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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0148.PDF
148 FLIGHT International, 25 January 1962 INDUSTRY International Flight Systems Products Company News Flight Systems Type B Full-pressure Flying Suit Further details have now been released about the Type B full-pressure flying suit first exhibited at the SBAC Show last year (Flight for September 14). Intended for continuous wearing uninflated, and for inflation for extended periods after cabin- pressure failure, the suit is designed to provide something approaching flying overall comfort under routine conditions. For this reason all "hard engineering," such as ball races and other fittings, have been avoided and the folding helmet has been designed to leave the head free in the normal oxygen mask and flying helmet. The Type B has been developed by the Mechanical Engineering Department of RAE Farn- borough, in conjunction with the Institute of Aviation Medicine, Siebe Gorman and other companies. Consisting of an envelope covering the whole body from the neck down, the suit has an inner impervious layer of double- texture rubberized silk and an outer strength layer of Terylene sailcloth. The arms terminate in gloves of rubberized silk and leather. Entry is by a zip fastening in each layer running from the nape of the neck down the back, through the crutch, and up to the naval and thus allowing of relief (unpressurized). Length-adjustment tapes run down either side of the arms and legs and down the trunk portions from shoulders to hips. Arm mobility at the shoulders is assisted by a shoulder harness consisting of a continuous tape running through two pairs of rings so arranged as to form a gimbal in tension. The helmet uses the same two-layer construction for the back half, and trans parent Melinex (a mono-film of Terylene) for the front. The Melinex and fabric are secured to two half-hoop frames which in routine use are secured respectively on the chest and on the shoulders. To close the helmet these half-hoops are first raised and then brought together over the crown of the head, by erection bladders on either side. The suit incorporates a built-in jerkin and so, with the mask, can provide a limited measure of partial pressure pro tection which may allow of temporary- reduction in suit pressure to give maximum mobility or to assist in escape. The transparent visor is attached to the helmet, the helmet to the body of the suit, and the gloves to the arms, by a system of interlocking loops so that these items can be readily replaced. It is expected that the visor in particular will need fairly fre quent replacement. The weight of the com plete suit (without ancillary garments) is about 121b. A ventilation harness and suitable underwear will be worn inside the suit and a light over-garment, to carry flotation and signalling equipment, etc. outside. Continuous ventilation is essential for thermal comfort and to carry away body moisture. The control system consists of two dis charge valves mounted on the chest of the suit and a manual control valve mounted on the left thigh. Air is held in the suit by the discharge valves which are closed by light springloading, and by suit pressure which is fed through a restricting orifice to the back of the valves. The rise in pressure is limited by spilling the valve-loading pressure through the suit controller, which is basically an adjustable relief valve. To ensure that oxygen arrives at the mask at the same pressure as that in the suit, a tapping is taken from the suit, back to the diaphragm of the oxygen regulator. Thus the delivery pressure of oxygen is raised and lowered to match changes of pressure in the suit, including quite rapid ones arising from movement. A small cylinder of high-pressure gas and an aneroid release are held as a unit in a special pocket and connected to the erection bladders in the helmet. The suit is used with the normal Type G helmet and Type P or Q mask under routine flying conditions, the wearer breathing from the oxygen regulator in the normal way. Control is pre-set to give a suit differential pressure appropriate to the ceiling of the aircraft in which it is to be used. If cabin pressure is subsequently lost the aneroid releases the high-pressure gas and closes the helmet; thus trapping the air being used for ventilation. Suit pressure then rises to the pre-set value. The wearer breathes out into the suit, the expirate being carried away with the ven tilated air. Subsequently, pressure may be adjusted manually within a safe range indicated by a personal altimeter showing suit altitude. Ventilating air-flow may also be adjusted manually for both temperature and quan tity, and will be used for both cooling and warming, but electrical heating will addi tionally be required for hands and feet if flight is to be continued under very cold conditions. Development work is still required on the gloves and on visor demisting, but the suit has been put into trial production in ten sizes and practical testing is under way. Some successful dummy ejections have already been made with it and step-by-step flight trials will start shortly. RAE/Siebe Gorman Type 8 full-pressure suit, described above
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