Full-body scans lead to better aircrew gear

[unhappycamper]

Full-body scans lead to better aircrew gear
By James Hannah - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Dec 8, 2007 8:19:56 EST

DAYTON, Ohio — Technology that helped create Hollywood special effects such as the metal-morphing cyborg in Terminator 2 is being used by the Air Force to redesign flight suits, helmets and other equipment for aircrews whose body types have changed with the times.

Scientists at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are taking the measurements of pilots, co-pilots, navigators and other aircrew members using a 3-D, laser-emitting, whole-body surface scanner — a far cry from the tape measures and calipers that were once used.

“You can use a scanner to actually capture the shape,” said Scott Fleming, an anthropologist with the Air Force Research Laboratory who is taking the measurements. “When you’re fitting personal protective equipment to people, you really have to take the whole shape under consideration, not just the linear dimensions.”

The last extensive body-measurement survey done of Air Force personnel was in 1967. While the Army did one in 1988, it consisted primarily of young, fit white males.

Fleming said today’s Air Force aircrews have female members and are more ethnically diverse. In addition, many crew members are older because of a greater reliance on guardsmen and reservists. As a result, average body shapes are different.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/12/ap_bodyscan_uniforms_071207/



uhc comment: The Air Force is going to need to do something about the chow if they expect the new gear to perform as expected --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x8074

[RC]

1. The airforcetimes page has gone AWOL

[unhappycamper]

2. The top link still works. n/t