Making a Better Helmet Strap:

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Air Force Research Lab biomedical engineers are working with the Air Force Human Systems Group and helmet-manufacturer Gentex to design and test a breakaway version of the Gentex chin-nape strap. The trick, say AFRL officials, is to develop a strap that ensures the helmet stays on long enough during high-speed ejection from an aircraft but not so long that it leads to neck injuries. The new strap’s metal buckle is designed to break away at a “predetermined force level to minimize stress on a pilot’s neck.”

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org