Windak Suits (1962)

A very British Astronaut...

This is the High-Altitude Windak Pressure Suit developed in 1962 by Baxter, Woodhouse and Taylor Ltd. to fulfil R.A.F. requirements.  The suit was constructed from a single layer of gas tight rubberised silk bonded to strong cotton. It was internally pressurised by air in order to achieve a higher pressure upon the wearer's body than naturally occurs at very high altitudes and beyond.

And if Britain had have got to all of those German rocket scientist after the war instead of the Americans and the Russian then we would have gone into space most probably dressed like this.

Alas it wasn't to be, and our own attempts at a getting a man into orbit never really got off the drawing board, let alone the ground, and so these suits were eventually retired having never had the chance to become all that they might have been.

Except.....

Steve