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Featured Solutions for Use at Sea

Commercial & Military
CO2 Cartridges and Re-arming Kits for Inflatables

woman pilot
Supplying the fighting forces has been our tradition since 1965. Critical mission components are on every “no-go” list in the military. You can’t send a fighter pilot out on a mission without a properly re-armed PFD. If it’s not ready, that is a “no-go item and the mission can not begin until you can clear the “no-go” status. Leland places PFD cartridges around the world every day.

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If you are still having problems, give us a call during EST business hours and we’ll help you right away. You can also just click here.

NOTE OF INTEREST: Photos from WWII click here.

Photos courtesy of US DOD.

military jet MILITARY AVIATION
Select the proper inflation cartridges and cylinders from a listing of MIL-SPEC and NSN’s.

need image_do u have one GENERAL AVIATION
Select the proper inflation cartridges and cylinders from a listing of general purpose marine lifejackets.

navy ship NAVY
Select the proper inflation cartridges and cylinders from a listing of MIL-SPEC and NSN’s.

commerical jet COMMERCIAL
Select the proper inflation cartridges and cylinders from a listing of MIL-SPEC and NSN’s.


Photos from World War II

These historical photos are from the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson Arizona. If you have any photos of early life jackets or small one man life rafts we would love to post them in this area. Please contact us.
WWII Life Raft
Click Image to Enlarge
The “One Man” life raft was one of the best innovations for pilots during WWII as cold water was responsible for many deaths. The idea was to get the pilot out of the water. At the time, the US Navy felt that a single Leland P/N 52053CO2 (MIL-C-52053) 2.0oz CO2 would be enough gas for the raft to inflate into a shape and provide enough flotation for the pilot to grab onto it and keep afloat. However, the pilot has to find the oral inflation tube and top off the filling of the raft in order for it to be strong enough to climb onto. It worked, but unfortunately today, the NAVSEA and NAVAIR command is stubborn about partial inflation safety gear. The industry has made several attempts in the early 2000-2005 period but the programs ran out of money.
WWII PFD
Click Image to Enlarge
The US military pioneered the inflatable life jacket to what it is today. But back them, the coated fabric was more like a rubberized material and easily dried out. So the military found that talcum powder kept the material pliable. The term “Mae West” came about from the the fact that one looked like the busty Mae West when the life jacket inflated. The term stuck and is still heard on US bases today.
Click Image to Enlarge
The famous crotch strap was the most uncomfortable thing about those old school life jackets. If you had to inflate it in the water, that crotch strap was pretty uncomfortable. New designs eliminate this by going with a wider waist belt.
WWII PFD Cartridge
Click Image to Enlarge
The early military inflation devices used simple non threaded 8g CO2 cartridges which were made by the millions for Seltzer bottles back then. Unscrew the cap and drop one in. Again, it was just enough flotation to get the device into a shape, adding some of your own breath was the key to floating.
WWII Aviaiton PFD
Click Image to Enlarge
Many pilots and crewmen drowned during WWI because their Mae West was exposed and was easily damaged while they working or getting shot at. So when they went to use their life jacket it often failed. It was not until the Korean conflict did the Military start to roll up the inflation cell out of harms way.

 

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CO2 Cartridges and Re-arming Kits for Inflatables

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