Lecture: History of the G-Suit

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G-suits are widely used by fighter pilots to increase resistance to high accelerations and delay the onset of G-Induced Loss of Consciousness (G-LOC). The development of the technology spans decades and dozens of innovators, but one of the earliest pioneers was Canada's Dr. Wilbur Rounding Franks, who created the first G-suit to be tested in combat during the Second World War.

This lecture was presented to the Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) on July 29, 2021.

Franks Flying Suit Training Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl9JYDvMy7M&t=318s

SOURCES:

https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/683215main_DressingAltitude-ebook.pdf

Wolverton, Mark, The G Machine, Air & Space Magazine, May 2007, https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/the-g-machine-16799374/?page=1

The Anti-G Suit, Historic Wings, November 8, 2012, http://fly.historicwings.com/2012/11/the-anti-g-suit/

Hobbins, Peter, Sydney’s Secret Wartime Research, Dictionary of Sydney, July 11, 2018, 2018, https://home.dictionaryofsydney.org/sydneys-secret-wartime-research/

Lorinc, John, The Secret Science of World War II, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, https://medicine.utoronto.ca/magazine/article/secret-science-world-war-ii

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