A flight suit is a full-body garment, worn while flying aircraft such as military airplanes , gliders and helicopters . These suits are generally made to keep the wearer warm, as well as being practical (plenty of pockets), and durable (including fire retardant ). Its appearance is usually similar to a jumpsuit . A military flight suit may also show rank insignia. It is sometimes used by Special Forces as a combat uniform in close quarters battle or visit, board, search, and seizure situations, for its practicality.
27-738: The Army Aircrew Combat Uniform ( A2CU ) is a two-piece flight suit formerly in the Universal Camouflage Pattern , but now Operational Camouflage Pattern that offers the soldier protection from flash fires . The coat is similar to the ACU in design, with a stand-up collar featuring a front extension, shoulder patches, a front zipper , two inside hanging chest pockets with flaps; adjustable waist; two-piece set-in sleeves with elbow patches; two sleeve utility pockets with flaps and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) tabs; and two lower sleeve pencil pockets with flaps. It can be worn with
54-453: A blackout . The G-suit was designed to allow some retention of blood in the pilot's head, allowing them to execute high-G turns for sustained periods of time. In the 1950s and 1960s, even more specialized suits needed to be developed for high-altitude surveillance (such as with the U-2 and Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird aircraft) and space flight. These would include full pressurization, and would be
81-456: A windmill generator (though flexing broke the wires in the gloves, and over voltage caused burns) In the mid 1930s RAF standard flight suit was a variation on the Sidcot made of rubberised linen in a grey-green colour with a detachable fur collar; a zip had replaced buttons. This was paired with sheepskin-lined knee high suede boots and a quilted liner could be added. All this was worn over
108-627: A back pocket (such as a wallet). Members of the United States Marine Corps wore flight suits during most vehicle patrols and ground combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, because their standard camouflage utilities were not flame-resistant. Flight suits have now been phased out among ground personnel with the introduction of the Flame Resistant Organizational Gear (FROG) suit, which resembles
135-717: A circuit depends on the voltage supplied: if the voltage is too high, then the wire may melt and the light bulb burn out. Similarly other electrical devices may stop working, or may even burst into flames if an overvoltage is delivered to the circuit. A typical natural source of transient overvoltage events is lightning . Bursts of solar wind following solar flares are also known to cause overvoltage in electrical circuits, especially onboard space satellites . Man-made sources of spikes are usually caused by electromagnetic induction when switching on or off inductive loads (such as electric motors or electromagnets ), or by switching heavy resistive AC loads when zero-crossing circuitry
162-597: A clear plastic pocket on the thigh intended to house a map of the aircraft's planned flight path), but color, style, and cut vary greatly from country to country. The current model flight suit for the US military is the CWU 27/P and is available in sage green and desert tan. Commercial flight suits for civilian flying are also available, and are frequently used by helicopter crew (including non-pilots such as flight engineers, paramedics, and nurses), aerobatic pilots, and others who desire
189-474: A power surge. Electronic and electrical devices are designed to operate at a certain maximum supply voltage, and considerable damage can be caused by voltage that is higher than that for which the devices are rated. For example, an electric light bulb has a wire in it that at the given rated voltage will carry a current just large enough for the wire to get very hot (giving off light and heat ), but not hot enough for it to melt . The amount of current in
216-434: A practical "uniform". Although there are multiple pockets on the current CWU 27/P flight suit, all pockets are placed on the front of the flight suit or on the arms or legs. There are no pockets on the back of the flight suit. This design allows easier access to the pockets while the wearer is sitting (such as in the cockpit of an aircraft), and ensures that the wearer in a seated position does not have to sit on any items in
243-491: Is not used - anywhere a large change of current takes place. One of the purposes of electromagnetic compatibility compliance is to eliminate such sources. An important potential source of dangerous overvoltage is electronic warfare . There is intensive military research in this field, whose goal is to produce various transient electromagnetic devices designed to generate electromagnetic pulses that will disable an enemy's electronic equipment. A recent military development
270-936: Is that of the exploding capacitor designed to radiate a high voltage electromagnetic pulse. Another intense source of an electromagnetic pulse is a nuclear explosion . Diesel or petrol powered generators can also be a source of overvoltage. If the generator speed increases suddenly, such as due to inadvertent throttle movement or unstable operation of the prime mover , this can cause brief but damaging overvoltage to any connected equipment. A faulty voltage regulator can also cause overvoltage. An example of an overvoltage event occurred on August 25, 2011, in East Palo Alto , California. The line voltage supplied to 232 customers increased from 110 volts to around 400 volts for 80 minutes. The event damaged electronic equipment, light bulbs, and other electrical equipment including smart meters . The opposite of such an event
297-652: The Air Warrior Microclimate Cooling Vest . The trousers have nine pockets: two thigh pockets; two calf pockets with external tool pockets; one knife pocket with lanyard (on the left thigh); and two side hanging pockets. Pockets (except for the side hanging pockets and the lower leg external tool pockets) have flaps and zippers. The A2CU upgrades the current Improved Aviation Battle Dress Uniform protective clothing system and provides operational effectiveness, fit, suitability, and durability, addressing near-term Air Warrior requirements in
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#1732787493055324-482: The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was introduced in the fight against Japan , along with remote-controlled coordinated gun turrets, the fully pressurized crew cabin made bulky flight gear obsolete. Where bomber pilots could wear their service uniforms as flight gear, fighter pilots needed a uniform that functioned in the tight confines of the typical fighter plane cockpit. The AN-S-31 flight suit
351-499: The Dryden Flight Research Center wear either green or desert tan, and all newer suits issued are desert tan. Overvoltage In electrical engineering , overvoltage is the raising of voltage beyond the design limit of a circuit or circuit element . The conditions may be hazardous. Depending on its duration, the overvoltage event can be transient —a voltage spike —or permanent, leading to
378-465: The G-suit , a special kind of flight suit (worn alone or in combination with a traditional flight suit) that protected the wearer from the physical stress of acceleration by compressing the body to keep blood from pooling in the legs. As the pilot executed high-G combat maneuvers, their blood would be pulled from their head and shift downwards into their lower body, starving the brain of oxygen and causing
405-604: The chill caused by slipstream and the cold of low-oxygen high-altitude flying. Leather quickly became the preferred material due to its durability and the protection it offered against flying debris such as insect strikes during climb-outs and landings, and oil thrown off by the simple rotary and inline motors of the time. The Australian pilot Frederick Sidney Cotton 's experience on the Western Front in WWI with high level and low-temperature flying led Cotton in 1917 to develop
432-617: The effect by three layers: a thin fur liner separated from a Burberry [ gabardine ] outer by airproof silk which he had made up by Robinson & Cleaver in London and advertised under the Sidcot name at 8 guineas (£8 8s). When its effectiveness became known orders for leather coats were cancelled in favour of the SidCot In extreme conditions thigh high fur boots could be worn with it, and on long flights it could be enhanced with electrically heated waistcoat, gloves and boot inner soles powered by
459-692: The full A7L pressure suit during launch, trans-lunar injection , lunar ascent/descent, and extravehicular activity . Mercury and Gemini crews wore their space suits for the duration of the mission, with the exception of Gemini 7 . Pilots and flight crews use several colors of flight suit. NASA crews, for example, wear blue flight suits as a sort of functional dress uniform during training. The orange suits that they wear during launch and re-entry/landing are designed for high visibility, should there be an emergency recovery. White suits are worn during space walks to control temperature. NASA non-astronaut flight crew at Langley Research Center wear blue, and crew at
486-492: The necessity of bulky leather and shearling jackets and trousers began to fade. For example, pilots, navigators, and bombardiers of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress operating in Europe in 1944 comfortably wore their officer's uniforms under an A-2 flight jacket , due to the enclosed and heated cabin; but the tail- and ball turret gunners were more exposed, as were waist gunners who fired their guns through open window gunports. When
513-454: The need for warm clothing quickly became apparent, as did the need for multiple pockets with closures of buttons, snaps, or zippers to prevent loss of articles during maneuvers. During World War I , whilst motoring clothing was supplied, pilots were allowed to provide their own protective clothing by private purchase. Various types of flight jackets and trouser coverings were developed, and two-piece outfits were common among pilots to ward off
540-412: The overall weight of the airplane and reduced the effective bombload that could be carried. With the era of jet flight and improved focus on safety; however, fully fire-retardant materials were required. It was also simpler to make a one-piece suit when it would potentially have to fit over existing clothing or various types of under-garments. Also, with the coming of jet flight came the development of
567-423: The precursor to today's space suits . The current flight suit that is standard for most air forces and navies is made of Nomex , a fabric made from spun aramid that is lightweight and fire-resistant. The flame-retardant capabilities of this material make it ideal for protecting aviators in case of a fire. The suit is often green or desert tan in color, with multiple pockets for specific pieces of gear (such as
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#1732787493055594-451: The revolutionary new "Sidcot" suit, a flying suit which solved the problem pilots had in keeping warm in the cockpit. This flying suit, with improvements, was widely used by the RAF until the 1950s. Cotton had flown in his working overalls one day and noticed that he had not gotten as cold as the other pilots and attributed this to the oil and grease that had soaked into the overalls. He recreated
621-621: The standard camouflage utilities. NASA astronauts have worn one-piece flight suits when in training or on flights in their NASA T-38s . The current flight suit worn by astronauts is royal blue , made of Nomex. The now-common " shirt-sleeve environment " of the orbiting Space Shuttle and International Space Station has resulted in much more casual attire during spaceflight, such as shorts and polo shirts . From STS-5 to STS-51-L , crews wore light blue flight suits and an oxygen helmet during launch/reentry. Apollo crews wore white 2-piece beta cloth uniforms during non-essential activities and
648-725: The standard uniform. Electrically heated suits were developed for the RAF but only used in small numbers by bomber and high-altitude meteorological aircraft While fighter pilots were limited in cockpit space, RAF bomber crew could add insulated Irvin leather sheepskin jackets and trousers over their flying suit. By the time World War II started in earnest, electrically heated suits were introduced by Lion Apparel in conjunction with General Electric for patrol and bomber crews who routinely operated at high altitudes above 30,000 feet (9,100 m), where air temperatures could get so cold that flesh could freeze instantly to any metal it touched. As enclosed and pressurized cabins came into operation,
675-644: The universal camouflage pattern. The A2CU is made of a blend of 92 percent Nomex , five percent Kevlar , and three percent anti-static dissipative fiber . The A2CU has also been adopted for use by the US Air Force , where it is known as the Airman Aircrew Combat Uniform. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from Army Aircrew Combat Uniform (A2CU) . United States Army . Flight suit As aviation developed in unheated open cockpits,
702-409: Was demonstrated early during that war. As technology advanced, the fire-protective flight suit, helmets, goggles, masks, gloves and footwear were designed and used. The footwear often could be cut to appear like civilian shoes in the country where the crew member would land if shot down. Flak jackets were also developed to give bomber crews some protection from flying shrapnel, though these increased
729-468: Was developed for the US Army Air Corps and featured two button-down breast pockets and two button-down shin pockets that could be accessed from the sitting position. The US Navy used a slightly different model that featured slanted pockets with zippers. The material used was either wool or tight-weave cotton for wind resistance and fire protection. The need for short-duration fire protection
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