Helpful tip for anyone with an A-11 or AN-H-15 without receivers

[lritger]

As anyone who's been looking for a WWII USAAF flight helmet has probably seen, the helmets with the receivers already mounted tend to go for rather high bucks. I picked up an AH-H-15 last year with empty ear cups, and have been keeping my eyes open for a set of inexpensive ANB-H-1 receivers to no avail.

 

A few days ago, I found someone selling a pair of H-2 receivers with rubber cups for super cheap (13.99, buy it now!), and on a hunch, I went ahead and bought them. Turns out the H-2 receivers are the exact same size as the ANB-H-1s, except the casing is metal instead of bakelite, and the wire connector screws are smaller. I then had a brainstorm... I had picked up a decent condition HS-33 headset last year for cheap, which has the ANB-H-1 receivers in it. I disconnected the old receivers, swapped the rubber ear cups onto the H-2s and snapped them into the headset brackets, and connected up the wires... you can't tell the difference. And I then took the original ANB-H-1s, applied a very thin skin of oil around the outer edge, and worked them into the rubber ear cups of my AN-H-15 helmet. All I have to do now is build a wiring loom with a PL-354 plug (still easily found, looks like) and my helmet will be complete.

 

 

So if you've got an old HS-33 headset knocking around, or if you just want something to fill the holes in your helmet, the H-2s will work and will likely be less expensive than the original ANB-H-1 receivers.

 

Cheers all,

 

Lynn

[Sabrejet]

ANB-H-1s

[strawberry 9]

Was there any trick besides the oil for getting the receivers into the flight helmet? I've tried with no luck.

[Sabrejet]

Use the handle of a teaspoon like a tyre lever...plus a little lubrication like dish washing liquid.

[lritger]

Was there any trick besides the oil for getting the receivers into the flight helmet? I've tried with no luck.

 

Well, I also had to use a dental tool to GENTLY pry the edges of the receiver cups upwards while pushing the receivers into the cups... believe me, it's a TIGHT fit. I originally tried a little liquid soap (a common trick in bike shops for getting new grips onto handlebars) but that didn't work worth a hoot. So I put some 3-In-1 Oil on a Q-tip and ran it around the outer edge of the receiver, and the inner edge of the receiver cup. That little bit seemed to do the trick.

 

Just be patient and keep working them, they'll get in there.

 

Lynn

[strawberry 9]

Thanks, I'm thinking about trying again. I'm just concerned about tearing the rubber earpiece.

[doyler]

I have heard people using chapstick or a block of bees wax to lube the recievers or ear cups for ease of installation.Havent tried it personally.Also mineral oil.Would warming the ear cups with a hair dryer make the rubber more pliable??

[lritger]

I have heard people using chapstick or a block of bees wax to lube the recievers or ear cups for ease of installation.Havent tried it personally.Also mineral oil.Would warming the ear cups with a hair dryer make the rubber more pliable??

 

 

Doyler, the cups are mighty thick except for the very edges where they flare out around the receivers... mine had a few hairline splits around that edge. I don't know if warming them would help, but considering how much handwork is necessary to get these things in there, I'm not sure how much it might've helped.

 

Bee's wax and chapstick might be useful lubricants as well; I went with the 3-In-1 Oil because a) it was handy, and my first pass with the liquid soap convinced me the receivers would really need to be slippery to get through that opening.

 

Cheers,

 

Lynn

[Sabrejet]

60+ year old rubber tends to lose some of its natural elasticity and can become somewhat brittle. For example, I've seen renactors wear WW2 GI service shoes only to have the rubber soles crack and split apart from side to side! Fitting receivers into the rubber earcups of a 1940s flying helmet is a calculated risk so proceed with caution!

[strawberry 9]

Yes, I'm hesitante to try again. It would look better on display but might damage the helmet which is in very good condition. Decisions, decisions.

[lritger]

Fitting receivers into the rubber earcups of a 1940s flying helmet is a calculated risk so proceed with caution!

 

 

Fully agreed Sabrejet... I'm quite pleased with how they turned out, although I do wonder if it might be possible for some enterprising soul to make resin casts of the outer parts of the ANB-H-1 receivers that will almost drop into the helmets with a slight push, thus precluding the need to stretch out those earcups in such a fashion. After all, it's not like the majority of us are ever going to actually return these helmets to fully functional condition with operable receivers.

 

Hmmmm... might be time to make a call or two.

 

Cheers,

 

Lynn

[pararaftanr2]

Hello Lynn,

When concerned about damaging the rubber, and if only for static display, the larger ring on the ANB-H-1 ear phone can simply be unscrewed, allowing the remainder of the assembly to be press-fitted from the outside, as you suggest.

Regards, Paul

[juvatwad]

The receivers can be installed from the inside. The chamois covering and the donut on the inside of the helmet are simply glued in. It's possible to peel these away then install the receivers without any damage to the rubber.

 

Ian

[lritger]

Paul and Ian, thanks much for your thoughts on this... I'm glad I came back to check on this thread. I did not realize the flange would unscrew on the H-1 receivers. Ian, I did look at trying to pull up the internal chamois "donut" but mine appeared to be stitched in... maybe I just looked at it wrong. If I need to remove the receivers, I will look at doing it this way.

 

Thanks again, all!

 

Lynn

[jayhawkhenry]

Warming the rubber with a hairdryer does work. I have used a combination of olive oil and the hairdryer to slip receivers into the helmet, but as said above, it is a risk and needs to be done with a lot of caution. You want to ease then in, don't force them. Good luck.

[Bluemax]

I'm a new guy to the forum... I just had found a new old stock HS-38 (ABN-H-1 receivers) for my recently acquired A-11 flight helmet and found this topic while searching for tips on installing same into the helmet's Harvard ear cups.

 

Fortunately, the helmet is like new and the rubber very supple, and all went well with no damage to the cups or receivers. I wanted to thank those who had participated in this very useful topic.... the suggestion to use a Q-tip, Olive Oil and especially the use of a spoon to "tire iron" the receivers in was brilliant.... it worked perfectly !

 

I live near Oshkosh,WI , home of War Bird Alley during the EAA Airventure, one of the largest week long airshow (arguably) in the world. Aviation stuff is a hot ticket around here. Oshkosh is home to many original WW1, WW2, Korean, Vietnam War aircraft... especially popular with me is the EAA's B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" and Paul Poberezny's P-51D "Paul I".

 

My next project, having the complete helmet, O2 mask and goggles is a display head to put it on...

 

Mike

Wisconsin,USA

[willysmb44]

I used olive oil and a mess kit spoon the one time I put into into a A-11, that fit me (which I still have). Slid right in, but it also ripped the lining on the inside, I didn't think about how far it'd go into that space. Only ripped one side a bit but that still annoys me, almost 20 years later.

[gap]

How do you remove the receivers from the metal mounting bracket? Are the two holes in the receivers noticeable when the receivers are installed in the helmet?

[phantomfixer]

If I recall the pin holes on the ANB-H-1 receivers are a production design to allow for universal use for the helmet or the HS-33 headset..and I could be mistaken, I have swapped out many headset and helmet receivers over the years, maybe I just got lucky...

[AV8R]

Hello and this is my first post.

Been collecting WW2 pilot headgear and cockpit items for years. Recently picked up a helmet and recievers. Found this thread...

 

I tried the oil or soap with spoon method to insert the ANB-H-1 receivers into a A-11 leather flight helmet. I had acquired both independently. I could see that if inpersisted, the 70+ year old rubber earcups would crack or split, so I stopped to think out of the box. What i thought was i doubt these were put in originally from the outside, but rather the inside as the helmet was assembled (unless the rubber was far more mallable than it is today).

 

So i decided to very gently remove the sheepskin cloth inner earcup receiver covers. The old glue can be pulled on and the thin cover edges pulled back if I was very slow and careful not to tear them.

 

It turned out nice and i have pictures, but they are too big to upload to this forum, and html image tags didnt work here