F-35 Protective Equipment Fit Assessment: Light Weight Coverall

Abstract : At the request of the F-35 JPO, a Fit Mapping test on the JSF Light Weight Coverall (RFDB prototype flight suit) was performed during 2009. This test was carried out to determine: if the coverall gave pilots an adequate fit, if there were an appropriate number of sizes to cover the target population, if the size chart is accurate and user friendly, and how many of each size should be procured (Size tariff). A total of 110 subjects participated. Out of the 110 subjects, 17 subjects (15.45%) failed overall due to unavailability of wider or taller sizes in RFDB prototype flight suits. An additional ten subjects (9.09%) aesthetically failed. 83 subjects (75.45%) received a passing fit in one or more test flight suits. Out of the 83 passing fit-test subjects, 48 subjects passed in their RFDB originally predicted size. This equates to 58.53% of the people received a passing fit. It also must be pointed out that nearly all test participants reported arm movement restrictions caused by the design of the armpit (scye) area of the flight suit. For those reasons, a revised sizing chart has been constructed based on these 83 passing fit-test subjects, a pattern change in the scye area is recommended, and additional sizes are requested.