No one really knows what the long tem effects of negative G-forces are on the human body. Negative G’s are a different story all together. The problem is that with the high tech mono-planes and fighters the onset is so rapid that the pilot might never see it coming! When a person begins to lose consciousness due to positive G’s, this is called G-lock. The vision starts to narrow and become gray, that’s where an experienced aerobatic pilot, recognizing the signs, might ease up on the stick. Kirby often says, “At 10 G’s, it’s hard to breathe and feels like a house is sitting on your chest.” That’s a ton of pressure, literally! Aerobatic competition is a little different in that there is more negative G’s involved, as many as 8 negative and 10 positive. This 44m project built and run by Thales in the UK is used by fast jet pilots in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to replicate flight in aircraft such as. Because g-loc leads to fatal accidents, a g-suit is vital. Kirby says, “I have about three hours recovery time between practice flights.” Flying an air show Kirby will see anywhere from 10 positive to 5 or 6 negative G’s and at an Air Race the range would be 12 positive with almost no negative G’s. Pilots wear special g-suits that prevent blood from pooling in the legs and abdomen, away from the brain (the cause of g-loc). If the pilot weighted 200 pounds and pulled 10 G’s, 2,000 pounds of pressure would be exerted on his body.You can see why it would be important for an aerobatic pilot who is competing or flying air shows to rest between flights. If a pilot pulls 10 G’s, it would be his weight x 10 and the sum would be the amount of weight pressing against his body. The amount of G’s that are tolerable vary by individual and a tolerance can be built up over time. In 1919 a doctor wrote up the phenomenon, calling it “fainting in the air”. ![]() The invention of the airplane gave way to the extreme G-forces that we are familiar with today. G’s first became a concern during WWI, when pilots began mysteriously losing consciousness during dogfights. ![]() G-force is measured in G’s and one G is equal to the force of gravity at the earth’s surface. Funny to know that the average sneeze creates a G-force of 2.9 and a slap on the back can equal about 4.1 G’s G-Force refers to either the force of gravity on a particular celestial body or the force of acceleration anywhere.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |