XM-28 Riot Control Aircrew mask

[Bluespicker]

From time to time an SPH-4 pops up with bayonet receivers and unlike the HGU-39/P, these helmets have a complete visor housing and visors. There are several explanations for this and one is this rather strange mask. The XM28E4 Aircrew Riot Control Mask was used in the late 1960s by helicopter aircrew doing riot control duty. The mask is also believed to have been issued to helicopter aircrew in Vietnam when tear gas was in use. I can't find any photos/evidence of its use but I do have a complete mask and all the trimmings. It attached to the helicopter helmet via single point Bayonets which could explain why some helicopter helmets have oxygen mask receivers attached. I photographed this on a standard HGU-2 A/P to photograph.

[ThompsonSavage]

http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/forum/attention-detail-1-1-talk/627612-xm-28-gas-mask-bags.html

[ThompsonSavage]

I misread your post. I thought you were looking for the XM28 in general. Sorry about that...

[mohawkALSE]

What's the date on that mask? SPH-4s didn't start to use the bayonet receivers til the late 70s or early 80s for oxygen equipped aircraft like the OV-1 and U-21. Before they authorized that they just utilized the snap type retention harnesses. If this is a 60s dated item and Army specific its possible it would have been written with an APH-5. APH-5s used early Hardman Xmas tree fittings, then early Sierra self adjust bayonet receivers then the usual cast type for mask use. Go back real early with the first style Army APH they even had the leather tabs with snaps.

 

That is a very cool mask, only just recently read about it then saw your post as well.

[Bluespicker]

Actually, I think this mask is USAF. I believe it came out of Wright Pat Life Support. Not sure they didn't get it from the Army for testing though...

[mohawkALSE]

I live about an hour away from WPAFB, I wish I could hit some pay dirt on some cool life support stuff out of there.

[Bluespicker]

I lot of the stuff I have from Wright-Pat came from a very good friend who volunteered at the Air force Museum at Wright Pat. As he told it: one day a Lt from the Life Support showed up at the museum and said he had a store room to clean out and wanted to know if the museum wanted anything in that room. The museum passed as they are only interested in historically significant stuff. My friend said he was interested and they literally cut him loose in that room and gave him anything he wanted. A complete MA-2; complete K-1; number of partials pressure suits; many other helmets; some Bio-chemical masks etc. One of the things that came my way: I have a nearly complete set of Tech Orders for the P series helmets. and a lot of photos. I have perhaps the only complete set of Type designation sheets from the inception of the "HGU" up through the HGU-40's. These are the actual forms filed for each type designation.

So yes, there is documentation that clearly specifies the changes of a P-1 to P-1A.

Interesting story: the folks at Life support discontinued the P-1A and got clobbered by SAC who were still using the helmet. Some of the supporting documentation for the P-1A had been updated so life support decided to "tighten" up the paper trail and P-1B was born. Honestly, the drawings and some of the supporting documentation changes but the changes were already incorporated in the P-1B. So the P-1A and P-1B aren't really different but so many configurations exist that honest attempts to explain one from the other have been undertaken.

There is one helmet from this batch that I have been unable to examine. It is either one of 15 HGU-20s the Navy gave to the USAF for evaluation around 1968 or... it may be one of two actual HGU-15/Ps. Would be an exciting find!