Case studies
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  Case studies
Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Limited
Ken Yates - Programmes Manager
 
Introduction
Martin-Baker is a privately owned family business that has become world-famous for the supply of military aircraft ejection seats. The company has produced over 68,700 ejection seats since 1949, supplying over 90 Air Forces world-wide. The Martin-Baker designs have been selected for over 202 different aircraft types and to date have saved more than 6,700 aircrew lives. Our seats save, on average, two or three lives a week. More than 17,500 ejection seats remain in service, the majority of which are over 20 years old and still need to be fully supported.
The Chairman of the company is the cousin of the late founder, Sir James Martin, and the chairman's two sons are the joint Managing Directors. The directors, like their father, are engineers. They are great enthusiasts for the product and actively run the company, day-to-day. No directorships are available outside the family.
The company has been in uninterrupted business since 1948. Looking back over the years, it is interesting to see that working with the Americans has put the company where it is today.
Because of the wide and diverse range of products that remain in service, we have to maintain many of the traditional capabilities in parallel with more modern industry standards and technologies. We have to be able to mix and match our resources and management style with each new project to suit particular customer requirements. These can be diverse and unique. We operate with a wide range of capabilities and supporting technology to service all these different demands.
The business has to continuously adapt to changing requirements. Many traditional elements such as hand drawn engineering drawings, manufacturing tooling and processes have to be maintained alongside the latest techniques. Computer aided engineering (CAE) systems are used on later projects such as Eurofighter, and the American Joint Strike Fighter.
World leaders in ejection seats
The company offers a complete end-to-end product service from design inception to product support and retirement. We don't just supply ejection seats; we act as the total systems integrator for all work associated with crewmembers occupying the cockpit.

An important part of our work is consultancy. We provide a complete systems engineering advisory service to our customer. We help to formulate the initial top-level operational conditions into a set of design solutions. These cover the entire spectrum of equipment and subsystems necessary to meet the overall aircraft requirement. It includes all interfaces with the occupant and the aircraft; and the fundamental life support systems needed to sustain the pilot during normal flight operations and during escape.
The human has always been the prime factor in the inter-relationship of man and machine. Technology has advanced in all areas, and continues to do so at an ever-increasing rate. But the physiological limitations and other attributes of the human are the same today as they were when research started.
We have always funded all our own research and development work. For example, we have spent more than £42 million of our own funds in developing our latest Mark16 range of ejection seats. This foresight is now showing rewards. The Mark16 has been selected for the Eurofighter, French Rafale, Korean KTX-1 Trainer, Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) and the NASA T-38 upgrade. Self-funding our development is a company tradition which has been one of the keys to our success. We own all our intellectual property - our 'Rights-In-Data'. This is vital to being able to sell our products overseas freely without the inherent Government export restrictions that can sometimes apply to military-rated equipment.
The early success of the company is largely attributed to the US Navy, despite the publicly perceived belief that it was the British Government that initially established the company. The US Navy still remains our single biggest customer with annual sales that typically exceed £15 million.
Martin-Baker has had a long and successful relationship with the US Navy since the early 1950s. We continuously developed the ejection seat since the end of the second world war, starting with a very simple 'get you out of the aircraft power-assisted seat'. Today's seats are sophisticated and computer-controlled.
The turning point
In 1976, McDonnell Douglas placed a major contract for a new version of seat for the U.S. Navy's latest fighter, the F/A-18 Hornet. This caused a significant turning point in the way the company operated.

The F/A-18 contract introduced major changes in our operating procedures and business methodology. While many of our in-house processes and procedures were sound, having been in successful operation for many years, they were not well documented and configuration control was questionable.
McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) is renowned for its expertise in the intensive management requirements of such programmes. They sent teams of engineers and management specialists to assist the company to establish acceptable methods. This had an effect right across the company, from design to final delivery of the product. Unprecedented changes within the company occurred within a relatively short period. At the time there was some management resistance to these changes; but in hindsight, the changes dragged Martin-Baker into the 20th century.
McDonnell Douglas supported us throughout development of the ejection seat for the F/A-18. New disciplines such as reliability, maintainability and systems safety became established as part of the design management function. This greatly benefited the company with its other business activities in the USA and the rest of the world. The company now had a more professional engineering skill base, which subsequently expanded to support even greater design and development effort.
Because many of our customers adopt USA requirements as their standard, we became well placed to meet their challenges. The engineering base that had become established at our small site in Denham was now world class.
Adaptation to change
Traditionally, development at Martin-Baker has been linked to a specific programme and this remains our modus operandi. But new aircraft programmes that feed such research are becoming scarcer.
The emphasis now is to fund the development of new technologies individually, to bring them to sufficient maturity to apply to future programmes at minimum risk. This approach has been common with the United States military and in particular with the US Air Force.
Affordability is a key requirement in all new aircraft programmes.

Government specialist agencies will need to sustain their future capabilities. Because new aircraft programmes and industry funding will not exist to support specific research, this approach is likely to continue. Reduced military expenditure will demand greater accountability in how limited funds are used.
Martin-Baker continually invests in the latest systems to become more efficient. We make extensive use of digital technology. It allows us to minimise costly and time-consuming development, and proof of concept testing typically associated with development. We achieve high levels of confidence with minimum design risk by the use of mathematical modelling and simulations, finite element analysis and CAE techniques. These new software tools save significant time and cost. We see measurable benefits throughout the business from our early commitment to invest.
Business methodology
Martin-Baker's business is focused on two primary areas: retrofit of aircraft that are currently flying, and seats for new aircraft designs.

A significant amount of work has been secured over the last ten years in retrofitting Eastern Block produced aircraft that have dated technology, unreliable Chinese or Russian built ejection seats. We have received significant orders from Pakistan and Bangladesh for such work. The requirements for these programmes are understandably of a much simpler nature than those associated with a more sophisticated American dominated customer base, and we match our management of such work accordingly.
For new aircraft programmes, such as Eurofighter and the US Joint Strike Fighter, the process starts by early dialogue with the aircraft manufacturer. The ejection seat is part of the aircraft cockpit system. Early contact with the aircraft design team is essential to ensure that all integration and system operational issues are addressed. This enables Martin-Baker to identify and develop engineering solutions that best match the requirements.
The aircraft design requirements are driven by the operational requirements, which are specified by the end-user, the Air Force. The operational requirements are used by the industry to produce a systems requirement document. In turn, this forms the basis of more detailed equipment specifications for each major system installation on the aircraft.
Industry has to interpret how best the operational requirement can be met; what product design and equipment performance parameters are needed. In the case of the Joint Strike Fighter, prototype concept development aircraft are being produced for evaluation and competitive selection. Again, the emphasis is affordability and best value for money.
Design - drivers for new aircraft
Technical requirements
To enable total design integration of the crew station, we identify the baseline interfaces between the aircraft and the occupant with the customer. The entire cockpit envelope is laid out from the pilot's eye datum point; this is the design reference point. It determines the installation of the seat and the layout positions of all the flight controls. Using our ergonomics expertise, we help design the cockpit layout based on the required range of pilot sizes. Their range of sitting height and functional reach set the range of seat adjustment.
More and more mission equipment is now being incorporated into the pilot's helmet; today's modern fighter is virtually flown from the helmet.

The high performance capability of the aircraft demands comprehensive life support systems to maintain the crewmembers' physiological effectiveness. The need to protect from hostile environments such as nuclear, bacterial or chemical attack places additional demands on the system design. The seat must also maintain these life support functions during ejection from the aircraft. As the seat is the principal interface between man and machine, all these systems have to be integrated between aircraft, seat and occupant.
Additional integration is required with the aircraft canopy system. Inter-seat sequencing is incorporated in dual-place aircraft such as trainers. A lot of integration work has to be done with the aircraft manufacturer and with their many equipment suppliers. Martin-Baker acts as the systems integrator. We manage the entire process to ensure complete harmonisation of the crew station design.
Formulating the system requirement
We do detailed work on the escape performance requirements, based on the operational capability of the aircraft. This is in addition to the design work to accommodate the cockpit occupants and the work to integrate the ejection seat as part of the crew station.
High-speed capabilities are placing increased demands on crewmember effectiveness and survivability in modern combat aircraft with relaxed stability. The ability to operate beyond human physiological tolerance, in aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-16 Falcon, has been with us for some time. Designs now coming to fruition are more agile and capable. This places even greater emphasis on maintaining operating effectiveness in the cockpit.
We apply systems engineering disciplines to scope out performance requirements. These are supported by trade studies to balance technical parameters with cost, risk and other considerations.

We now use computer simulation and mathematical modelling to determine seat performance requirements. Most emergency ejections are from highly dynamic, high sink rate, adverse altitude conditions. We study these scenarios with our comprehensive empirical test database, which we use to validate and support computer simulations.
Intelligent compromises have to be made as part of any development programme. These are done in close association with the aircraft manufacturer. Weighting factors are assigned to each parameter to rank their importance, so that no one requirement is over-emphasised to the detriment of overall system effectiveness.
The trade studies identify existing technologies that can meet the need and technology deficiencies that need to be developed. The required equipment development programmes are then produced to support the project.
Setting out the project
A range of documents generally accompanies the contract. These are used to manage the project: a procurement and product specification, a statement of work, a milestone schedule and a milestone payment plan.

Once the process of agreeing the equipment procurement specification has been completed with the customer, proposals are prepared and contract discussions start. On contract award, a dedicated project manager is assigned at the company to co-ordinate all development work with the customer. He oversees the project from initial design, to the experimental phase, through to full qualification and final service release.
The statement of work identifies the scope of the tasks that are required to meet the product specification. A work breakdown structure is produced for more complex projects. This is a useful tool because it parcels key elements of work into manageable packages. This reduces risk and allows better control of schedule and cost.
Work package descriptions are assigned to each department, so tasks and responsibilities are well defined. This enables us to control expenditure within the scope of the agreed programme.
Integrated product teams (IPT)
Martin-Baker manages most major projects with integrated product teams. We establish an IPT with a project manager who champions the programme. The customer is represented on the team and takes an active role in the work. Video-conferencing and improved lines of electronics communication allow the customer to become more actively involved day-to-day, with all aspects clearly visible.
In the USA, organisations have grown to be so large that key disciplines have fragmented and split between different locations. Communication and cohesive management inevitably breaks down. Using integrated product teams allows effective management, with all key disciplines represented, and all information and problems shared and managed collectively.
Martin-Baker has always operated in this way; it is our culture. We have never grown to the point where key members of our organisation have lost day-to-day visibility or contact. We are a hands-on management organisation. We maintain good communications throughout all levels.
Research and development
We do all our R&D work as part of a project, not as a stand-alone activity.

We fund all the research and development work on all our products. R&D is not a stand-alone activity. Most is usually done to a specific project requirement or justifiable real need, with a quantified business return. R&D is expensive. Developing new technologies can have significant technical and business risk. We don't therefore embark on theoretical work with questionable payback. But we want to make sure that our R&D benefits aircrew. This remains the focus of our business activities.
Martin-Baker has all its own in-house resources necessary to support the required development work. As new facilities or resources are identified and required, we invest to maintain our autonomy. We do not like to rely on outside agencies for our development work, as this takes away our ability to have total managerial control of the project. It also introduces additional elements of risk to our core business process. The facilities we operate are very specialised and are both NATO and US Government approved.
As we insist on maintaining our 'Rights in Data', we typically fund all development work. The total costs of these activities are not passed directly to the customer. We also design and manufacture all aspects of the ejection seat and related equipment. The only exceptions are on more recent seat designs where the electronic sequencer and main parachute are purchased from outside. This practice allows us to maintain high levels of control in the design and manufacture of the product.
Tools and techniques
We use computer-based tools extensively to shorten the design process.

Martin-Baker increasingly uses computer-based tools and digital technology as part of its everyday business activities. We are now gaining greater confidence in the use of computer simulation and mathematical modelling as these software tools mature. Good correlation is possible between prediction and reality. This validates and further refines the software to the levels of confidence necessary. It allows a streamlined approach to the entire development process with all the corresponding benefits in increased efficiency.
We extensively use the latest EDS Unigraphics CAE 3D solid block design modelling. We conduct the entire range of design and manufacturing processes, such as finite element analysis, 5-axis machine simulation and full production planning. This is supported by in-house stereo-lithography rapid prototyping, to translate the digital model rapidly into hardware to evaluate the concept. We can digitally describe the complete design; no engineering drawings are required to bring the product from inception to full scale manufacture.
Real-time simulation
We use extensive computer modelling in our systems engineering disciplines to model the performance capabilities of the seat. Martin-Baker has developed a range of in-house simulation tools for the dynamics of seat ejection. They are programmed in C++ object-orientated code. It creates a six degrees of freedom model of extreme accuracy and definition.
These new electronic tools permit us to assess the seat propulsion phase of ejection, the stability of the seat across the entire performance envelope, and its full trajectory characteristics. These include clearance capabilities from aircraft on the ground and in-flight. It accurately simulates the variation of ejection seat aerodynamics and other performance features.
We use thermo-mechanical models to help design the performance of seat pyrotechnics. As we gain greater confidence in using these techniques, inherently expensive practical testing becomes less necessary. These new techniques are undoubtedly reducing risk. When we have to make an expensive high-speed ejection test, we are now far more confident that the seat will operate how we predict. Data from these tests is used to refine and validate the computer modelling, increasing confidence still further.
A more recent investment at Martin-Baker has been in the introduction of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This relatively young discipline has enjoyed tremendous growth and increasing acceptance over the past decade. It has attained high levels of maturity and credibility. We expected it to play an important role in the future design of our seat systems. It is a powerful design aid that is showing tremendous benefits in the aerodynamic design of the seat.
Simulation achieves a fast payback in meeting schedules, reducing risk and controlling cost.

Among its advantages is that it mathematically replicates, as opposed to simulates, aerodynamic flow conditions around the ejection seat and occupant throughout the escape flight trajectory. Solutions are for full-sized seat and occupant as opposed to scale models, and for actual velocities and atmospheric conditions. So there is no concern about matching parameters, such as Mach or Reynolds numbers, since escape flight conditions are matched exactly.
These new techniques are now demonstrating significant advantages in meeting schedules and cost constraints while reducing risk. This is a benefit to both the company and to the customer.
Trading cost with performance, weight and safety
The cost requirement
The Joint Strike Fighter is a cost-driven programme. Its entire focus is affordability with best value for money. The key issue is affordability. The US Government has declared that it will cancel the project at the outset if the aircraft unit flyaway cost exceeds $35 million.
To meet the cost mandate for the overall weapon system, each major aircraft system is apportioned a cost. A cost model is used for the entire programme, which controls not only the initial design, but also all processes associated with development, flight evaluation, production and in-service support. It gives complete end-to-end seamless control throughout the intended 25-year life cycle of the aircraft.
Acquisition reform
All aspects of the seat design are now continually challenged and, if necessary, traded against cost.

This is a new approach in the military industry that has historically had little control in effectively maintaining programme cost. With increasing Government pressure to reduce military expenditure, the emphasis is now toward adopting a more streamlined commercial approach to military equipment procurement. This new approach, and the moving away from Government bureaucracy, has presented a new set of challenges to the traditional military industry organisations. Some are now suffering a degree of culture shock in trying to adapt to the new methods.
As affordability is the key element to most new projects, we have to adapt our style of management to make sure we can meet any programme cost mandates. Trade studies, to meet operational requirements, now address cost as a key issue. Specification and performance requirements are revisited as necessary, collectively with the customer, to evaluate the effect on cost.
We have to consider the total cost of ownership throughout the entire life expectancy of the equipment, and not just selectively address detail aspects in isolation.

Trades in cost and equipment performance are fully assessed and appropriate compromises reached and agreed in the final product design. For example, if the machining process of a piece of equipment is changed to improve the production process and reduce unit cost, will this impact on something else? It might make the unit more difficult to maintain or support in service. We must ensure that we don't unknowingly put a cost burden on some other aspect of the equipment life cycle. Military combat aircraft typically remain in service for at least 25 years. Most cost modelling packages which are now in use address these long-term factors into any calculations.
We can save cost if we can challenge and review many of the performance requirements.

All design and product operating elements influence cost to some degree. Cost and weight are always the main requirements of any system fitted to an aircraft. The performance conditions stipulated for the product affect cost, both in development and qualification. In the case of the joint strike fighter, all aspects associated with operational requirements of the aircraft are challenged and questioned in the interests of meeting the stringent cost goals.
The integrated product team (IPT) comes into its own in the continual search to manage and minimise cost and risk. It has a balanced representation across the entire project; this includes Systems, Design, Human Factors, Development Testing, Production, Product Support, Finance and Quality. It is essential that a good balance be struck between specialists. If one discipline dominates, assessments of the options may be biased. All these specialist members are focused on the key requirements. They all contribute to project decisions. They are fully aware of the consequences of any changes. They can analyse the impact that changes have on cost, time and risk in their particular specialist area. They make detailed reviews so they can identify and take effective recovery action when it is needed.
We seek value for money from our suppliers, not lowest cost. The lowest price is not necessarily the best value.

We are also addressing cost issues with our suppliers, educating them and encouraging them to be team members. Over the years we have created a preferred supplier base. We try to provide the best possible product for the need within the affordability constraints dictated by the programme. All aspects are considered.
Obsolescence
Obsolescence is becoming an increasing problem in the military industry. This is predominantly electronics related, although it is having a marked effect on other areas in the military industry. Reliable, long term supply of correct specification parts is essential to support and maintain the aircraft and its related systems in service, usually for a minimum of 25 years.
Much of the military technology and, in particular, electronics equipment comes from the commercial world, and is then qualified and rated for military application. Commercially rated components are typically not designed to meet the hostile operating environments of military applications. To use them, we have to package them so they are tolerant to more severe environments. We then have to test them to demonstrate reliability to the confidence levels required, and for the expected operational life of the aircraft. This is expensive!
Components produced today are often out of date and not available sometimes within only a matter of months.

The commercial business environment has a short-term focus. There is rapid turnover in supply with limited guarantee of life expectancy. Microprocessor design is driven by the commercial computer world. Technology is moving at a tremendous rate with a high turnover in supply. Many commercial organisations do not regard the long-term supply of small quantities as being viable to an uncertain military market. Sources of lower cost commercially-rated components cannot therefore be considered when trying to meet military applications that demand high levels of reliability, protracted and lower service use and continued support.
Pilot safety - there is no compromise
Unlike any other supplier, at the end of the day we must ensure that pilot safety is in no way compromised. Martin-Baker's success and reputation has been built on saving aircrew lives, over 6,700 to date world-wide. We are still totally dedicated to maintaining that objective and to improving aircrew safety in the future, as technological advances evolve.
Human life cannot, despite attempts by appropriate authorities and Government, be quantified in monetary terms. It is immoral and unethical even to attempt to.
Conclusion
This case study tries to illustrate how complex it is to provide a life saving capability for today's combat aircrew. They are, without question, the most valued assets. The ejection seat is a sophisticated system. It acts as the principal interface between man and machine. It is the only means of survival in an emergency. All measures, despite other considerations such as cost or affordability, are addressed in the design of new equipment. This is done without ever compromising safety - it is not an issue for negotiation!

Digital technology, which affects us all, is advancing at a tremendous rate. We are in an information technology revolution. Martin-Baker is responding to these ever-increasing advances to try to meet the requirements of future aircrew safety. It will allow us to reduce risk, increase profitability and improve customer satisfaction in a more efficient way. On all new projects, affordable objectives will be the key issue in our management methodology.
The specialised processes associated with our business embrace a wide diversity of requirements. But at the end of the day, all this work and detailed processing is to place a pilot safely on a parachute, injury free, within 0.75 seconds of pulling the ejection seat firing handle.
And it works every time! Over 6,700 aircrew lives saved to-date are testimony to the fact ... Happy landings!
 

 

All the elements of what this company did are part of a methodology you can learn - adaptable to any product development project from the totally new to just a small change. Develop products that customers clamour to buy. Cut the cost of developing them. Cut the cost of manufacturing them. Drastically reduce the time it takes to develop them. Learn how...
 

 
Dr C B Mynott, Managing Director, TICS Limited