To ensure physical accommodation of humans in aircraft crew stations, aircrew traditionally were selected on the basis of specific standards. To be effective, these standards must be based on anthropometric limitations imposed by actual crew stations. Evidence suggests this generally is not the case. Instead, selection standards have frequently evolved from (1) aircraft design recommendations, which often bear little relationship to the finished product, or (2) anthropometry of existing aircrew, which ignores the issue. Recognizing this problem, the Canadian Forces (CF) has undertaken a large-scale study known as ACCE (Aircrew/Cockpit Compatibility Evaluation). A computer-based modelling strategy was developed to determine anthropometric limitations, on a crew station by crew station basis, and their subsequent effect on accommodation of pilot and navigator populations. The approach is attractive because it encompasses possible multivariate relationships between anthropometry and crew station geometries, and it is sub-population independent; it assumes a human anthropometry but is blind to gender, nationality, and race-specific differences. The flexibility of this strategy has allowed assessments of fit for both female and male populations in two CF aircraft - the CT133 utility jet and the CH136 light observation helicopter. Results show that current CF selection standards do not represent the range of anthropometry these aircraft can accommodate. This leads to biases in selection against females and small males.


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    Title :

    Anthropometric Accommodation of Females in Canadian Forces Aircraft Crew Stations


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1990


    Size :

    13 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





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