SIR,—We note with interest the small news-item on page 599 of your April 19 issue headed "Who's Been Sitting in my Chair?" and announcing an ejection of a live bear in an escape capsule.

We would point out that the capsule is designed and manufactured by the Stanley Aviation Corporation. Far from being the first of a test programme, as implied by your announcement, it was the ninth ejection from a B-58 aircraft at speeds and heights varying from lOOkt taxying on the runway to Mach 1.6 at 45,000ft.

The seventh test of this series contained a human occupant. He was ejected at Mach 0.8 at 20,000ft and landed in his capsule quite safely.

In addition, over 40 ejections were made from rocket sleds at speeds from lOOkt to 700kt, the tests being at Edwards Air Force Base or at the Hurricane Mesa test facility in Utah. A live chimpanzee was used in one high-speed ejection and a live bear was used in another.

It would appear that little is known in England of this important development in high-speed escape from aircraft.

Briefly, its purpose is to provide complete protection for each member of the crew of an aircraft during high-speed ejection, during descent to ground and on ground landing. Broadly speaking, the operation of our escape capsule is as follows: Operation of the "pre-ejection" handles retracts the occupant's legs, tightens his shoulder harness, closes and locks the capsule doors, and pressurizes the capsule. The pilot's capsule is equipped with a control column which allows the aircraft to be flown down to a more amenable altitude if the conditions permit.

Operation of the "ejection" handles ejects the capsule from the aircraft, after which the stabilization, recovery, and ground landing systems operate automatically. The occupant only emerges after landing. If the capsule lands in water, it will float. It can be used as a habitation whether on land or water and it contains survival gear enough to feed a man for 72 hours and to provide hunting and fishing equipment to maintain life thereafter.

We at Stanley Aviation will be pleased to provide further information should you or your readers so desire. Incidentally, a demonstration capsule with a Stanley representative will be at RAE Farnborough from July 16 for examination by the RAF and such branches of the industry as might be concerned.

Denver, Col                 STANLEY AVIATION CORPORATION
F. I. Tallentire