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¹Mayo Medical School, Rochester, MN.

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Pilots tolerate high G forces best when upright. Supinating the body to 30-60 degrees unexpectedly reduces G tolerance, potentially increasing G-induced Loss of Consciousness (G-LOC) risk.

Area of Science:

Aerospace Medicine
Human Factors Engineering
Physiology

Background:

Understanding G-force tolerance is critical for pilot safety.
Previous research in 1942 indicated unexpected decreases in G-tolerance with body supination.
Hydrostatic principles alone may not fully explain G-tolerance variations.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate G-force tolerance in pilots at different body orientations.
To re-evaluate the impact of supination angles on visual and consciousness endpoints.
To assess the relevance of historical G-tolerance data to modern fighter aircraft design.

Main Methods:

Testing untrained pilots under varying G-onset rates and durations (5s, 10s).
Measuring G-force tolerance at upright and supinated positions (30, 45, 60 degrees).

Related Experiment Videos

Observing visual symptoms and loss of consciousness (G-LOC) as endpoints.

Main Results:

High G-force tolerance was observed in the upright position.
Supination to 60 degrees increased G-tolerance by over 3 G, but protection against visual symptoms decreased significantly at 60 degrees (1.1 G) and 45 degrees (none).
Findings contradict simple hydrostatic models, suggesting other physiological factors influence G-tolerance at lower supination angles.

Conclusions:

The data supports the relevance of these findings to modern aviation, particularly concerning the F-16's 30-degree seat.
Increased G-LOC incidence may be linked to seat supination, contrary to hydrostatic expectations.
Aircrew are advised to adopt an upright posture during high-G maneuvers, following veteran test pilot practices.