Jeff Scism wrote.... >1. the photo shows a space suit I personally put together in 1980.< That's neat, Jeff!! Just out of curiosity and because I can't tell one from another, how could you tell that this was one you had put together? Are they specially made per each individual or.... ?? I can't imagine this being something that could be gotten 'off the rack', etc. Best, SueB http://www.cdbaby.com/suegilmore

Jeff Scism wrote.... >1. the photo shows a space suit I personally put together in 1980.< That's neat, Jeff!! Just out of curiosity and because I can't tell one from another, how could you tell that this was one you had put together? Are they specially made per each individual or.... ?? I can't imagine this being something that could be gotten 'off the rack', etc. Best, SueB http://www.cdbaby.com/suegilmore -- Each on is individually made, they come in 12 sizes, and we (at Beale AfB) were the only fullly functioning Spacesuit facility at the time.The first five shuttle missions had the suits made by us. (The same suit s used in the SR-71 and U2, which we had on our base). The Edwaeds AFB had a shop too, but they are much smaller than the one we had at Beale. Eventually the Shuttle did away with the ejection seats (which were SR-71 seats), the parachures and survival kits, because the ejection hatches were sealed. (They were afraid of an ejection happening by accident in space). Becuase we were making these suits for specfic people (and training the astronauts in how to use them, and how to eject). I know specifically which ones I built, fitted and modified. (basicaly our team f 125 technicians all had some part to build on each one, I primarily did Oxygen Regulators, and suit pressure controllers/Regulators. I also built and overhailed the Liquid xygen converter boxes, the little yellow suitcases the astronauts carry when they go to the shuttle.They provide pressurzed oxygen to the suit for the astronauts until they get hooked up t the shuttle system, it is important that they purge Nitrogen from their system before flight, otherwise they could get the bends.) There are a couple of websites thet show in detail what I did, although I am not mentioned. (But a lot of people I know are shown in the photos). http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/psd02.html http://webs.lanset.com/aeolusaero/Articles/SSuits.htm This is some text from the above site ( another of the suits built is shown at the top of the page, and later in the S1032 Section). The earlier David Clark S1030C and S1010B suits were precisely fabricated, multi-layered garments, weighing about 35 pounds each and available in 12 standard sizes. When their precursors were first produced in the late 1970s, each individual assembly initially cost the US Government over $30,000. The per-unit purchase cost of the newer S1031C PPA was nearer $100,000 and the expense of completely rebuilding one is almost as much as buying the newer version. The seven layers of specialized protection included long underwear, a comfort liner, a ventilation layer, a double-walled pressure containment layer, a restraint layer and a gold fabric outer layer (the gold-orange color of which is officially referred to as 'old gold'). The helmet featured an internal sizing and fitting system originally pioneered by the US Navy in its FPS developments of the late 1950s and has a sealing (clear) and non-sealing (tinted) visor; tubular ports for entrainment of special food and fluids in extruded aluminum squeeze tubes are provided in the chin area. Donning of the earliest suits took about 45 minutes with the help of two technicians and the services of the PSD (Physiological Support Division), although the donning time has now been substantially reduced in the latest model S1034 PPA. Many of the features of the suits were advancements of systems pioneered in earlier precursors made by the David Clark Company subsequent to the introduction of the archetypal XMC-2-DC model (precursor of the USAF A/P22S-2 suit used extensively in the X-15 project, as noted earelier) with vastly improved, new-generational systems developed from original combined US Air Force and US Navy FPS research programs. The latest of the S-series suits, of which the S1031C PPA is a good example, are equipped with a urine collection system (known as a 'piddle pack') that permits excreted urine to be dispersed in special lower leg semi-solidification storage areas; each is integrated to an outer combined parachute harness/vest assembly fabricated from the same 'old gold' colored material as the outer layer of the suit (the harness/vest assembly incorporates a life preserver system and automatic seawater-activated parachute riser releases called SEAWARS fittings). Maintaining internal pressurization at a constant 3.5 PSIG utilizing considerably advanced generational developments of the original US Navy aneroid type suit controller principle, the David Clark suits have been protecting pilots of the SR-71 and U-2 type aircraft at high altitude for somewhat over four decades. As noted earlier in the text, the first 4 flights of NASA's STS Orbiter were made with test crews of 2 persons, each wearing the special S1030A (modified Blackbird PPA known as the Ejection Escape Suit, or EES) assembly and seated in specially adapted SR-71 ejection seats. US Space Shuttle crews on operational flights (STS-5 through Mission 51-L) wore no special protective pressure garments. Instead, regulation NASA blue flight coveralls were worn with the NASA LEH helmet (NASA designation LEH was given to the military AOH-1, an integrated oxygen helmet combination termed the Assembly Oxygen Helmet-1). The NASA LEH (Launch Entry Helmet) was a virtually unmodified US Navy HGU-20/P visored flight helmet that was donned via a unique "clam-shell" hinging mechanism that divided the helmet into joinable fore and aft, semi-hemispherical sections. It featured a discrete oronasal area (face seal) with a sealable, sliding face visor. (Note: The original HGU-20/P helmet had been developed by the US Navy from the USAF HGU-15/P helmet projected for use by interceptor aircrews, but had been discontinued in use after the faceplate-visor was found to severely limit peripheral vision in tactical combat situations.) The helmet provided emergency oxygen in the manner of a standard pressure-demand oxygen mask, as well as crash and smoke protection, and had the appearance of a full pressure helmet, although it was not. Subsequent to the US Navy's decision to phase the integrated oxygen helmet out, the design was somewhat later revived in an adopted form by NASA for use on the early operational shuttle missions. This is the type of helmet assembly which was worn by the crew of the ill-fated Challenger space shuttle in 1986 and the crews which preceded them from the 5th STS flight through Mission 51-L. A Physiological Support Division website is also here which goes through the whole process we did several times a day, dressing SR71 Crews for classified missions ( U2R and TR-1A aircraft as well). Those who were chosen for PSD duty (modestly) were hand selected as the best in the career of "Aircrew life Support" and Physiological Support ( Altitude Chamber personnel) and required an extremely controlled exposure to some highly classified operational Information. It is a Unique place in the Miltary, and PERFECTION and Zero Defects is required. Jeffery Scism, IBSSG Links to my Homepages: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~scismfam/ Use the link below to join the S250 DNA project and order your DNA test. http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=L10857 "These cowards have no morals. They have no shame about lying" Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf AKA "Baghdad Bob"