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Vietnam helicopter pilot helmet question


SergeantMajorGray
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SergeantMajorGray

What helmet would be correct for a 1968 Army helicopter pilot display I'm going to be in the market for one soon but I don't know anything about them can someone help me out thanks. Will

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SergeantMajorGray

APH-5 would be the most common, but an early SPH-4 would work.

Thanks what is the price range on those I don't need one thats real nice or mint but I would like one that still has the visor on it.

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hawkdriver

$200 minimum. Anything less than that and you stole it or it has some real problems. I have seen really good copies go for upwards of $400

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SergeantMajorGray

$200 minimum. Anything less than that and you stole it or it has some real problems. I have seen really good copies go for upwards of $400

Thanks how do the helmets look on this website. http://www.bellsaviation.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=HH

I have a flight suit coming in the mail soon and I think I'm going to get a manikin to display it on what is something cheap that a pilot would wear that I could display on the head until I get a helmet?

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hawkdriver

Very nice and you are paying for it. If you have a two piece flight suit, then I would use a OG baseball cap with the wings on them.

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northcoastaero

The flightsuit appears to be a CS/FRP-1 or CS/FRP-4 fire resistant type. What is the contract date on the suit

(example: ...68-C-... for 1968)? I believe the lightweight version of the CS/FRP-1 was introduced around 1967.

The helmets used in 1968 could be the APH-5 in green or an earlier APH-5 in white then painted green or AFH-1

Aircrew Fragmentation Helmet in green. I believe the SPH-4 in green was introduced in 1968. Do not confuse

the USN/USMC APH-5 with the Army APH-5. APH stands for Aviators Protective Helmet. SPH is for Sound

Protective Helmet. Other flight gear you may need:

-GS/FRP-1 fire resistant flight gloves in olive drab Nomex and light gray leather.

-Flak jacket or pilot/aircrew body armor.

-Jungle boots or black leather boots.

-SRU-21/P survival vest in sage green with snap closure pockets. Velcro closure intro 1969.

-LPU-10/P life preserver or LPU-2/P life preserver.

-Pilots kneeboard with checklist. Probably Mark 2A unlighted kneeboard. Possibly aluminum MXU-163/P lighted

version with mushroom style light housing.

-Olive drab round style helmet bag with zipper closure.

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SergeantMajorGray

The flightsuit appears to be a CS/FRP-1 or CS/FRP-4 fire resistant type. What is the contract date on the suit

(example: ...68-C-... for 1968)? I believe the lightweight version of the CS/FRP-1 was introduced around 1967.

The helmets used in 1968 could be the APH-5 in green or an earlier APH-5 in white then painted green or AFH-1

Aircrew Fragmentation Helmet in green. I believe the SPH-4 in green was introduced in 1968. Do not confuse

the USN/USMC APH-5 with the Army APH-5. APH stands for Aviators Protective Helmet. SPH is for Sound

Protective Helmet. Other flight gear you may need:

-GS/FRP-1 fire resistant flight gloves in olive drab Nomex and light gray leather.

-Flak jacket or pilot/aircrew body armor.

-Jungle boots or black leather boots.

-SRU-21/P survival vest in sage green with snap closure pockets. Velcro closure intro 1969.

-LPU-10/P life preserver or LPU-2/P life preserver.

-Pilots kneeboard with checklist. Probably Mark 2A unlighted kneeboard. Possibly aluminum MXU-163/P lighted

version with mushroom style light housing.

-Olive drab round style helmet bag with zipper closure.

Thanks for that list now I need the money to complete it!

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The flightsuit appears to be a CS/FRP-1 or CS/FRP-4 fire resistant type. What is the contract date on the suit

(example: ...68-C-... for 1968)? I believe the lightweight version of the CS/FRP-1 was introduced around 1967.

The helmets used in 1968 could be the APH-5 in green or an earlier APH-5 in white then painted green or AFH-1

Aircrew Fragmentation Helmet in green. I believe the SPH-4 in green was introduced in 1968. Do not confuse

the USN/USMC APH-5 with the Army APH-5. APH stands for Aviators Protective Helmet. SPH is for Sound

Protective Helmet. Other flight gear you may need:

-GS/FRP-1 fire resistant flight gloves in olive drab Nomex and light gray leather.

-Flak jacket or pilot/aircrew body armor.

-Jungle boots or black leather boots.

-SRU-21/P survival vest in sage green with snap closure pockets. Velcro closure intro 1969.

-LPU-10/P life preserver or LPU-2/P life preserver.

-Pilots kneeboard with checklist. Probably Mark 2A unlighted kneeboard. Possibly aluminum MXU-163/P lighted

version with mushroom style light housing.

-Olive drab round style helmet bag with zipper closure.

 

SgtMaj

I may be able to help you some, I will have to go up in the attic, will take a couple days, Age and knee injury make it difficult to get up the ladder right now. Anyway I should have a knee board, two piece nomex flt suit, and possibly the nomex gloves. If you can use them send me a PM with your address. No charge just a gift from one collector to another. If you go to the flight helmet postings I have a couple pictured one from my tour in 1968 and another from my tour with the 101st in 71-72 this will give you an idea of what to look for in the period helmets.

Terry

 

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SergeantMajorGray

This is a real nice SPH-4 but I assume this is a late 70's model correct?

post-104619-0-22981700-1367530774.jpg

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northcoastaero

This SPH-4 appears to be a post Vietnam helmet with velcro on the housing and snaps on the sides for

Night Vision Gear (NVG) goggles. Also has the later earcup suspension (without leather on the front)

and chinstrap. Also, the boom mic element is the later green instead of gray M-87/AIC and the mic

boom is a ball and socket type instead of the earlier black hinged type. I have spotted an A-10A

Thunderbolt II aircraft in the paint on the back of the helmet shell. The SPH-4 may have been

introduced in 1969 and not 1968? I believe the part numbers for the various components were 69C...

I had a Gentex one dated 1970 on the spec. tag at one time. There may have been Gentex Developmental

Helmets (DH-?? or DH-??? designated)in service before 1969 that looked similar to the SPH-4 with the

big ears.

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SergeantMajorGray

This SPH-4 appears to be a post Vietnam helmet with velcro on the housing and snaps on the sides for

Night Vision Gear (NVG) goggles. Also has the later earcup suspension (without leather on the front)

and chinstrap. Also, the boom mic element is the later green instead of gray M-87/AIC and the mic

boom is a ball and socket type instead of the earlier black hinged type. I have spotted an A-10A

Thunderbolt II aircraft in the paint on the back of the helmet shell. The SPH-4 may have been

introduced in 1969 and not 1968? I believe the part numbers for the various components were 69C...

I had a Gentex one dated 1970 on the spec. tag at one time. There may have been Gentex Developmental

Helmets (DH-?? or DH-??? designated)in service before 1969 that looked similar to the SPH-4 with the

big ears.

I see the A-10 now so it looks like the camo was applied in the late 70's I guess. So it wouldn't be correct for the display but it sure does look nice.

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snake36bravo

My fathers Vietnam issue SPH4 was rebuilt so many times it's a Frankenstein. It's got an all white visor knob from his first flight helmet, gray boom mic, 2nd model suspension post-vietnam, velcro and surgical tubing for NODS from the 80s.

 

Like the camo SPH4 even if it's not kosher for Vietnam display.

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