Coveralls-High Altitude and Anti-G Type MC-4

[hirsca]

Estate sale find today. I can't find very much about these on the web. The stock number has the number 53 at the end of it. Would that be for 1953? Any and all info would be much appreciated. Thanks, Al.

 

 

[hirsca]

Reverse.

[hirsca]

Details.

[hirsca]

More details.

[Sabrejet]

Al...I believe what you have is a slightly modified version of this G-suit...the MC-3...as you rightly surmise, from the late 50s thru early 60s.

 

Look here.

 

http://www.salimbeti.com/aviation/equipment4.htm

[hirsca]

Thanks Ian. I'd like to try it on, but unfortunately, it's not the "short-fat" version. Al.

[Sabrejet]

Hey Al....looks kinda familiar...don't it?!

[hirsca]

Reminds me of a blind date I had in college. But she did have a nice personality.

 

Now----back to the subject at hand--does anyone have a picture of this model suit in use?

 

Thanks, Al.

[doyler]

U2 pilots wore them if I recall correctly.THe contract number may be a clue with the 59 in it (1959??)

[hirsca]

U2 pilots wore them if I recall correctly.THe contract number may be a clue with the 59 in it (1959??)

Thanks doyler. I never have figured out how to date all of those different contract numbers, but I think that you are right. I did finally find an article about G/Pressure suits that stated the MC-4 was introduced in late 1958 and by 1959, the standard USAF "capstan" pressure suits were the MC-3 and MC-4. Being a Navy guy myself, I know what a capstan is on a ship, but what does it mean as related to the G-suit? Thanks, Al.

[BlueBookGuy]

Hi Al, do you still have the MC-4? If so, keep this praised piece of flight equipments!!

I regretted having sold my MC-3 (antiG-less variant of MC-4) not much after my decision... it was when I thought only in terms of "full-size complete pilots" so, after seeing I never could have had such a high-altitude guy fully finished I got rid of the item. F**k that particular decision !!!

 

Permit myself to go clear on some points.

* U-2 pilots never used the MC-4 (or MC-4A), they only wore the MC-3 or MC-3A from 1956 to late '60s. The extra anti-G protection for obvious reasons wasn't needed aboard the fragile U-2s, nor was ever the airplane fitted with any anti-G system and related things.

 

* The capstan suits were NOT anti-G suits, they were true partial-pressure suits designed to keep alive the aviators in emergency at 55,000 - 90,000 feet (in unpressurized cockpits) for a relatively short time.

 

* The MC-4/MC-4A (and, the T-1/T-1A before) had additional G-bladders in abdomen and legs areas for antiG-protection in fighter prototypes and X-planes types, but this was nothing new or notheworthy. The great feature of those unique suits family was the "capstan principle" - a useful gapstop when the space-like, full-pressure suits weren't yet ready.

Once being worn in one of 12 available sizes and further getting laces-adjusted, they virtually were like a frogmens' suit - a true second skin. In a emergency those large tubes instantly inflated fully, and being underneath all those interlocking tapes (these in turn, sewn firmly to the suit), they brutally pulled suit's fabric to the point it became like 3 sizes narrower, preventing pilot's tissues blood and lungs from swelling, and fluids from boiling spontaneously at extreme low outside pressures.

Meanwhile high-pressure oxygen was pushed into lungs, the pilot didn't even need to inhale - ribcage didn't expand until breaking, only 'cause the suit and especially its super-tight torso bladder were containing it with pure mechanical action. The very thin torso bladder itself, expandeed with high-pressure oxygen between torso and suit's external fabric.

 

A great flight garment... almost reminds me of some SF movies characters!

[BlueBookGuy]

Even if poor quality these pics help to show the thing better than my above explaination - it's quite impressive!!

 

Not a MC-4, rather a T-1 suit here in springtime 1952 (Boeing test pilots working on B-52 program) but concept is the same. Pilot at right is wearing a skin-tight, but uninflated suit. Pilot in center has the same identical suit with "capstan tubes" fully inflated, note how much they expand (compared to the small tubes on pilot at right-side of photo) and how suit is squeezing the man like a true second skin.

Of course this test is underway in a normal environment - in a even truer and severe test, pilot would be strictly seated to duplicate his posture during genuine emergency, inside an airplane's cockpit at 80,000 feet. And, test room would be suddenly depressurized within 0.8 seconds in order to leave him surrounded by extremely thin atmosphere, his suit being the only thing keeping him alive and OK.

 

Franco.

[hirsca]

Hello Franco. Sorry, but the suit found a new home last year. Very interesting information that you have posted. So many things going on at any one time. Thanks, Al.

[northcoastaero]

Nice partial pressure suit. I had an MC-1 with a K-1 helmet at one time. I believe the USN used the partial pressure suit for only a short period of time. Mostly USAF use. There were special gloves for some versions of these suits also. Try the following books:

 

-Dressing for Altitude.

-US Space Gear.

-US Spacesuits.

-Suiting Up for Space.

[BlueBookGuy]

Yes if remember correct, partial pressure gloves were available only from MC-1 suit onward - figure out how much your hand could swell in a emergency...

Also, the Navy had its own C-1 suit wich was a MC-3 variant.

[monsoon]

I know the suits were made for a specific purpose, but I always thought they looked goofy. I guess as long as they got the job done and the pilot wasn't injured, no one cared. Dude could wear clownshoes as long as it worked.

 

Also, check around online. There are pics of pilots wearing them with low quarter dress shoes!

[BlueBookGuy]

Yes they could wear low quarter shoes, or loosely-fitting "cowboy boots", or tightly-fitting combat boots,

of course it was impossible to make the suit working around feet in the same principle. But evidently no major blood vessels are inside feet, so the thought was that in an emergency (due to the short time required to get to lower altitudes), properly protecting them wasn't so much important.