We always used the throat mike.

[ArtKramr]

One more point Dave.We used the throat mike with both masks, we never had a
mask with a built in mike. But when possible I would hold that throat mike
against my lips and talk into it to keep from being choked by the throat mike's
neckband.



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

[Dave Eadsforth]

In article >, ArtKramr
> writes
>One more point Dave.We used the throat mike with both masks, we never had a
>mask with a built in mike. But when possible I would hold that throat mike
>against my lips and talk into it to keep from being choked by the throat mike's
>neckband.
>
>
>
>Arthur Kramer
>344th BG 494th BS
> England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
>Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
>http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer
>

Thanks for that rider, Art, I have seen the occasional film where the
throat mike neckband seems to have been worn loose, and the mike was
pressed against the throat with thumb and forefinger when the guy wanted
to talk. Possibly a bit inconvenient at 'busy' periods... :-)

Cheers,

Dave

--
Dave Eadsforth

[WalterM140]

>Thanks for that rider, Art, I have seen the occasional film where the
>throat mike neckband seems to have been worn loose, and the mike was
>pressed against the throat with thumb and forefinger when the guy wanted
>to talk. Possibly a bit inconvenient at 'busy' periods... :-)

I remember watching the TV show "Twelve O'Clock High!" They -always- pressed
the throat mike to their throat to talk. It was like, "hey, dummies in TV
land, we're talking now." :)

Walt

[ArtKramr]

>Subject: Re: We always used the throat mike.
>From: Dave Eadsforth
>Date: 3/11/04 11:55 PM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>In article >, ArtKramr
> writes
>>One more point Dave.We used the throat mike with both masks, we never had a
>>mask with a built in mike. But when possible I would hold that throat mike
>>against my lips and talk into it to keep from being choked by the throat
>mike's
>>neckband.
>>
>>
>>
>>Arthur Kramer
>>344th BG 494th BS
>> England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
>>Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
>>http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer
>>
>
>Thanks for that rider, Art, I have seen the occasional film where the
>throat mike neckband seems to have been worn loose, and the mike was
>pressed against the throat with thumb and forefinger when the guy wanted
>to talk. Possibly a bit inconvenient at 'busy' periods... :-)
>
>Cheers,
>
>Dave


Well Dave consider that we always needed a throat mike, but rarely used oxygen
since most of our missions were flown in broad daylight at 8-10,000 feet. The
ocassional 12,000 foot mission we considered high altitude work. If all we had
was an oxygen mask with a built in mike it be annoying to have to wear the
mask when we didn't need it.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

[ArtKramr]

>Subject: Re: We always used the throat mike.
>From: (WalterM140)
>Date: 3/12/04 3:59 AM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>>Thanks for that rider, Art, I have seen the occasional film where the
>>throat mike neckband seems to have been worn loose, and the mike was
>>pressed against the throat with thumb and forefinger when the guy wanted
>>to talk. Possibly a bit inconvenient at 'busy' periods... :-)
>
>I remember watching the TV show "Twelve O'Clock High!" They -always- pressed
>the throat mike to their throat to talk. It was like, "hey, dummies in TV
>land, we're talking now." :)
>
>Walt
>
>
Walt, I am sure that is why they did it in movies, but it did have an element
of reality. Many guys couldn't tolerate that throat mike tight. It would result
in choking. So they wore it very loose and had to press it tight to be heard.



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

[Dave Eadsforth]

In article >, ArtKramr
> writes
>>Subject: Re: We always used the throat mike.
>>From: Dave Eadsforth
>>Date: 3/11/04 11:55 PM Pacific Standard Time
>>Message-id: >
>>
>>In article >, ArtKramr
> writes
>>>One more point Dave.We used the throat mike with both masks, we never had a
>>>mask with a built in mike. But when possible I would hold that throat mike
>>>against my lips and talk into it to keep from being choked by the throat
>>mike's
>>>neckband.
>>>
>>>Arthur Kramer
>>
>>Thanks for that rider, Art, I have seen the occasional film where the
>>throat mike neckband seems to have been worn loose, and the mike was
>>pressed against the throat with thumb and forefinger when the guy wanted
>>to talk. Possibly a bit inconvenient at 'busy' periods... :-)
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>Dave
>
>
>Well Dave consider that we always needed a throat mike, but rarely used oxygen
>since most of our missions were flown in broad daylight at 8-10,000 feet. The
>ocassional 12,000 foot mission we considered high altitude work. If all we had
>was an oxygen mask with a built in mike it be annoying to have to wear the
>mask when we didn't need it.
>
>
>Arthur Kramer
>344th BG 494th BS
> England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
>Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
>http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer
>
I guess the mask could be irritating for wearing several hours at a time
if you don't need it for oxygen. Again, in the movies, I have sometimes
seen RAF pilots with their masks unclipped, and they just pull it
towards their mouth when they want to speak. Very steely for the
movies, but I don't know whether that was a director's whim, or whether
RAF pilots actually did that. My own experience of wearing a mask (for
comms in open cockpit 'planes, not oxygen) tells me that a dangling mask
is an irritation, and it is not easy to clip on quickly if you have to
do that in a hurry - takes two hands and a hard pull, unless you've gone
to the lengths of bending open the helmet clip.

Cheers,

Dave

--
Dave Eadsforth

[ArtKramr]

>Subject: Re: We always used the throat mike.
>From: Dave Eadsforth
>Date: 3/12/04 11:34 PM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>In article >, ArtKramr
> writes
>>>Subject: Re: We always used the throat mike.
>>>From: Dave Eadsforth
>>>Date: 3/11/04 11:55 PM Pacific Standard Time
>>>Message-id: >
>>>
>>>In article >, ArtKramr
> writes
>>>>One more point Dave.We used the throat mike with both masks, we never had
>a
>>>>mask with a built in mike. But when possible I would hold that throat mike
>>>>against my lips and talk into it to keep from being choked by the throat
>>>mike's
>>>>neckband.
>>>>
>>>>Arthur Kramer
>>>
>>>Thanks for that rider, Art, I have seen the occasional film where the
>>>throat mike neckband seems to have been worn loose, and the mike was
>>>pressed against the throat with thumb and forefinger when the guy wanted
>>>to talk. Possibly a bit inconvenient at 'busy' periods... :-)
>>>
>>>Cheers,
>>>
>>>Dave
>>
>>
>>Well Dave consider that we always needed a throat mike, but rarely used
>oxygen
>>since most of our missions were flown in broad daylight at 8-10,000 feet.
>The
>>ocassional 12,000 foot mission we considered high altitude work. If all we
>had
>>was an oxygen mask with a built in mike it be annoying to have to wear the
>>mask when we didn't need it.
>>
>>
>>Arthur Kramer
>>344th BG 494th BS
>> England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
>>Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
>>http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer
>>
>I guess the mask could be irritating for wearing several hours at a time
>if you don't need it for oxygen. Again, in the movies, I have sometimes
>seen RAF pilots with their masks unclipped, and they just pull it
>towards their mouth when they want to speak. Very steely for the
>movies, but I don't know whether that was a director's whim, or whether
>RAF pilots actually did that. My own experience of wearing a mask (for
>comms in open cockpit 'planes, not oxygen) tells me that a dangling mask
>is an irritation, and it is not easy to clip on quickly if you have to
>do that in a hurry - takes two hands and a hard pull, unless you've gone
>to the lengths of bending open the helmet clip.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Dave
>
>--
>Dave Eadsforth


The dangling mask in the movies was so you could identify the character. With
mask and goggles on you would never know who the character is.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

[BUFDRVR]

>The dangling mask in the movies was so you could identify the character. With
>mask and goggles on you would never know who the character is.
>

I thought the 1991 Movie "Memphis Belle" did ok in the scenes where the crew
have their masks up.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

[Dave Eadsforth]

In article >, BUFDRVR
> writes
>>The dangling mask in the movies was so you could identify the character. With
>>mask and goggles on you would never know who the character is.
>>
>
>I thought the 1991 Movie "Memphis Belle" did ok in the scenes where the crew
>have their masks up.
>
>
>BUFDRVR
>
>"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
>everyone on Bear Creek"

I guess it would be easier to recognise bomber crews at their stations -
fighters could be a little less easy.

Mind you, in the film 'The Battle of Britain' it was fairly easy to pick
out the voices of Robert Shaw and Michael Cain - and John Wayne in
'Flying Leathernecks'!

Cheers,

Dave


--
Dave Eadsforth

[Howard Berkowitz]

In article >, Dave Eadsforth
> wrote:

>

> I guess the mask could be irritating for wearing several hours at a time
> if you don't need it for oxygen. Again, in the movies, I have sometimes
> seen RAF pilots with their masks unclipped, and they just pull it
> towards their mouth when they want to speak. Very steely for the
> movies, but I don't know whether that was a director's whim, or whether
> RAF pilots actually did that. My own experience of wearing a mask (for
> comms in open cockpit 'planes, not oxygen) tells me that a dangling mask
> is an irritation, and it is not easy to clip on quickly if you have to
> do that in a hurry - takes two hands and a hard pull, unless you've gone
> to the lengths of bending open the helmet clip.
>

Couple of questions about the WWII mask, and, for that matter, modern
masks. I have sleep apnea, and have to wear a night-time mask that
forces compressed air into my nose (continuous positive airway
pressure). In the years I've used it, there have been considerable
improvements in the comfort of the mask and its support equipment.

Now, understand this mask covers the nose, not the mouth, so the
irritation it would produce would be at the bridge of the nose or just
below the bottom of the lip. The first versions used a foam pad
standoff above the nose, padding the part of the mask to which the
headstrap attaches. That helped some, but there was quite a bit of
problem around the rest of the mask -- it had some flexible plastic
(think of a soft shower curtain) over the hard plastic edges, but there
was still a lot of irritation.

The more recent masks replaced the flexible plastic sheet with a thick
gasket of gel -- sort of like a blob of semidry rubber cement, except
not sticky. Comfort improved enormously.

Did any of the WWII masks have a soft edging around the periphery of the
mask? I don't know when foam rubber became readily available, but I'd
think of that. Some protective skin creams also might help. Was
anything like that used?

Also, a major improvement in reducing respiratory irritation is to
humidify the gas supply. Before ultrasonic humidifiers, I recognize this
might be messy in an aircraft, with the water in the reservoir slopping
around, but was anything like this tried?