The Anti Gravity Suit

Did you know Canada.. in 1941, Dr. Wilbur Franks, of Weston, Ontario, invented the G-Suit, which allowed fighter pilots to carry out high-speed maneuvres without blacking out. Used by Allied pilots from 1942 onwards, it led to the development of modern day astronauts' suits.

(Image source: University of Toronto Archives/a1978-0041/007(35))

This picture from 1962 shows Wilbur Rounding Franks, a professor in U of T’s Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, posing with the Franks Flying Suit.

It is still the foundational design for contemporary fighter-pilot and astronaut pressure suits.