RAF Flight Suits
Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator
JAJ.wimp 
in the meatbox, 39k, depressurised, No 2 trousers, blue shirt and tie under flying suit, ditto 300 ft low level.
Seriously, flown 3 hr low level in Malaysia, cabin temp about 70. We each drank about 4 pints of squash and did not per afterwards. OAT post flight was 35 and we were all shivering. Main criteria was to get the flying suits off, strip off the cottonseed and rejoin the human race.
The short answer is few aircraft/AEA are suitable for climate control and survival.
in the meatbox, 39k, depressurised, No 2 trousers, blue shirt and tie under flying suit, ditto 300 ft low level.Seriously, flown 3 hr low level in Malaysia, cabin temp about 70. We each drank about 4 pints of squash and did not per afterwards. OAT post flight was 35 and we were all shivering. Main criteria was to get the flying suits off, strip off the cottonseed and rejoin the human race.
The short answer is few aircraft/AEA are suitable for climate control and survival.
Most modern aircraft have air conditioning, it's only the cheap end of aircraft design that have the issue; a hole in the front leading to a hole in the cockpit is all you get with hot air outside being ducted onto you.
Inflexible rules forcing folk to get overly heated....it's not big and it's not clever.
War stories eh? GW1 and a few years afterwards, the Mighty Fin could manage no more than 10 minutes on the ground with air con ON. Factor in around 30 mins to start up with canopy down throughout, another 15-20 to taxi (big airfields, again with canopy down) then a possible wait to get airborne and in the undiluted sun and 50+ degree C OAT, one was a tad sweaty before one got airborne!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
JAJ, I was only joking. At least the tents were a big improvement over the Canberra' s bonnet.
BTW we took part in the liquid cooled suits for the Tonka. The suit was tight fitting woven nylon. You had to carry a portable cooling pack from the time of donning until plugging in to the aircraft. There were some
evolutions that were impossible while carrying the handbag or moving around the cabin. Had you had to bail out, stripping off the suit on landing would have been the first priority. I have no idea how it would fare in water. Of course it never came in to Service.
BTW we took part in the liquid cooled suits for the Tonka. The suit was tight fitting woven nylon. You had to carry a portable cooling pack from the time of donning until plugging in to the aircraft. There were some
evolutions that were impossible while carrying the handbag or moving around the cabin. Had you had to bail out, stripping off the suit on landing would have been the first priority. I have no idea how it would fare in water. Of course it never came in to Service.
Merlin crews had liquid cooled underwear for the sandpit, they were okay until the cooling pack broke down... Also seem to remember looking after a cooling vest on the wonder jet, like the inflateable socks I don't recall pilots ever using them..
I think the last non-nomex flying suit was the Mk 7 lightweight suit for tropical climes. I had 2 in FEAF - they were great as no matter how much you perspired, as soon as you landed it was straight under the shower and then leave it on the hangar in the locker room and it was dry in next to no time.
Anyone?
Yes, sad how much still clutters up the spare wardrobes
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: England
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They are far more effective in terms of fire protection, being made from a higher quality material than the last issue. The neck area is offered much more protection. No issues wearing them in the UK at all.
That said, they are dreadful in hot climates with no sign of a thinner, desert variant on the horizon.
That said, they are dreadful in hot climates with no sign of a thinner, desert variant on the horizon.
My original 1968-issue 'Suits, Flying, Mk9' is a heavy grade grey (cotton?) item, whereas my final 'Coverall Aircrew Mk14A' is NATO green and is (I think) made from Nomex?
But why is it that they've shrunk so much after being stuffed into a wardrobe for several years?
But why is it that they've shrunk so much after being stuffed into a wardrobe for several years?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
ESA, short answer yes.
EBay would certainly shift it. All my stuff went that way except I kept the flying suits. Threw a green one, circa 1990 away a couple of months back. The extra padding with the thigh pockets certainly work when the chain saw touched them.
Got a new 16 on eBay, great for diy and gardening shoving tools in etc.
EBay would certainly shift it. All my stuff went that way except I kept the flying suits. Threw a green one, circa 1990 away a couple of months back. The extra padding with the thigh pockets certainly work when the chain saw touched them.
Got a new 16 on eBay, great for diy and gardening shoving tools in etc.
