Case Study: Patrick Air Force Base improves ejection seat performance and safety with MSC Software Adams

MSC Adams Extends the Military’s Ability to Improve Ejection Performance and Safety

The customer, Patrick Air Force Base, faced the challenge of improving the performance and safety of military aircraft ejection seats, which must operate reliably in an enormous range of altitudes, aircraft motions, and weather conditions. Physical testing was limited by cost, time, and safety, making it impossible to test all potential scenarios. To address this, they worked with vendor MSC Software and its Adams multibody dynamics simulation software to model the complex physics of an ejection event.

MSC Software's Adams solution enabled the creation of a complete, validated virtual model of an ejection seat, which revolutionized the design process. The simulation provided accurate and reliable analysis, allowing engineers to investigate incidents, evaluate manufacturing variations, and guide design improvements without the expense of physical prototypes. This led to substantial improvements in ejection seat performance and safety over the past decade, including the successful development of new arm and leg restraints.

Patrick Air Force Base

Sean Stapf

Patrick Air Force Base