Flak jacket
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A flak jacket is a form of protective clothing originally developed by the Wilkinson Sword company during World War II to help protect Royal Air Force (RAF) air personnel from the flying debris and shrapnel thrown by German anti-aircraft guns' flak (Fliegerabwehrkanone), a type of exploding shell. The jacket consisted of Manganese plates sewn into a waistcoat made of ballistic nylon (a material engineered by the DuPont company); therefore, flak jackets functioned as an evolved form of plate armour.
Unfortunately, flak jackets proved to be too bulky for wear within the confines of the RAF's standard bomber aircraft, the Avro Lancaster. The Royal Air Force subsequently offered the jackets to the United States Army Air Forces, which adopted them as a Defense Standard. Ultimately, however, the jackets proved to be less effective than hoped, and are now generally considered to be inferior to body armor.
75% of battlefield injuries are non-direct fire (flak).[citation needed]
In modern usage, the term flak jacket sometimes refers to contemporary bulletproof vests, or to a rib-cage protector worn by a quarterback in American football.
