Identity area
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Title
Date(s)
- 1998 (Creation)
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Country of Design: United Kingdom
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
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Note
Invisible Men exhibition label:
RAF MK31 LIFE PRESERVER JACKET
Beaufort
1998
Designed to be worn by Royal Air Force aircrew, the MK31 life preserver is constructed from flame-retardant material and has multiple pockets to hold survival equipment. It features a large collar that is inflated using a Co2 cylinder if the crew have to ditch into the sea.
Cotton and Polyester
Archive no. 2015.52
Note
From Inside the Westminster Menswear Archive:
RAF MK31 LIFE PRESERVER
Beaufort
1998
The MK31 life preserver was created for Royal Air Force pilots flying supersonic jets such as the Tornado. It has a front plate closure and oxygen mounting plate to hold the pilot’s breathing regulator, which is connected to their oxygen mask. It features a large collar that contains an orange rubber bladder, or stole, that on inflation with a CO2 cylinder becomes a life preserver if the crew is forced to ditch into water. It is constructed of flame-resistant material and includes multiple pockets for storing survival gear, and was equipped with a whistle, a heliograph mirror for signalling the wearer’s location, and an inflation tube for reinflating the bladder if necessary.
Cotton, Polyester
Archive no. 2015.52