1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: show that tallies the games and losses of everyday history 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: on Gabelusier And in this episode, we're talking about the 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: supersonic ejection tests of the US Air Force and the 6 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: unlikely test pilots it compelled into service. As a warning, 7 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: today's episode includes descriptions of government sanctioned animal abuse and 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: maybe upsetting for some listeners. The day was March twenty first, 9 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty two. A black bear named Yogi was ejected 10 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: from a supersonic bomber during a test of the plane's 11 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: escape capsule. She was ejected at thirty five thousand feet 12 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: from a US Air Force B fifty eight Huer flying 13 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: at the supersonic speed of eight hundred and seventy miles 14 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: per hour. Thankfully, the experimental ejection capsule functioned properly and 15 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: Yogi survived the test. She landed unharmed about eight minutes later, 16 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: but didn't stay that way for long. Prior to the 17 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: nineteen forties, the pilot of a damaged plane only had 18 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: one real option jump out and hope their parachute opened. 19 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: But as aerial warfare intensified, engineers began looking for a 20 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: way to launch the pilot out of harm's way before 21 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: their shoote deployed. Early ejection seat prototypes used compressed air 22 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: to propel the pilot seat up and out of the cockpit, 23 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: but most of the final designs used small explosive cartridges instead. 24 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: The first operational ejection seats were developed in Germany near 25 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: the end of World War Two. They were used at 26 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: least four times during service, but not a great effect. 27 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: Two of the four pilots died in the attempts. Still, 28 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: the idea behind the project was a sound one, and 29 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: many countries militaries began developing their own versions after the 30 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: war had ended. A few years later, the first supersonic 31 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: aircraft were introduced, and ejection seats became a necessity. That's 32 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: because simply jumping out of the cockpit isn't an option 33 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: when you're traveling faster than sound. In the nineteen fifties, 34 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: rocket powered ejection seats became a standard feature in most 35 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 1: military jets. Several different models were used, but they all 36 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: worked in roughly the same way. When the pilot pulled 37 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: the ejection handle, a chain reaction was triggered. First, the 38 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: cockpit canopy would be blown off by a set of 39 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: explosive charges. Then the pilot's body harness and leg straps 40 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: would tighten, pulling them close against the seat. Next, the 41 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: catapult system beneath the seat would activate, guiding it up 42 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: along a set of rails until the rocket motors ignited 43 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: and launched the seat and the pilot clear of the cockpit. Lastly, 44 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: small stabilizing rockets built into the seat would fire to 45 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: help keep a level and the pilot's parachute would deploy. Hopefully, 46 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: all of that would happen over the course of about 47 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: four seconds, a harrowing experience for a human pilot, but 48 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: in many cases a life saving one. The technology did 49 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: have a downside, though. Most dejections put between fifteen to 50 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: twenty g's of force on the pilot, often resulting in 51 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: spinal injuries, and when moving at supersonic speeds, the risk 52 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 1: of serious injury or death was compounded. The issue came 53 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: to the forefront during the development of the Conveir B 54 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: fifty eight Hustler, a high speed nuclear bomb carrying plane 55 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: built in the nineteen fifties. It was the first operational 56 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: bomber capable of mock two flight, meaning it could travel 57 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: twice the speed of sound, or roughly fifteen hundred miles 58 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: per hour. Standard ejection seats were deemed too dangerous when 59 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: moving at such speeds, so engineers at the Stanley Aviation 60 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: Company designed a new kind of ejection system. The B 61 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: fifty eight was operated by a crew of three, the pilot, 62 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: the radar navigator, and the defense system's operator. They were 63 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 1: each seated in a separate cockpit, arranged one behind the other, 64 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: and each cockpit was equipped with its own escape device. 65 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: But instead of rocket powered seats, the B fifty eight 66 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: used fully enclosed escape capsules. The airtight pods included their 67 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: own oxygen supply, allowing them to be ejected safely at 68 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: an altitude of up to seventy thousand feet and its 69 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: speeds up to mock two. The capsules were also designed 70 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: to function as life rafts. They were stocked with food, water, 71 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: and other survival supplies, and were buoyant enough to serve 72 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: as a boat in the event of a water landing. 73 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,559 Speaker 1: In the early nineteen sixties, the US Air Force began 74 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: testing this new ejection system on the ground using rocket 75 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: powered acceleration sleds. The initial ground tests used human dummies 76 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: fitted with sensors, as well as private citizens recruited from 77 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: unemployment lines. Later on, researchers turned to animal test subjects, 78 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: including chimpanzees, Himalayan brown bears, and American black bears. The 79 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: chimps provided some useful data, but the bears were a 80 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: better approximation of the mass, body shape, and organ arrangement 81 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: of a human, and so when it came time for 82 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: in flight trials, the bears were the obvious choice. The 83 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: first of those ejection tests took place on March twenty first, 84 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty two. A two year old female black bear 85 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: named Yogi was sedated and strapped into one of the 86 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: B fifty eight subjection pots. Then a human pilot flew 87 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: the jet to thirty five thousand feet and ejected the 88 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: bear over the Texas Desert. Yogi landed safely roughly eight 89 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: minutes later, have endured what must have been the most 90 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: confusing and frightening experience of her life. The Air Force 91 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: was satisfied with the outcome and went on to eject 92 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: five more bears from the B fifty eight Hustler, some 93 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: at even higher speeds and altitudes than Yogi. Two of 94 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: those bears had much rougher trips, sustaining fractures, broken bones, 95 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: and bruising during their landings. There was also one fatality 96 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: among the group, a bear who had a brain condition 97 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: that was not identified before the flight and was unable 98 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: to withstand the physical strain of ejection. The test phase 99 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: was completed in August of nineteen sixty two, and a 100 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: few months later the Air Force released a short film 101 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: detailing the success of the project. The program pointed out 102 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: that several design flaws in the capsule had been revealed 103 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: through the tests. For example, the bears fractured pelvic bones 104 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: highlighted the need for a seat that wouldn't shake so 105 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: much during ejection. That and other faults would be corrected 106 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: in future models, and, once perfected, the capsules would be 107 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: installed in all operational B fifty eights. The video didn't 108 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: linger on the bear's injuries or trauma, but made sure 109 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: to include footage of one being hand fed some fruit 110 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: by a woman in a white dress. As for the 111 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: bear occupant, the narrator proclaims she was kept under clinical 112 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: observation for several days after her flight, following which the 113 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: customary detailed medical examination was performed, No injuries of any 114 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: kind were revealed, and the animal's overall condition was found 115 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: to be excellent. What the narrator conveniently omitted is that 116 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: the detailed medical examination was an autopsy. The five bears 117 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: who had survived their supersonic ejections were later euthanized so 118 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: that doctors could examine their internal organs for hidden injuries. 119 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: The short film concluded by declaring that quote, the closely 120 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: knit Air Force industry team can look back on their 121 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: joint labors with justifiable pride. It's a nice sentiment to 122 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: end on. But if all they felt was pride, then 123 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: why hide the true fate of the animal test pilots? 124 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: Why say the animal's condition was excellent when in reality 125 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: it was only their organs that were in good shape, 126 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: while the bears themselves were dead. The Escape Capsule program 127 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: was called ambitious and pioneering, and from an engineering perspective, 128 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: it absolutely was. Likewise, the capsule itself was heralded as 129 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: a major advance in aeronautic safety, and that was true too, 130 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: But as with so many other human achievements, it's a 131 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: lot less impressive when you find out exactly what was 132 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: done to achieve it. I'm Gabelucier and hopefully you now 133 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 134 00:08:57,600 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: If you'd like to keep up with the show, you 135 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI 136 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: HC Show, and if you have any comments or suggestions, 137 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: you can always send them my way by writing to 138 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: This Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays 139 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 140 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 141 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: in History class.