Forum: General F-35 Forum

USN to test flame-resistant clothing, better ear protection...

Flight Deck Gear Gets An Upgrade 29 Aug 2012 Joshua Stewart

http://www.navytimes.com/prime/2012/08/ ... ed-082812/

"...Besides new clothing, the Navy is upgrading its hearing protection to combat the loud engine of a future fighter.

The F-35 Lightning II is louder than anything else in the fleet, clocking in at 152 decibels in afterburner mode from 50 feet away. In comparison, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet creates 150 decibels in the same conditions.

This means that when the F-35 arrives on carriers, it will bring a greater risk for hearing loss, McClure said.

“I’m sure that the sailors who are wearing [the protection] right now will enjoy the fact that they can hear better when they leave the Navy,” he said.

The new headphones fit like the old ones — with or without a cranial — but they’re a little beefier, and they’re a dark gray instead of beige. Their manufacturer, Aegisound, said they’re rated to provide 30 decibels of protection, 9 decibels more than the older headset.

Like the legacy Mickey Mouse headsets, the new ones will be worn over old-school earplugs, better known as “foamies,” Ligon said...."

...Additionally, the Navy is working on another type of sound-reducing, Mickey Mouse-style headset that will provide 39 total decibels of protection for sailors in very close contact with aircraft during launches, such as shooters and final checkers. They’re expected to be ready by 2015, Ligon said.

False Starts
The Navy looked at two distinct cranials to help reduce sound impact and provide head protection, but both had problems — one impaired the wearer’s field of vision, the other limited maneuverability because of its size. Ligon said that the service is still looking to update the cranial and that the new ear protection will be compatible with any new headgear.

In 2008, the Navy tested earplugs that were custom-made to fit the unique contours of the wearer’s ear, but they found that the combination of the cheaper foamies and the new earmuffs provided better overall protection, he said. A 2005 study by the Navy, Air Force and defense contractors, however, shows 79 percent of flight deck personnel don’t receive any sort of protection from foamies because they either don’t insert the earplugs deep enough into their ear canal or simply don’t wear them at all.

Only 7 percent of the 301 sailors surveyed used foamies properly.

The study also said that 75 percent of headsets didn’t fit correctly. The new ones are designed to provide better fits across the fleet, Aegisound’s website said."

Much more about flight deck clothing etc. at the JUMP.

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Sadly the swabbies will ignore all of this because they are young and bullet proof. I've lost about two-thirds of the upper frequency range from my enjoyment of the "smell of burning kerosene". I just shelled out $4K for a set of hearing aids to try to keep up with my grandson. Sailors, wear the foamies (correctly) and the mouse ears, please. Doh

'neptune' I agree. My experience was also being around jet engines in an era when hearing protection was an afterthought - protection rudimentary at best. Hearing damage accumulates and cannot be repaired (only hearing - what is left of it - can be enhanced by hearing aids as sadly 'neppie' has to wear now). I have upper frequency hearing loss and general hearing impairment with the usual 'say again' entreaty. WHAT? Very Happy

As an aside when the A 4Gs were first aboard HMAS Melbourne late 1969 the flight deck crew - especially the catapult crew and hook runners - wore sandshoes (which were part of the gear during the earlier Sea Venom era). They had cloth helmets but not sure if any ear protection at all otherwise. Within a few years safety boots and better ear protection were available (but not that good compared to today). Only from the mid-70s onwards did the flight deck crew have 'float coats'. Thankfully the VF-805 maintainer on the brakes of an A4G going over the side in a storm had such a float coat - which saved his life.

Forum: General F-35 Forum

Flight Deck Gear Gets Upgrade (Specific F-35 Sound Level)