Archive for category: Nomex Flight Suit BLOG

For centuries America has been known as the “home of the free, and the land of the brave”; and it is a number our brave men and women who are currently leading the relief efforts in several recently devastated parts of the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan plowed through much of the region nearly a week ago.

The “super Typhoon”, as many are referring to it as, brought an unimaginable amount of destruction to the area, resulting in over 3,600 confirmed deaths. While the number of fatalities continues to rise each day, the reality of the devastation caused by the Typhoon is becoming overwhelming for most. In addition to the high death toll, the disaster also left over 12, 000 people injured, nearly 600, 000 homeless, and several thousands of individuals still unaccounted for.

Our U.S. Marines and Navy personnel are helping aid members of the community that were affected by the typhoon by supplying food, water, personal items, and helping build temporary shelters. Food and medical assistance are high in demand, however volunteers, officials, and medical staff are working hard to meet the needs of each individual. A large amount of the U.S. military are also assisting in the search for all those who are still missing, which is a reported 1,179 people.

Filipino government officials expressed their gratitude for the U.S.’s timely response to the worst natural disaster, ever recorded in the history of the Philippines. “Having the U.S. military here is a game-changer. For countries that we don’t have these kinds of relationships with, it can take a while to get help. But with the U.S., it’s immediate,” said a representative for the Filipino military. Indeed this is what our country is all about; selflessly assisting others during dire times of need, uplifting the distraught citizens of surrounding countries, and lending a helping hand whenever possible. In addition to constant military presence, we as a nation have contributed over $22 million to go towards relief efforts.

Our dedicated men and women never hesitate to offer their assistance whenever and wherever needed. As they stand tall in their combat coveralls and Nomex flight suits, which we of course manufacture, their humble service to the Filipino civilians is much appreciated, not only by the government of the Philippines but by their friends, family, and an entire nation back home.

The generosity that our great nation has shown towards the Philippines during this tragic time will be forever remembered. I’m sure I can speak for our entire nation when I say that we are proud of our military troops, and we stand behind them as the lead relief efforts in the Philippines. To unite during tragedy is perhaps the greatest display of support. As the famous saying goes, “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided”.

Although uncommon, fires do occasionally break out in the cockpit and other areas of planes. Soaring at tens of thousands of feet high leaves little room for error, and a fire certainly complicates things. It is of utmost importance for the professionals aboard airplanes to be assured that they are protected in the event of flash fires and heat malfunctions. The clothing that flight personnel wear must be of the highest quality and offer the greatest protection possible. One of the leading materials in the industry is Nomex. For more than fifty years Nomex has been protecting those in the US Military, as well as other markets as well. It is highly regarded for both its functionality, providing superior flame and heat protections, as well as its comfort and ergonomics.

In the late 1960s a researcher at the DuPont Company, Wilfred Sweeny, first developed the material now known as Nomex. A large number of race car drivers dying from intense burns and heats from crashes prompted the team at DuPont to start looking for fire protective clothing. Since its early beginnings, Nomex has been continually tested and updated to ensure that it delivers the greatest protection from flames, chemicals, and intense temperatures. Flight suits made from Nomex, especially the CWU 27 /p suit, are perfectly optimized to defend the human body. Made from 92% Nomex, with the remaining 8% comprised of the bullet proof Kevlar and anti-static fiber, these flight suits exceed the standards for fire-retardant clothing. For this reason the US Military chooses Nomex flight suits when equipping its pilots. But the suits are not reserved exclusively for pilots though. Realizing the potential of the protective material, the US Military also outfits overseas ground troops with Nomex suits to protect from the harsh environments they encounter.

Nomex is engineered from synthetic aromatic polyamide polymers, creating extensive chains of highly durable fibers. Although many only know polymers to be plastics, there are other forms of them that can make material such as Nomex. During manufacturing, Nomex is produced as either large sheets of fabric or as individual fibers that are subsequently woven into a fully fire-resistant cloth. These fabrics lie at the center of what makes Nomex so adept at defending against fire. Material made from Nomex can catch aflame, like many other fabrics, but that’s where it stops. Unlike other materials, Nomex extinguishes itself. When a part of the suit is charred or enflamed, the heat will not harm the rest of the suit, and protecting the person wearing it. Even better, if the suit does catch alight, an additional layer of protection is added. That is, when the Nomex suit is burning, its fibers absorb the heat and swell, adding a layer of insulation between the wearer’s skin and the heat.

One of the most popular flights suits is the CWU 27 /p. It is much beloved not only for its life saving protective features, but also for its comfort, lightweight, and durability. The US Military has far expanded its use beyond the air force, providing the suits for ground troops as well. They are widely used in tank deployments, offering protection from the heat released from explosions, chemicals, and even some radiation. The unique blend of the suit’s material also prevents accidental bursts of flame occurring, utilizing the anti-static material to prevent this. The zippers are also a favorite, made from high quality brass to prolong the life of the suit.

There is no wiggle room when manufacturing clothing to protect people’s lives. Only the best material will do when one is talking about protecting a human being, and Nomex has long been regarded as that material. The last half century has shown that Nomex protects best, and the US Military only chooses Nomex for that reason.

Sidcot Flight Suit

The modern flight suit is light weight, designed to be keep the pilot warm during flight and provide the pilot with the most optimal protection in case something should go wrong while in flight.  As you can imagine this wasn’t always the case, the quality flight suits like everything else improved over time as new materials were developed and new applications for them discovered.

Before and at the beginning of World War I most aviators wore leather coats while flying they were manufactured in brown and black and in many different styles.  There were very few common features however they were mainly leather due to it’s durability.  During this time some pilots wore a garment made from gabardine which is a tightly woven fabric made from worsted wool or cotten.

The Royal Naval Air Service, in 1915 introduced an overcoat with a belt, in blue, that was worn as a flying kit. It looked like a knee-length, double-breasted reefer coat. it had very large flap and button skirt pockets, a falling collar and shoulder straps.

The Royal Flying Corps’ first official body garment was introduced in 1912.  It was a long jacket with a cross- over chest piece  It had two flapped pockets which covered the front of the garment and an angled pocket use to store maps on the chest. It fastened with buttons down the right side and had a stand collar fastened with two small buttons and it had a woolen lining.  An improved version with a large, unflapped map pocket and ‘grip studs’ on the skirt pocket flaps was introduced in September 1913, accompanied by leather trousers with a front flap opening, buttoning to a waistband, and with buckled straps round the ankles.

These garments were the only official clothing until August 1916 when a waterproof garment was introduced.  It’s thought that this garment was made of standard rain coat material but lined with slink, which was wool taken from a lamb.

In the winter of 1916 an Australian flight Sub-Lieutenant Sidney Cotton of RNAS discovered that the grease in his maintenance overall protected him from the cold air.  While all of his peers where coming back half frozen from missions he was fine.  He took this idea  and designed a new suit with the assistance of J. Evans of Robinson and Cleaver Limited.  The suit was made of a light Burburry material it had a lining of thin fur and air-proof silk.  It had fur cuffs and neck as well.  The Sidcot became the main flight suit of the final years of the war.

When World War II began electric heated flight suits were being used for crews flying at high altitudes.  it was so cold at altitudes of

AN-S 31 Flight Suit

30,000 feet that their skin would freeze.  But as pressurized cabins were introduced the need for heated warm bulky suits became obselete snd the emphasis began to turn to safety and a suit that was more functional in the small confines of the fighter plane cockpit.   AN-S-31 flight suit was developed for the US Army Air Corps.  It had two button-down breast pockets and two button-down shin pockets that were designed to be accessible from a seated position.  It was made from either wool or tight-weave cotton which provided some protection against wind resistance and fire.

Back in 1964 in Indianapolis, there were many notable race car drivers that had died due to several unfortunate fiery crashes. People were angry about this and demanded that someone come up with something that would be able to save the lives of their favorite race car drivers. Within 2 years, there were race car drivers wearing a special suit. It was later discovered that the suits these drivers were wearing were suits made from the Nomex material.  Nomex is a flame-resistant material that was made using a Meta variant aramids. This was invented by Du Point. Even though the Nomex suit was released in 1966 it did not grow in popularity until 1967, this is due to the fact that there had not been any marketing done during the early stages. Once the marketing of this new material hit the racing community’s people became more aware of the materials properties and benefits for the race car drivers. They learned that the Nomex material was not only flame-resistant but highly durable as well as rigid. Since the flight suits are not made from the para-aramid material it does not protect the wearer from bullets. It is instead made from a meta-aramid material which is the property that protects the wearer from fire.