Military Aviation and Air Conditioning

[Jeff D. Welker]

OK folks; I need some help getting my mind right on this issue. Like many of you, I have been watching various military rigs fly in and out of Willie all summer long. As we all know, it has been an especially hot summer. I can't help but wonder how those pilots keep from suffering heat stroke. Below is a couple of images from yesterday. My truck thermometer read 108*. It had to be over 110* with the reflected heat on the ramp.

In the first image, these pilots (wearing long sleeve flight suits, pressure suits, parachutes, helmets, etc) sat in those Harriers (with their canopies closed) doing preflight "stuff" for 15-minutes. Then they taxied very slowly (again with their canopies closed) all the way to 30R for take-off - you know how far that is from the FBO. They had to be in those enclosed cockpits for close to 25+ minutes in all that heat. Now I'm told that military aircraft does not have any air cooling systems for the pilots - they just mix ambient and internal air. Well hell boys, it has to be getting near the 120* mark in those cockpits after a while. Now I know these Marines are tough, but do they really just sit in there own sweat and all that heat while they blissfully go through their checklists? I'd be in complete freak-out mode and screaming for help. Somebody educate me on how this works. I was dying sitting in the pagoda with my short-sleeved shirt and drinking a cool Gatorade.

Shortly after I took this photo, the ground crewman on the left threw-up several times. Now that could have been from too much partying the night before; however, it was in the afternoon and he looked like the heat was getting to him.


The skin on this Harrier had to be like a frying pan - what gives? Are they guys supermen or do they only recruit Marines that are incapable of sweating?


Please help me understand what the heck is going on. You know me, I'm not afraid to reveal my ignorance on any issue.

Thanks.

[wingsnstuff]

This young man has some serious guns.  The 96 point font letters USMC on his left tricepts is proof.   

[cpasley]

I had always thought they did have AC in the cockpit as I seem to have heard referance to the systems im american aircraft being better and more reliable to those in foreign aircraft, but the Harrier is a different beast and since AC systems can be heavy I would see why it would not be implemented

Im not sure how reliable Yahoo Answers is but I did find this also
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090411111852AAeuaIB

[Dave S.]

I think the yahoo answer is partially correct, for cockpit pressurization, they'll use bleed air from the compressor.  The aircraft avionics generally need to be cooled as well.  I know the Harrier doesn't have a powerful radar, but they do have other avionics and weapon systems whose electronics would probably need some form of active cooling.