GQ Parasuit

In the mid 1930s, the GQ Parachute Company developed a parasuit exclusively for the air gunners of Boulton Paul Defiant two-seat fighters, as the gun turret had no space to store parachutes.

Nick-named the ‘Rhino Suit’, it incorporated a main parachute and a smaller drogue parachute. Once the rip cord was pulled, the two leather flaps holding the drogue parachute opened, causing the main parachute to deploy. It also had a mouth-inflated extra layer in case the gunner came down over water. Although ungainly, the parasuit worked and the ‘GQ Parachute Club’ presented badges and certificates to survivors.