High alt and your lungs

[Fishu]

That means same as no more buffs above 14k  

[ra]

The altitude at which one needs oxygen is not uniform.  The 2 main factors are genetics and smoking.  A chain-smoking couch potato may need it at 10K, where a healthy person with the right genes may not need any up to 25K.  If I'm not mistaken Mt. Everest (29K) was first conquered without the use of supplemental O2.  So O2 blackout altitude would have to be arbitrarily chosen by HTC, like the G blackout is.

For you US licensed pilots:  the best $20 you'll ever spend is to sign up for a high altitude training class at your friendly neighborhood Air Force base.  The FAA and the Air Force co-sponsor these classes for civilians.  You learn all about O2 deprivation and spend time at 25K in the altitude chamber.  (Passing through about 15K during rapid depressurization everyone in the chamber starts avoiding eye contact as the farts break loose.  I wonder if HTC will model farting in the Me-163?)  You also learn about other pysiological things like night vision.  Highly recommended.

ra

[Pavel]

FWIW: I believe Norgay & Hillary did use oxygen on Everest, but the mountain has since been climbed without it.

I think O2 inclusion is a clever idea, but it's not real high on my list of wants.

[StSanta]

Well, climbers on Everest spend weeks acclimatizing their bodies to the high altitude.

For what it is worth, where I skydive, oxygen is required on any lift higher than 3500 meters. That's around 10k-12k or so on foot (I think).

Add another possible damaged part of the plane, all the better. But to reduce it to 15 minutes is too quakeish, IMHO.



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StSanta
JG54 "Grünherz"

[BD]

I am a glider pilot who routinely flies up to 18,000 feet, and have gone as high as 36,000 feet in a non-pressurized glider.  As I have some first hand experience with WWII vintage US O2 systems, in the spirit of technical accuracy, I feel the need to respond to Pyro's post.

Typical WWII (US) oxygen systems employed a demand type regulator, which also compensated for altitude automatically.  Demand type systems, as opposed to continuous flow, provide an oxygen/air mixture at ambient pressure upon each inhalation.  In addition, there was a "blinker", or indicator, which confirmed oxygen flow for each breath.

There is also a switch on the regulator to provide 100% O2 flow.

Since air density decreases with altitude, your body requires a higher percentage of O2 in each breath to maintain the same blood O2 saturation level.  The regulator compensates for altitude by adding MORE O2 to the mixture for each breath as altitude gets higher.  Thus, the O2 consumption rate INCREASES with increasing altitude.

Pyro, you are correct, however, that the amount of O2 carried by these planes would really make it a moot point from the point of view of game play, other than through damage to the system.  Another very real hazard for high altitude flight is actually the condition know to divers as the bends.

I once had a hose come loose at 23,000 feet, and knew immediately that something was wrong as the world suddenly got a whole lot "dimmer" on the very next breath.  I looked down, immediately reconnected the hose, and the world suddenly got brighter again.  

There are charts available which outline the "time of useful conciousness" for a given altitude.

[Duckwing6]

what i meant BD but a lot better put  

[Maniac]

Very interesting thread! never even tought about oxygen at hi alt before  

It really would be cool if you could damage the oxygen tank or an hose from it etc.

Regards


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AH : Maniac
WB : -nr-1-

[Pyro]

 

Originally posted by BD:

Since air density decreases with altitude, your body requires a higher percentage of O2 in each breath to maintain the same blood O2 saturation level.  The regulator compensates for altitude by adding MORE O2 to the mixture for each breath as altitude gets higher.  Thus, the O2 consumption rate INCREASES with increasing altitude.

That's true but eventually even the 'normal' setting automatically delivers 100% at a certain altitude reversing that curve again.

ra wrote:
I wonder if HTC will model farting in the Me-163?
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Hehe, reminds me of my first trip to the hypobaric chamber.  We were told the day before to avoid eating gas producing foods so that evening my roomate and I went to taco bell and grabbed a dozen bean burritos and a case of beer on the way home.  It was amazing.  The volume of gas we put out seems like it could have filled a hot air balloon.  Of course, nobody wanted to take off their oxygen mask once we got to alt.




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Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations

[StSanta]

LOLOL Pyro  

I went skydiving this summer for the first time in my life. I was, and still ma, a bit appreehensive when I am in the plane.

Then the gas laws took control and *somone* farted. I actually looked forward to getting out  



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StSanta
JG54 "Grünherz"
"If you died a stones throw from your wingie; you did no wrong". - Hangtime