SV-2B Naval Aviators Survival Vest
spe...@southwind.net
I am looking for some assistance in setting up my SV-2B survival vest, I need
to know what the contents and quantities of each compartment are. Also, What
is the typical sidearm used with this vest mine was manufactured in August of
1983. I was lucky enough to find this one in a surplus store in new never
issued condition about a year ago for $50.00.
Bob Wilson
Krztalizer
The sidearm at that time was a snub-nosed 38 that was useful only as a
signalling device or a suicide weapon. Think about it -- you are somewhere
that folks have brought down your a/c. The chances that they are armed with
something greater than a 6-shot 38 are 100%.
I can only speak for the squadrons and men I flew with, and a lot of the
crewmen got permission to carry their own personal weapons (small frame 45
autos and 9s were popular, however, oddballs like AW2 Majdanik carried a
whopper of a 44mag PitBull). The only rule was it had to fit inside that
pocket. (or be hidden inside your helmet bag or raft bag.)
As far as the contents of the vest itself, they varied a LOT, due to constant
updates. The key was it had to be as uncomfortable as humanly possible. I
think I still have a dent in my ribs from that &%$#@! bottle of iodine pills.
Most surplus stores can provide you with the standard aviator medical kit, and
usually the survival pack as well for the other side as well. I've seen them
consistantly at gun shows, too. The knife that fights that scabbord is really
standard and easy to find. The two things you should NOT include in your SV-2
are the flares (Mk13-mod-0; two hung in pouches from the bottom on each side),
and the pencil flare kit. The best reason not to include them is that they
are illegal in most cases, and dangerous -- the pencil flare can send a .38
caliber hunk of burning magnesium (methinks) 300 feet into the air or right
through your head.
Gordon
<=====(A+C=====>
Navy Seach & Rescue
THE HANGAR
Bob,
The contents of the vests have been under review for quite some time
and have recently gone through many changes. The subject matter experts
for all Naval Aviation survival gear are the Hospital Corpsmen (HMs) and
Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PRs) who work at Aviation Survival
Training Centers (ASTC). If you have a base close by, I'm sure that
these folks would be happy to explain what the latest configurations are
and you may even talk them out of a copy of the handouts they give us
when we go through their water survival courses every four years. These
handouts go into great detail. For a list of ASTC sites, go to
http://nmimc-web1.med.navy.mil/MED-02/med-23/astclist.htm . This site
is under construction, but will steer you in the right direction. Ask
the base operator for the phone numbers. You can also talk to the PRs
of any squadron, any base.
As far as weapons, they are normally not carried in the vest. When we
do carry weapons for certain operations, we carry whatever our small
boat or carrier has in the armory, normally a 38 revolver or 45 auto.
In some cases we're allowed to carry our own personal weapons.
Hope this helps!
Fly safe and often and don't shoot yourself!
AWC
http://www.users.cts.com/sd/b/bwickes/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
spe...@southwind.net wrote:
> I am looking for some assistance in setting up my SV-2B survival vest,
> I need
> to know what the contents and quantities of each compartment are.
> Also, What
> is the typical sidearm used with this vest mine was manufactured in
> August of
> 1983. I was lucky enough to find this one in a surplus store in new
> never
> issued condition about a year ago for $50.00.
> Bob Wilson
--
THE HANGAR
THE WEBSITE FOR AWs
Happy Holidays.........
http://www.users.cts.com/sd/b/bwickes/christmas.html
mailto:bwi...@cts.com
Dave Sutton
> krzta...@aol.com (Krztalizer) writes:
> The two things you should NOT include in your SV-2
> are the flares (Mk13-mod-0; two hung in pouches from the bottom on each side),
> and the pencil flare kit. The best reason not to include them is that they
> are illegal in most cases, and dangerous -- the pencil flare can send a .38
> caliber hunk of burning magnesium (methinks) 300 feet into the air or right
> through your head.
>
> Gordon
This last statement flies in the face of my experience......
1: Emergency signalling items are legal in all juristictions in the USA,
no matter if they are projected pyrotechnics or not. This would include
both the Mk.13 and the pencil flares. Check your basic FAA and USCG
regs if you doubt this. On 'most' flaregun sets that are bought in a boating
store, the applicable statutes are printed on the box, so Joe Boater can
show it to Joe Cop when questioned. It's a matter of context: Carrying
pyrotechnics in a survival vest is a different story than carrying a flare
pistol in your pocket in downtown Detroit (Although the idea of blasting
some miscreant with a 25mm flare does have some appeal as a defensive
technique, I believe that the authorities might question the validity of your
claim that it was a 'distress signal'...)
2: As far as the Mk.13, you would need to be REALLY dumb to
hurt yourself with one. If the guy wants to display a 'dummy' vest
with inert material, blow off a smoke and flare and shove the
empty can back into the vest. A live Mk.13 has not hurt anybody
that I ever knew, and we had the darned thigs duct taped just about
everywhere.... Right now the FAA _REQUIRES_ that a Mk.13 be carried on
the flightdeck of all commercial airliners (!!) and with their panic over
HAZAT, it wuld seem that if there were a safety issue, we would all be
carrying some $5000 'better mousetrap' flare.
3: The pencil flares are only dangerous when they are loaded and
cocked, and since the system is not 'loaded' except by screwing
the flare into the launcher, the stored system is 'practically'
foolproof. if you load one of these and then shoot yerself with it
then ya pprobably deserve what ya get.. ;-)
BTW, the old 'pencil flares' have been replaced by a similar
rocket flare, with a different initiation system. Does the same
thing, slightly improved design. All plastic for starters....
Dave Sutton pil...@planet.net
Yak-50, Fouga Magister, DeHavilland Vampire, MiG-17
"There is no substitute for horsepower...."
John Weiss
One correction -- The pencil flares are also VERY dangerous when loaded and
NOT cocked! There is nothing to prevent inertia from driving the firing pin
into the primer.
---------------------
John R. Weiss
Seattle, WA
Remove *NOSPAM* from address to reply
Dave Sutton wrote in message <680fac$k...@jupiter.planet.net>...
Jack Kenton
Don't think there is a requirement for these in airliners. I've been doing
cockpit and ramp (FAA) inspections for 20 yrs and don't recall anything
saying that we should have to have one in the cockpit. jk
Krztalizer
>
>
>This last statement flies in the face of my experience......
>
>1: Emergency signalling items are legal in all juristictions in the USA,
>no matter if they are projected pyrotechnics or not.
Try it in Norfolk, where I spent a weekend in jail charged with "Misdemeaner
concealed weapons" for exactly those two items. The key is, if they are on a
BOAT, they are legal. It didnt sound like that was the original poster's
intentions, so I didnt bother to mention it. Not many folks use a fully
equiped SV-2 in there bass rig.
Eric Anderson
Granted that the pencil flare and MK 13 flare may not be recommended for
those flying in the civilian world, but NATOPS 3710 still has those items as
MANDATORY on the SV-2B. And if you don't think they work, ask the crew of
the VP-9 crash in 1981 what got them spotted by a Russian trawler (MK 13)
Eric J. Anderson
AT1 (NAC), USNR
Krztalizer wrote in message
<19971227012...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
>>
>>
>>This last statement flies in the face of my experience......
>>
>>1: Emergency signalling items are legal in all juristictions in the USA,
>>no matter if they are projected pyrotechnics or not....
Katana
Here is a FACT...I cited An ACTIVE DUTY USN Captain for having MK13 nad Mk79
flare kits onboard his sailboat........he could have been cited for weapons
violations and theft of government property....he seemed to have this idea
that he had some sort of authority over me and well..lets just say...the
Captain retired soon thereafter
These kits are serialized and supposed to be accounted for daily at all
miltary installations.
They are for military use only......
1. it is illegal for civillain vessls/person to have these items
2. the mk80 flares in the mk79 kit are not illega per say...however the
Mk31 pencil flare launcher IS......it seems that gangs have aqquired there
at some point in time and that a 38 shell will screww right into the threads
for the launcher...making a dealy weapon both for the user and the
receiver.....
Krztalizer
>>>1: Emergency signalling items are legal in all juristictions in the USA,
>>>no matter if they are projected pyrotechnics or not....
>
>Granted that the pencil flare and MK 13 flare may not be recommended for
>those flying in the civilian world, but NATOPS 3710 still has those items as
>MANDATORY on the SV-2B. And if you don't think they work, ask the crew of
>the VP-9 crash in 1981 what got them spotted by a Russian trawler (MK 13)
>
>Eric J. Anderson
>AT1 (NAC), USNR
First off, that wasn't my quote. I included the other guys quote so you could
seee what I was responding to. And yes, those VP guys were lucky...well, at
least the Officers. The enlisted didnt come out so lucky. The original poster
was not talking about using an SV-2 in the real aviation/Navy world -- he was
discussing rebuilding a fully loaded SV2 for a display of some sort. You
really think the Navy wants him to have live flares in it? Gee,
almost-a-Chief; give me some credit.