Oxygen

[TheWobble]

 

Well..Germans used some type of G-pants on 262.The extent to which they were used on other planes I am not sure of.But certainly not an allied thing only

I think but am not sure that their g-suit was mearly a set of water bags that were wrapped around the legs from the thigh down, so that when in high G the force would also act on the water and it would press on their legs really hard and keep the blood from pooling in them.

[Fatty]

More on the per individual argument, many don't consider a successful Mount Everest (27,000+ feet if I rememeber right?) summit legit if it's done with oxygen.

[Sandman_SBM]

Wow... you mean people have reached the summit without oxygen? amazing.

[juzz]

Me 163 pilots were known to sustain 30k in a pressure chamber with no supplimental oxygen. It required specialised altitude training though.

[Fatty]

Yep Sandman.  Looked it up because it was bugging me, it's actually 29,000 feet.

Not saying that equates to us being able to function fine at 30k.  Only a few can make it, the ascent rate of months allows acclimation, and their motor skills are near nil the last few thousand feet, but they have done it.

[Buzzbait]

S!

Death by oxygen starvation was very common.  There are many accounts by both Allied and German pilots of seeing Wingmen's aircraft start to wander out of formation, not being able to get a response by radio, then seeing them go into vertical dives into the ground.  The only logical explanation for this is oxygen starvation.  Many other pilots reported experiencing starvation and only realizing they were suffering from it at just the last moment.  The condition was not easy to recognize for the person experiencing it.  And it wasn't just because the pilot forgot to turn on his oxygen.  In instances where the pilot was able to recover and dive to a lower altitude, an examination of the aircraft revealed a feed system malfunction.

[Fatty]

Right Buzz, that's what I was getting at.  You wouldn't simply drop over and die, but your cognative and motor skills would deteriorate so badly you would not be able to operate your plane.

[AKSeaWulfe]

 

Originally posted by Buzzbait:
S!
The only logical explanation for this is oxygen starvation.  

Now that isn't the only logical explanation, pilot fatigue played as much a part in planes leaving formation and crashing as oxygen starvation did.

Have you ever been up on a sunny day? Or been above the clouds sitting in a low wing airplane while the sun beats down on you? That's one of the most relaxing/comforting things in the world, and if you are tired from too many combat missions, you can fall asleep and never wake up.....
-SW

[paintmaw]

I ski Mt. Batchelor in Or. over 10k and no oxygen, I usually sit on the top and smoke , um  ya cigerets  hehe , I do turn into a giggling goofball but not cause of the alt  /er  yeah ,,  thats the ticket  ,, its the alt that does it

[Fatty]

Heh Paintmaw, I spent a week on Mt Bachelor in late Feb.  An old friend of mine lives over in Bend.  I am king of the Marshmellow!

[Fishu]

 

Originally posted by Seeker:
Just to annoy the LW, why not model G suits.

P 51's and, I beleive, late model Hogs had them.

Can you imagine the whining?

LOL, go ahead..
Do you have any idea how effective those were for other than their name?  
Those were very simple compared to modern day G-suits.

[Daff]

Just to clarfiy..in general, people dont die from oxygen starvation...they pass out and crash.
The warning signs arent always obvious, especially if you are busy flying the plane.
"Normal" level from which you should use oxygen is around 10k..this will vary greatly from person to person and while it's to a certain extent fitness related, it's not always the case.

Daff

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CO, 56th Fighter Group
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