A Personal Cooling System for Helicopter Pilots.

The NAVAIRDEVCEN (Naval Air Development Center) is developing a personal cooling system for helicopter pilots to alleviate the heat stress encountered during exposure to high ambient temperatures. The major components of this system are a lightweight, constant-wear, liquid circulating garment (LCG) outfitted with skin temperature sensors, a cooling generator, and an automatic controller. The liquid circulation garment is designed for wear under a standard flight coverall and is connected, upon aircraft entry, to the generator and automatic controller. During flight, the system automatically maintains the pilot and copilot in thermal comfort thereby enabling more effective performance of flight duties. The system is currently under a development contract. (Author)