United States Army aviators' equipment, 1917/1945

623 Pages·2015·22.74 MB·English

by  Sweeting

AAF waist gunner, equipped with typical flight gear, in action aboard a B-17
bomber during the winter of 1943–44 (courtesy U.S. Army).
United States Army Aviators’
Equipment, 1917–1945
C.G. SWEETING
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
Also by C.G. SWEETING
United States Army Aviators’ Clothing, 1917–1945 (McFarland, 2015)
This book is a republication of Combat Flying Equipment: U.S. Army Aviators’
Personal Equipment, 1917–1945 (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution,
1989).

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE
BRITISH LIBRARY CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE
e-ISBN: 978-1-4766-1946-0
© 2015 C.G. Sweeting. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by
any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publisher.
On the cover: Air Corps fighter pilot in winter flying outfit, late 1940 (Rudy
Arnold Collection, NASM)
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
Contents
Preface
Introduction
I. Human Engineering
II. Oxygen Equipment
III. Military Parachutes
IV. Armor for Aviators
V. Anti-G Garments and Pressure Suits
VI. Survival Equipment
VII. Miscellaneous Equipment
Abbreviations
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
List of Names and Terms
Preface
Seven decades have passed since the end of World War II, and we are still
learning about the tremendous effort that was required to achieve final victory
over the Axis powers. We know now that the margin between victory and defeat
in that complex world wide struggle was often narrower than many realized at
the time.
The campaigns and contributions of the great commanders, air aces, and other
heroes have been well documented; often overlooked are the important but lesser
known technical accomplishments that made victory possible and laid the
groundwork for postwar progress. How American airmen became the best
clothed aviators of any air force during the war is documented in my book
United States Army Aviators’ Clothing, 1917–1945. This companion volume is
intended to describe the development and use of the many types of individual
life-support equipment, a Herculean task that had a direct bearing on the
efficiency of America’s air arm and the successful outcome of the conflict.
To appreciate fully the significance of this accomplishment, we must go back to
World War I. The many difficulties and problems encountered in providing
flight materiel for Army flyers, in an era of rapidly changing technology,
continued through the 1920s and the decade of the Great Depression. The events
of the hectic World War II years are, by comparison, a success, but one that was
achieved only through the dedicated efforts of the many unsung heroes of the
Army Air Forces, the medical profession, the scientific community, and
American industry.
It will be noted that many of the items of personal equipment in service during
World War II were actually developed long before the United States entered the
conflict. It is, of course, impossible to include every item used by flying
personnel of the U.S. Army Air Forces and its predecessor organizations: the
Army Air Corps, Army Air Service, and Aviation Section, Signal Corps. The
following chapters do cover the main types of individual flying gear used since
World War I. Navigation instruments have been omitted, because of the great
number involved, and the fact that these specialized devices have been described
number involved, and the fact that these specialized devices have been described
in numerous other publications. U.S. Navy, commercial, and foreign equipment
has been mentioned when it influenced development overall, or Army materiel
in particular. Space limitations unfortunately preclude a detailed description of
the operation and use of most items. This information may be found in the
references included in the notes and bibliography.
This study deals primarily with the personal equipment carried and used by the
individual Army flyer, but some items of essential aircraft equipment have been
included in order to make the history more complete and understandable. The
entire oxygen apparatus, for example, including masks, regulators, and cylinders,
is described because the components were designed to function as a part of a
specific, overall system.
The preparation of this book involved the examination of many documents and
photographs from a variety of sources. Little has been published concerning
many important types of equipment, and I relied mainly on official manuals,
technical reports, and studies. Also available for examination were actual
specimens of flight materiel in collections, including that of the National Air and
Space Museum (NASM), the U.S. Air Force Museum, and Robert Lehmacher of
Burbank, Illinois. Unless otherwise indicated in the captions, the photos were
produced originally by the United States Air Force (USAF) and its predecessors,
and many were obtained from the NASM archives. Some photos of flyers’ armor
were provided by the Army Ordnance Museum and the Army Natick Research
and Development Laboratories. The U.S. Air Force Museum and the Office of
Air Force History were, of course, invaluable sources of information and photos
on every aspect of military aviation.
Most of the people responsible for the development of flight materiel before and
during World War II received little public recognition for their effort.
Unfortunately, many are now deceased and others could not be located,
however, much of value was furnished by participants and experts in various
fields.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the many people who provided
information, assistance, and encouragement during preparation of this study. Lt.
Col. Donald S. Lopez, USAF (Ret.), NASM Deputy Director, was particularly
helpful during my research, because he actually used many of the items of
personal equipment in air combat during World War II, and was always willing
to share his flying experiences and intimate knowledge. Don kindly consented to
review and comment on my manuscript. Robert Lehmacher, expert on survival
review and comment on my manuscript. Robert Lehmacher, expert on survival
gear and flight materiel in general, provided much valuable information for
Chapter VI, and important advice on equipment of all kinds. Chapters VI and
VII include photographs of items in his splendid collection. Col. A. Pharo
Gagge, Ph.D., USAF (Ret.), of the Pierce Foundation, Yale University, was
assigned to the Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright Field throughout the war,
where he was involved in the development of many items of flying equipment.
As the originator of pressure-breathing oxygen equipment for the Army Air
Forces (AAF), his suggestions were very beneficial during preparation of
Chapter II.
I especially appreciate the generous contributions of the following individuals,
who furnished expert opinions, and valuable historical and technical material on
a great variety of subjects: Jack Hilliard, curator, and Vivian White and Charles
Worman of the Research Division, U.S. Air Force Museum; Bill Heimdahl,
archivist, Office of Air Force History; Dr. Robert Smith, chief historian, USAF
Logistics Command; and Kenneth Zimmerman, USAF Aerospace Medical
Research Laboratory.
Particular thanks go to aviation pioneers Brig. Gen. Harold R. Harris, USAF
(Ret.), Russell S. Colley, retired Goodrich engineer, and Ernest H. Schultz,
Wiley Post’s chief mechanic; also to several former AAF flyers who shared with
me a wealth of wartime experiences: Brig. Gen. Charles E. Yeager, USAF
(Ret.); Lt. Col. David Topton, USAF (Ret.); Warren Keating; Morgan Rawlins;
Carl R. Thompson; Fred Huston; W. L. Warren; and the late Brig. Gen.
Benjamin S. Kelsey, USAF (Ret.).
Others who helped in diverse ways include Richard Morris, former Goodyear
Aerospace Washington Representative and ex-B-17 pilot; the late David Gold,
former parachute engineer and historian with Irvin Industries; David Cole, Army
Center of Military History; Daniel E. O’Brien and Armando E. Franiani, Army
Ordnance Museum; Leonard F. Flores, Army Natick Research and Development
Center; Col. Robert Benford, M.D., USAF (Ret.); Col. Leonard W Lilley, USAF
(Ret.); Lt. Col. John Shatz, USAF (Ret.); Dr. John C. Schmitt; George A.
Petersen; and Mrs. R. C. Dunn.
I want to offer special thanks to my former NASM colleagues including Dr.
Von. D. Hardesty; Dr. Tom Crouch; Dr. Howard Wolko; Robert Mikesh; Paul E.
Garber; Louis S. Casey; Robert B. Meyer; Robert van der Linden; Russell Lee;
Rick Leyes; Sybil Descheemaeker; Dana Bell; Edward J. Pupek; Mary
Rick Leyes; Sybil Descheemaeker; Dana Bell; Edward J. Pupek; Mary
Pavlovich; Dale Hrabak; Alfred Bachmeier; and Carol Lockhart.
Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my wife, Joyce, for all her efforts.
Her help made the completion of this book possible.
Introduction
The fragile human body is adapted to life on the surface of the earth, at the very
bottom of our atmosphere, while the modern aircraft is designed to operate
efficiently in the thin, cold, upper atmosphere. On these two facts and their
interrelations hang most of the problems of aviation medicine, and the challenge
to human engineering in attempting to resolve them. Today, as in the past,
problems arise primarily from rapid changes to which earth-conditioned man is
subjected by flight: changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature, and
changes in the rate and direction of motion.1
The impressive recent progress in aerospace development and in solving the
human problems of flight tends to obscure the fact that very little was
accomplished prior to World War II in preparing the airman to operate
efficiently the modern, high-performance aircraft then entering service. By the
time Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into war, there existed a great need for
rapid design and production of modern combat aircraft. A lack of fundamental
research applied to the human aspects of flight meant that aircraft were still
designed and constructed in a way that took little note of those who were to
operate them. This resulted in airmen frequently performing complex tasks
under conditions which led to discomfort, inefficiency and often unnecessary
danger. During the course of the war, it became increasingly evident that it was
the man-machine complex that must be made into an efficient fighting element,
rather than the aircraft alone.
This problem dictated three fundamental approaches: (1) a consideration of
human requirements in the design of aircraft, which must include assessment of
needs in the light of human limitations as well as application of those
requirements in equipment; (2) selection of aircrew members on the basis of
those human qualities that make for efficient combat airmen; and (3) training of
aircrew members in the techniques which would enable them to survive and
perform efficiently under the unusual stresses produced by high speed, high
altitude, and contact with the enemy.2 It was finally realized that emphasis on
human requirements in the design of aircraft decreased proportionately the effort