Photograph
by
Andy Leitch
A
river valley in southern Italy. It could get uncomfortably hot in the
Vulcan's cabin at low-level in warmer regions because the conditioning
was designed for high-level. Crews could wear an AVS (air ventilated suit)
under the flying suit and there was an 'Aertex'-type flying suit produced
with the ventilation pipework built into it though I only saw one once.
But since the 'ventilation' was warm, its use was of no value at low-level
so a mod was introduced that sucked air from the suit, the flow of which
across a sweaty body helped marginally. I believe water-cooled suits were
tried and I recall an ex-NEAF aircraft with punkah louvres that might
have been part of the same mod.