Evaluation of Comfort Liners for Pilot Helmets

摘要

Armstrong Laboratory the Helmet Mounted Systems Technology Section (AL/CFA(HMST)) requested that the Systems Support Division, Materials Behavior and Evaluation Section (WL/MLSE) evaluate several existing pilot helmet comfort liner systems. A database on current custom fit helmet comfort liners did not exist. Armstrong Laboratory needs this database to guide the development of advanced helmet comfort liner systems. This report evaluated three different helmet comfort liner systems. The softest system is a closed cell foam-in-place silicone liner (FIPSL) by GEC Marconi. This system consists of an outer bag into which is foamed a silicone closed cell foam material. The most common currently used system is a Thermoplastic I Sheet Liner (TPL) by Gentex. This system consists of four or five sheets of thermoplastic material with hemispherical bumps. The most rigid system is an epoxy coated open-cell foam system called a Thermoformed Liner (TFL) by Kaiser Electronics. Coefficient of friction, compression and creep data are generated on each of the II helmet comfort liner materials.