Virtual prototyping of special protective clothing for sport aircraft pilots

Clothing generally has the function of protecting the human body from external influences. However, daily clothing is mostly designed according to fashion trends and influences, where the aesthetic components have a crucial importance. For protective clothing, the protection and functionality is in the first place. Protective clothing according to the purpose and dangers can be divided into clothing for protection from moving parts (tools, machinery), the influence of cold, bad weather, chemicals, static electricity, heat, radioactive contamination, microorganisms, etc. The mentioned clothing refers to working clothes, although characteristics of protective clothing and garments have also clothing items, which are worn in professional sports. In this paper we are presenting the research on design and development of a special protective clothing, so-called anti-g suit. This is a special form of a flight suit, worn by sport aircraft pilots, who are exposed to high levels of acceleration force. During flight, the blood is redistributed from the upper body parts above the heart to the body parts below the heart, which have an impact on the pilot's consciousness. Therefore, the anti-g suit should be designed according to each pilot exact body dimension that can provide the needed g-protection, simultaneously with the ‘’fluid muscles’’, incorporated into the anti-g suit. In this research, 3D body scanning and virtually measured body dimensions have been used in a standard standing body posture. Dynamic standing and sitting body postures were examined for the development of a special protective overall for a sport aircraft pilot by using virtual prototyping. The results showed characteristic differences between bodies dimensions measured using different body postures, which were taken into account during overall pattern design for a sitting posture.