Replacing the aging VKK-4 series of high altitude compensation suits in 1970s were the newly designed VKK-6 suits. They represented yet another refinment of the basic design that was developed somewhere around early 1950s. Since then, VKK-6 became the most widely produced Soviet high altitude compensation suit and is one of the most easily recognisable Soviet flight suits designs worldwide. In fact, even though newer VKK-15 now is in production, some versions of VKK-6 (such as this VKK-6M) suits are still in operational use.

VKK-6M visually is extremely different from the VKK-4P that I have in my collection. Not only did the suit was made out of differently colored material, it also has some rather radical changes. The first change, and in my opinion the most important one, is that newer suits got away from the rubber tubes that used to run across pilot's abs - I guess VKK-4 experience showed that these tubes were not really as effective as they thought originally to be. Inside of the suit did not got change though - VKK-6M still has the anti-g bladder installed there.

The other visual difference is that front chest area now has a zipper running through it. This made it much more easier for the pilot to get into the suit (in VKK-4 series, pilots had to get inside of the suit via shoulder zippers). Designers also decided to get rid of one of the shoulder zippers as it was no longer needed.

Overall, VKK-6M suit consists of the 3 anti-g bladders located inside of the suit - they cover abs and upper legs and interconnected with tubes to provide equal pressure. On the outside, VKK-6M has two rubber tubes running from buttom to the top - these are filled with air as soon as cockpit becomes unpressurized to prevent pilots from internal damage due to the pressure difference.

Manufacturer supplies information that suit was designed to help pilots withstand upto 10g and is capable to work at temperatures ranging from -50C to +50C degrees. It is unclear upto which altitudes it is safe to use this suit, but most likely the number is somewhere between 20km to 30km up (from 65,000 to 98,000 feet).

 

VKK-6M suit's carrying bag. It is identical to the carrying bags supplied with previous suits, but carries the VKK-6M name on the stamp.
This picture clearly shows the redesigned chest area of the suit. Front of the suit now has a zipper, addition of which allowed to delete zipper that used to be on top of the right shoulder. Overall, VKK-6M is much more easier to get into then the VKK-4P.
Front torso area of the suit. Note that VKK-6 series got away from the compensation tubes that used to run acros pilot's abs.
Stamp with a name and serial number of the suit located on the back right shoulder area of the suit.
From the back, VKK-6M is identical to the VKK-4P.
Overall view of the VKK-6M suit from the front and back.