"Armor"

Admittedly, the purpose of a pilot's personal equipment serves a different purpose than the shining armor of the knights, and yet they have one thing in common: protection!
It is probably well known that jet pilots wear anti-G pants, but in reality the equipment we put on every day is much more complex. The entire system protects us against high G-forces, saves us from drowning and freezing, carries essential additional equipment and, if necessary, weapons. In addition, it is necessary for survival in the cockpit because, unlike in commercial aircraft, the workplace in a combat aircraft does not offer an environment that is compatible with life. Sounds absurd? Is not it. The human organism can only compensate to a limited extent for the low ambient pressure as the altitude increases. Above 10,000' (~3km) without additional oxygen supply, consciousness becomes impaired; with increasing altitude or exposure time, unconsciousness and death follow. Depending on the aircraft type, the cabin of a commercial aircraft keeps the pressure constant at around 8,000' altitude equivalent ("cabin pressure altitude"), but in the EUROFIGHTER this increases to almost 25,000' (~7.6km). As a result, the equipment supplies us with up to ~99% oxygen and presses it into the lungs with excess pressure. Without this - redundantly designed - supply, we would lose consciousness within minutes. If you have to leave the cockpit prematurely, the integrated arm retrieval system and the helmet ensure physical integrity even in the supersonic range, and if you get out at sea, the equipment provides fainting protection against drowning: a swimming collar unfolds, the breathing mask detaches from the face, and a lifeboat is inflated and an emergency radio activated - all automatically. The vest also carries a first aid kit, signal gun and other emergency items. All the details and functions of the equipment are too extensive to be described in an Instagram post, but one thing is certain: the modern “armor” in the cockpit is a real all-rounder.
"Rüstung"
Back to blog