Solution To The Issue Not Expected Before 2018

Pilots weighing under 136 pounds will be restricted from flying the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter through 2018, according to the U.S. Air Force.

The restriction was put in place last year when it was determined that pilots weighing 136 pounds or less were at an increased risk of neck injury during low-speed ejections in part because of the weight of the helmet. The Pentagon is working on multiple fixes for the problem with main contractor Lockheed Martin and ejection seat contractor Martin Baker. Defense News reports that among those fixes are a lighter helmet and modifications to the seat that would reduce the risk of neck injury. Those modifications include a switch that would delay deployment of the seat's main parachute and mounting a "head support panel" between the parachute risers that would keep a pilot's head from snapping back when the parachute opens.

The fixes were initially expected to be completed by 2017, but the Air Force said in a January 8th email that it was going to be no sooner than 2018 before lighter-weight pilots could again fly the plane.

“More tests have been conducted, and initial results look promising, but we still have a significant number of tests to conduct to validate and qualify the seat with the changes,” wrote Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Kelley Jeter. “The three fixes: the head support panel, the weight selector switch and the lightweight Gen III helmet are scheduled to be ready for implementation by early-2018, and will allow Air Force leadership to lift the restriction that was put in place for lighter weight pilots.”

(Image from file)

FMI: www.af.mil