Professor Frank Cotton of Sydney University, Australia, designed the world's first successful gas-operated anti-G suit. Research commenced late in 1940 and a suit was designed with rubber sacs covered externally by inextensible material. The sacs automatically inflated when G forces increased during flying. The suit was developed at the Sydney Medical School.
In 1931 a professor of physiology, Frank Cotton, from the University of Sydney, described a new way of determining the centre of gravity of the human body. This made it possible to describe the displacement of mass within the body under acceleration. Cotton had recognised the need for an anti-gravity suit during the 1940 Battle of Britain. It was estimated that 30% of pilot deaths were due to accidents, including black-out. Spitfires, in particular, were capable of rapid turns that generated high g-forces, causing black-out when diving to avoid or deliver enemy fire.
A g-suit, or anti-g suit, is a flight suit worn by aviators and astronauts who are subject to high levels of acceleration force (g). It is designed to prevent a black-out and g-LOC (g-induced loss of consciousness) caused by the blood pooling in the lower part of the body when under acceleration, thus depriving the brain of blood leading to temporary hypoxia.
Hypoxia first causes a grey out (a dimming of the vision), also called brownout, followed by tunnel vision and ultimately complete loss of vision 'blackout' followed by g-induced Loss of Consciousness or 'g-LOC'.
A g-suit does not so much increase the g-threshold, but makes it possible to sustain high g longer without excessive physical fatigue.
In 1931 a professor of physiology, Frank Cotton, from the University of Sydney, described a new way of determining the centre of gravity of the human body. This made it possible to describe the displacement of mass within the body under acceleration.
Cotton had recognised the need for an anti-gravity suit during the 1940 Battle of Britain. It was estimated that 30% of pilot deaths were due to accidents, including black-out. Spitfires, in particular, were capable of rapid turns that generated high g-forces, causing black-out when diving to avoid or deliver enemy fire.
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