A/D troop/cargo helicopters are described. The specifications for the seats include the peculiar requirements of installing stroking, load-attenuating seats in the confines of the cockpit and the need to match the loads on the seat support structures to the strengths of those structures. The seats, designed by Simula, Inc., Tempe, Arizona, use variable load energy attenuators to accommodate a wide range of occupant weights. The seats for the CH-53A/D helicopters also provide armor protection for the crewmembers. Comprehensive qualification tests including operational, environmental, static, and dynamic tests are described. The improvements in crash safety are related to those of the U.S. Army BLACK HAWK helicopter.