Скачать или смотреть How G-Suits Work to Keep Pilots Alive (And Why They are Getting Upgraded Again)

G-suits (short for gravitational suits) are specialized garments designed to help the human body cope with the extreme forces experienced during high-acceleration maneuvers, such as those encountered by fighter pilots and astronauts. Here’s a breakdown of what they are, their uses, and how they work:

1. What They Are:

G-suits are tight-fitting suits that cover the lower body—often the legs, abdomen, and sometimes the arms.

They are made with multiple inflatable bladders and compartments that can constrict when needed.
Their design is lightweight and ergonomic so that pilots can move freely while still being protected against high g-forces.

2. Their Uses:

The primary function of a G-suit is to prevent a condition known as “g-induced loss of consciousness” (G-LOC). High g-forces can cause blood to pool in the lower parts of the body, which reduces blood flow to the brain.

By counteracting this blood pooling, the suit helps maintain consciousness and operational effectiveness during rapid accelerations and sharp turns.

G-suits are not limited to military applications; astronauts also use them during launch and reentry, and high-performance aerobatic pilots rely on them for safety during extreme maneuvers.

They allow pilots to sustain higher g-forces for longer periods, which can be critical in combat or in executing complex aerial maneuvers.

3. How They Work:

Under high g-force conditions, sensors and pressure triggers activate a system that pumps air into the suit’s bladders.

As the bladders inflate, they apply pressure to the legs and abdomen. This pressure effectively “squeezes” the blood vessels in the lower body.

The squeezing action helps push the blood back towards the upper body and brain, mitigating the risk of blood pooling, which can lead to blackout.

When the g-forces decrease, the system deflates the bladders, allowing the suit to return to its normal, unstressed state.

The effectiveness of this system depends on proper calibration so that inflation is both timely and sufficient to oppose the gravity-induced blood shift.

In summary, G-suits are critical safety devices in high-speed aerial and space operations. By applying pressure to the lower body, they help maintain adequate blood flow to the brain during maneuvers that would otherwise risk causing blackouts, thereby safeguarding the pilot’s performance and overall mission safety.