Autoflug Libelle, a partnership between German company Autoflug and Swiss Life Support Systems in 2000, has developed a revolutionary anti g-force protection device to protect pilots from blackout or g-lock (Hall 2C D21B).
Autoflug was founded in 1919 and specialises in rescue and safety technology such as ejection seats and parachutes.
From acceleration forces of 1g upwards, it becomes impossible for pilots to move or even breathe without protection as blood pools in the lower parts of the body, resulting in a reduced oxygen supply to the brain.
PressureBlood pressure therefore increases in the arms and from the stomach downwards, causing arm and foot pain.
Libelle's G-Multiplus is a tailor-made suit that regulates body pressure and keeps muscles loose.
It works by exerting the exact counter-pressure on every part of the pilot's body, which maintains the blood flow at normal levels, and reacts instantly, without the delay generally experienced with pneumatic systems.
Unlike those traditional systems, it is a self sufficient system, and does not require expensive and weighty and bulky valves or compressed air devices.
Tested
It has been tested successfully in a centrifuge at 12g, which makes future experiments possible that were previously impossible at such high g-forces.
As combat aircraft become ever more agile and put greater stress on pilots, Libelle's G-Multiplus is interesting several air forces, which have put it to the test in the hope of enhancing mission efficiency and safety.
Only the Germans have so far certified it, but the process has started in the US and other European countries.
Source: Flight Daily News