How did pilots stay warm?

How did pitlots stay warm enough to fight in those old planes? With the wind chill and the altitude, I would have been looking for heat long before a synchronized machine gun.

[Michael Skeet]

Electrically heated flying suits were introduced in 1918. Before that, pilots stayed warm by wearing layers of insulating clothing. A typical outfit started with a layer of silk underwear, covered by woollen underwear. A quilted vest went on over that, followed by two shirts (a thin silk shirt and the regulation Army shirt). A couple of thick sweaters went on over all this, and the whole ensemble was then enshrouded in a three-quarter-length leather flying coat (prior to summer 1917) or a wool-lined Sidcot flying suit (captured versions of which were highly prized by German pilots). Lined gauntlets protected hands, and some form of fur-lined high boots protected feet and legs. Most pilots wore some form of silk scarf or silk stocking around the throat (silk was ideal as an insulator but was soft enough to prevent chafing from the constant head movements required in flight). A balaclava went under the regulation flying helmet; the face was smeared with whale-oil (again, for insulation purposes) and then covered with a mask which was either made of Chinese dog-skin or of Canadian wolverine fur.

In spite of all this layering, it sometimes got so cold that pilots weren't able to do their jobs properly. McCudden, I think, wrote of one day when it was so cold that he just flew straight without checking around, not caring whether or not he was shot down and just wanting the flight to be over. (Reminds me of walking to school during a minus-40 prairie winter.)

It is my understanding that the hide and fur of the Chinese Nuchwang dog was used as lining for many flightsuits of the "Sidcot" type; as it was found to be the warmest, lightest material of the time. The US used as many as 500,000 skins.

[mike_baram]

"The US used as many as 500,000 skins."
I wonder where the animal rights activists were.

There was a scene in "Knights of The Air" that showed MvR suiting up for a flight. Over his regular clothes he added a thick flight suit. It looked fairly warm, and I'd bet he had an extra 15 lbs of clothing to cram into that cockpit.

[Rittm]

There is also a picture of Manfred von Richthofen standing with Lothar, and he is wearing an all fur flight suit. It looked pretty wild.

[Rittm]

And oh, there was some heat that came from the engine if you didn't have a pusher type plane.

Simaltaneously snuggling multiple females of the opposite sex was also used by the pilots as a favorite method of warming up.

[PeterL]

Wouldn't that cause some difficulty with the joy stick Mark?

) Peter L

Peter, You are the flier, so you would know better than I. The closest I get to the air is when jumping my motorcycle :>}

[Vigilant]

I don't think it would do anything with the joystick nature didn't intend, Peter -- nudge --