The effect of a new ejection seat headbox and high G garments on head mobility during air combat

Full coverage anti-G trousers, a chest counter pressure garment for positive pressure breathing for G tolerance, and a smaller ejection seat headbox have been developed for future agile aircraft. The hypotheses that the new headbox might improve, and that the more restrictive high G garments might compromise, pilot head mobility were tested. The RAF institute of Aviation Medicine Hawk aircraft was equipped with a wide angle video camera facing the front seat pilot. Two experimental conditions were compared to the control air combat sortie: 1. standard garments and the smaller headbox; 2. high G garments and the smaller headbox. Data were recorded from five instructor pilots during three scheduled air combat training sorties. Their helmets were marked with 10-mm white dots in a standardized pattern. Software for recording helmet dot positions from single frame video images, and a trigonometric method for calculating head rotation and translation from changes in the helmet dot positions were devised. No differences were found between headboxes or garments at the three extremes of head movements analyzed. Observed neck rotations were similar to maximal seated norms. Optimal head and neck extension is impeded by the ejection seat headbox. Pilots' head movements are not restricted during air combat at moderate G levels.