Gee

:This article is about the unit of acceleration. GEE is also the name of a WWII radio navigation device built and implemented by the RAF for use in night bombing. For the Latin alphabet letter, see G.

Usage of the unit

The g is used primarily in aerospace fields, where it is a convenient magnitude when discussing the loads on aircraft and spacecraft (and their pilots or passengers). For instance, most civilian aircraft are capable of being stressed to 4.33 g (42.5 m/s²; 139 ft/s²), which is considered a safe value. The g is also used in automotive engineering, mainly in relation to cornering forces and collision analysis.

Related Topics:
Aerospace - Aircraft - Spacecraft - Automotive

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One often hears the term being applied to the limits that the human body can withstand without blacking out, sometimes referred to as g-loc (loc stands for loss of consciousness). A typical person can handle about 5 g (50 m/s²) before this occurs, but through the combination of special g-suits and efforts to strain muscles —both of which act to force blood back into the brain— modern pilots can typically handle 9 g (90 m/s²). Resistance to "negative" or upward gees, which drive blood to the head, is much less; typically in the 2-3 g (20 to 30 m/s²) range the vision goes red, probably due to capillaries in the eyes bursting under the increased blood pressure.

Related Topics:
Blacking out - G-loc - G-suit

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