My collection of Flight Helmets - HGU 2, 26, 33, 55... second go

[stingray77]

Oh, thanks for pointing out to only share US-militaria-contens - my bad... Sorry and here we go again:

 

Although my second helmet was an AFH-1 (helicopter helmet - unused and still in it's original box) I don't have a picture at hand.

 

So the next one I'd like to show is this HGU-2A/P which (to my information) was given to a (US) Squadron Commander based in Bitburg AB when he was decommissioned...

 

(Okay, seems I will have to wait for a day to post more pictures of my collection... Hope you'll bear with me. )

 

[phantomfixer]

Looks like a nice clean 2A and 5P helmet display..very nice...and the Phantom sticker...well I like it.....and if from Bitburg...even better

[stingray77]

Thanks! This helmet/mask is really extremely clean - too clean, "unfortunately", as to ever having seen (much) action... But a great display, though...

 

Okay, the below HGU-26 joined my collection shortly after.

When I got it, it was plain white and had a MBU-5 with black hardshell ( => usually used by the German Air Force) and T-bayonets attached. The T-bayos didn't fit the bayo receivers on the helmet (those were angled in order to receive J-bayos), so I changed it for the shown green MBU-5 with J-bayos instead.

I also re-taped the helmet in "Woodland"... Now the display should look like Vietnam or post-Vietnam bomber-pilot's helmet.

[stingray77]

The "Top Gun"-movie was still biting my mind, so this HGU-33 was next in my collection.

 

I have no clue where it might have come from - no markings whatsoever on the reflective white taping... And the green hose on the grey MBU-12 shell is also rather interesting...

The velcro on the visor housing looks like standard Navy-issue but that does not go in line with the MBU-12 (instead of -14).

The helmet-shell already had the mount for the external microphone attached but was missing the boom mike itself. I added it but left away the cables. This boom now serves to hold my TrackIr when I wear this helmet flying sims...

 

My plan is to redo this helmet to represent VF-111 - I already purchased a spare visor housing and the needed reflective sunburst- and Omar-tape plus some white reflective tape as basis (spare, so I can roll back to its original state whenever I wish). I just need to live with the lack of accuracy concerning the mask and an addt'l boom mike on fighter pilot's helmet then... No big deal...

[stingray77]

Now, coming to the (even) more interesting stuff...

 

This is another HGU-33 taped in the colors of VF-114 "Aardvarks". On top of the accurate squadron taping, it has the correct (early green) MBU-14 plus CRU-79, Redar hose and pouch - and all the date codes are matching a 1983 something display...

[stingray77]

And onother -33 in the colors of what appears to be one of (if not THE) people's most popular Navy squadrons - VF-84 "Jolly Rogers".

 

When I got this helmet, it had a green MBU-12 attached (that one I upgraded to MBU-14 standards - but it was intended to go with my VF-111-helmet, which I will present shortly), so the picture shows it with the grey MBU-14/CRU-79/Redar I purchased as replacement.

In the meatime I puchased another green MBU-12 which I upgraded to -14 and which is giving this helmet now a more "integral" look again...

 

[stingray77]

Here - my "masterpiece". I always wanted a helmet of VF-111 "Sundowners", but this was rather hard to get... I ordered it directly from Customflighthelmets, having heard only the best about the quality of his retapes.

As expected the quality is pristine but it took (even him) quite some time to get all the hardware to build it. (Actually the shell is not a PRK-37 but a HGU-55 with the EEK-4 visor kit attached - but onle the pros would be able to tell the differences... )

 

Also shown is the green MBU which came with the VF-84 helmet, already upgraded to MBU-14 but still lacking the CRU-79 and Redar which came shortly after...

 

[stingray77]

I was rather happy to show my collection of helmets as helmets "only" for a while, but..........

As I was collecting all the other pilot's equipment over the time anyhow, it was only logical to set it all up as full display.

 

So, here's a picture of my US Navy VF-111 Tomcat-pilot - Top Gun graduate - of the 1983-85 period something. (Like the period-typical mustache? )

 

It's notewothy to point out it is fully equipped with all gear including a F-14A checklist. (Just the Colt 1911 is a fake one... )

 

Only thing missing are the Leg Garters which attach the pilot's legs to the Martin Baker GRU7 ejection seat.

 

So, IF ANYONE HAS OR KNOWS OF SUCH A SET FOR SALE, please drop me a note! Many thanks...

 

(Ah, inaccuracies shown in the pictures - like the brown boots - have been corrected in the meantime... )

 

 

[stingray77]

Although a thread for helmets, here's a picture showing part of the survival gear...

The "pyros" like the Mk31 flare pen and the Mk13 smoke/flares are pretty rare on the one hand and impossible to get shipped on the other - so I was glad when I was able to get a grip on these....

 

And as said: the Colt 1911 is a dummy/blank gun, only...

[BlueBookGuy]

A very nice display!!

 

a bit O.T. but, for once... :rolleyes:

these shots from my own VF-111 F-14 pilot, maybe someone won't believe but one of hardest parts at the time (here in Italy) were the pouches for Flare Signals and Dye Markers. Both of the latters I found here at a Militaria event so the problem of having them shipped from abroad didn't exist, but the quest for their correct pouches was lenghty indeed.

 

 

[BlueBookGuy]

[phantomfixer]

where di you get the woodland camo for the 26P? turned out very nice...

 

Nice collection of jet pilot helmets

[stingray77]

Yup, can imagine... I saw one of those pouches a while ago on flighthelmet.com. But it was only one of both and even that one has gone since.

 

My pilot does have to carry the flares and sea dye marker in one of the numerous pockets (appears to be correct as photos pretty often do show pilots without these pouches attached to their LPU/LPA...) - if I run into those I will try to get them as well, but I am missing these Leg Garters more than the pouches...

 

And, Franco, I already saw the pictures of your display when running into the USMF for the first time - cool.

On my display I decided for visor down, MBU off configuration as was when the pilot was on his way to the aircraft.

I also very much like the orange flight suit - but to my knowledge the only squadron flying in these (at least in/from the 80's on) was VF-114 - still great contrast of orange flight suit against green anti-g and survival gear!

[BlueBookGuy]

A good news for you, I found here the correct leg garters you search for:

https://www.flighthelmet.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FHL&Product_Code=EJSP-1252&Category_Code=EJSP

 

Hope it helps. Actually they only have left leg restraints, but those are really 90% similar and you could get two left-side ones, be sure it's the closest thing you'll ever go at while searching for them.

Years ago I sold my own PERFECT pair... do not regret them as the money I got was plenty worth them (I bought a parachute) but agree they are rare indeed.

Franco.

[stingray77]

@ phantomfixer: not sure, was either on ebay or from a guy I bought a helmet from - he still had an unopened envelope containing three sheets of this... Was an evening of (fun) work (after some hours of investigation how it had to correctly look...)

Some Australian was offering such a set one or two weeks ago - but I cannot quickly find it to say how it turned out...

 

@BlueBookGuy: thanks for looking it up - I already saw that one, but it's only one of a set of two... Nevertheless THANKS for your efforts!

 

edit: well, maybe I will rethink and purchase two of these left ones - but I'd rather get a correct set... Hm, the last time I saw those offered on ebay is around a year ago or so.......

[BlueBookGuy]

:blush: shame on me, I decidedly have grossly misunderstood. I believed they had two identical garters for a left leg..

[stingray77]

Well, the difference appears to be that left and right ones are mirrors of each others - surely invisible to the "untrained eye" but still a bit hard to oversee for me...

 

@phantomfixer: here is is: http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAAF-Flight-Helmet-Camo-Transfer-x-3-/131565899915?hash=item1ea1f0508b&nma=true&si=GaBTXMQDe9w0upk9Lth8dcu46yw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Turned out to sell at the starting bit of roughly 30 USD (40 AUD)... Just a little more than what I was paying back then...

I cannot say whether this is the real deal for RAAF, but it sure is for USAF.

[BlueBookGuy]

Here - my "masterpiece". I always wanted a helmet of VF-111 "Sundowners", but this was rather hard to get... I ordered it directly from Customflighthelmets, having heard only the best about the quality of his retapes.

As expected the quality is pristine but it took (even him) quite some time to get all the hardware to build it. (Actually the shell is not a PRK-37 but a HGU-55 with the EEK-4 visor kit attached - but onle the pros would be able to tell the differences... )

 

Also shown is the green MBU which came with the VF-84 helmet, already upgraded to MBU-14 but still lacking the CRU-79 and Redar which came shortly after...

 

 

Really a nice tape pattern!, not a easy task.

This reminds me of a more or less similar thing - should you someday have an helmet made in T-birds' colors and wishing to do the 100% correct stuff, remember they since about 1983 are using a true HGU-55/P shell together with a EEK-4 visor kit.

Not a HGU-33/P like perhaps half the world would swear they do, nor even a late pattern single-visor HGU-26/P.

 

Years ago I painted many T-birds repro helmets (hand-made airbrushed) for collectors, but the people - rightly enough, after all - gave me their pristine HGU-26/P, or even HGU-2A/P and the final result was the same 100% for what a repro could mean.

Just a couple shots, in the end no visible differencies as for what type of shell.

[stingray77]

Wow, great quality - whenever I have something to brush, I'll let you know...

[stingray77]

What I still need to add is a picture of my VF-1 "Wolfpack"-marked HGU-55...

 

Let me see if I can take a picture and post it later today...

[BlueBookGuy]

Wow, great quality - whenever I have something to brush, I'll let you know...

 

A great Thanks for the appreciation...! in the end (speaking of the job itself) not a great 'satisfaction' if related to the hideous time involved...

much better (for me)other different patterns.

Thanks again.

www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/214215-hand-made-repros-schemes-on-hgu-style-helmets/

[stingray77]

Okay - here they come... Relatively late (early '90s) VF-1 Wolfpack HGU-55 with MBU-14 (note the "late" Big Block-Amp on the mask), CRU-79 and Redar...

 

Excuse the poor quality - just a quick shot...

[stingray77]

...and from the back...

[Rakkasan187]

Very impressive collection..

 

Leigh

[stingray77]

...and a last one taken with flash...

 

You noticed: the "dog" looks to the other direction than it usually does - and it is not done in reflective tape. This helmet most probably is another re-do... Still a very nicely done one!