Ventile Brochure

Ventile cotton was conceived from necessity. With World War II looming, the British Government foresaw a shortage of Flax, which was used to manufacture fire hoses and water buckets. Germany controlled the sources where Flax was grown and scientists at the Shirley Institute in Manchester were tasked by the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill to come up with a solution. After war broke out, the research brief presented to the Shirley Institute changed from developing fi re hoses and water carrying buckets to survival suits for pilots. The problem was that Britain depended heavily upon Russian shipping convoys to carry vital supplies across the freezing North Atlantic, and these convoys were highly vulnerable to attack from German submarines. Home-based RAF fi ghter escort cover was impossible due to the long distances involved. Winston Churchill promoted the concept of catapulting expendable Hurricane aircraft from the decks of merchant ships to provide localised cover. With no means of landing back on deck, pilots had no choice other than to ditch into the sea. The water was so cold that life expectancy was just a few minutes. Most died from hyperthermia before they could be rescued. There was an urgent call for a new, protective, breathable fabric that could be worn in the pilots cockpit under the glare of the sun, and also ensure survival by keeping pilots warm and dry if they were to land in the sea. After many trials, the scientists at the Shirley Institute developed a fabric they called Ventile – a name that re fl ected the waterproof fabrics outstanding breathability traits. The cotton used to manufacture Ventile was selected from extra-long cotton stable fi bres, which is only found in the top 2% of the world’s cotton crop. This enabled thin yarns of outstanding strength to be spun and woven – an essential element in the construction of Ventile. Ventile was so successful that it extended life expectancy of a pilot in the sea from just four, to over twenty minutes – the time it would take to recover a pilot in the water. Survival rates increased by 80%. Today, Ventile is still used by fi ghter pilots the world over. The fabrics incredible properties has seen its use extended into many other demanding locations, from Himalayan mountaineering to Polar exploration. Ventile’s versatility embraces everything from extreme to leisure environments. HISTORY Life expectancy of a pilot in the sea increased from just four, to over twenty minutes – the time it would take to recover a pilot in the water. Survival rates increased by 80%. Origins of Ventile