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APH-5 compared to AFH-1 flight helmets. Pads needed too!


billgiff
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Could someone please point out the differences between these two helmets (APH-5 and AFN-1)?

Which mic would be on each or did they both use the M-33A and M-87. Thanks, Bill

 

P.S. Does anybody have any front, back or crown leather pads for sale or trade?

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The AFH-1 has a ballistic nylon shell instead of the APH-5's glass fiber shell. You can tell the difference pretty easily because the AFH-1's shell is a lot thick and it has a much thicker edge roll (the black rubber running around the edge of the shell). Otherwise, they are very similar and use many of the same components.

 

As far as the boom mic goes, I think the AFH-1's always used the M-87. I don't recall having seen one with the earlier M-33 and the ones I used to have had the later M-87 mic.

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Not sure when exactly but the Army started retrofitting new mics on APH-5 helmets. Might have only been a local retrofit too vs Army wide. I only know from my fathers perspective. When he was in flight school in 68, he had a 68 contract Sierra APH-5 with the M33 black banana mic. They never took that helmet back and he went to Vietnam with it in 1969. He used it for a month or so before being issued a new SPH-4 helmet. Either when he got to Vietnam or right after he got back CONUS, life support installed a M87 mic on the helmet with the same style single pivot boom that that 1969 contract SPH-4's had. If I recall right from a pic of him flying in Vietnam, he still had the M33 on it, so I'm thinking they changed to the M87 mic in 1971 stateside. That is still the mic that is on his APH-5 til this day. APH helmets were still being used CONUS as well as the old K-2B flight suits since all the SPH helmets and new 2 piece nomex flight suits were going straight to Vietnam. So with all that said, I guess depending on the time frame you want to represent your APH helmet, you can choose either mic.

 

Side note on AFH-1 helmets, they did away with that goofy little stitched on leather boot that APH-5's had to cover the microphone jack. The AFH-1 had the black rubber grommet that HGU helmets had/have. The headset cord assemble was detachable also similar to how a HGU helmet would be setup vs the hardwired headset cord assembly.

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