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My VF-126 HGU-55/p


thevespabandit
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thevespabandit

Hey all,

 

I'm fairly new here, so I thought I'd start by sharing some stuff I have. I don't have a lot, but this is something that's always on display.

 

I bought it a few years ago, it originally came with an MBU-5 mask, but i've simply swapped it for the -12 you see in the pic for aesthetic purposes.

 

I believe (hope) it's an original VF-126 HGU-55/p used by the adversary squadron when they operated the venerable F-16N...

 

All comments welcome!

 

Cheers guys, happy to be on board!

 

post-154221-0-01142200-1410588519.jpg post-154221-0-61009200-1410588529.jpg

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hello 'bandit,

 

greetings from Italy. A nicely-looking helmet your, it could (should) pretty well be original from that unit. Also true, the only piece identifying it - leather cover for the visor - is not granted having been on it ever since... we know how these things do work.

I personally never liked the HGU-55/P as for the helmet itself, almost anonymous and "without the souls" if compared to HGUs helmets from the glorious ages, but when in Navy style with all that reflective tapings and a bit of colorfuls emblems it comes to my (positive) attention anyway. The red star is gorgeous.

 

Your display is no doubt helped in being correct tecnichally 100%, coming together with a plain MBU-12/P mask as used when flying the USAF-provenance F-16. Navy aircrews of course went flying F-16s wearing in USAF items, thus the PCU-15/A body harness and the original -12/P mask with its simpler fittings (comparing to USN -14/P mask and its complicated gear).

Also IMO, more "elegant" to display when on a foam head - a Navy mask kind of needing a couple coils around the neck with its rubber hose, + CRU-79/P oxy. regulator, + fabric-covered extension hose, + terminal connections block.

 

please forgive ever-present my errors in writing English - a nice display. Now you must go on and complete the remaining of pilot.. I did a full VF-111 "Tomcat" pilot (from late '80s) and still is in my collection, just I spent here and there some three years back at the time!!!

Ciao - Franco.

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thevespabandit

Ciao Franco... tanto piaceri!

 

Mi dispiace, mio italiano anche non e tanto buono

 

Thank you for the welcome, and kind words!

 

Wow, I would love to see your complete VF-111 pilot... And I agree, the -55 is very generic looking, but still cool nonetheless. Especially compared to the US Navy versions of the APH-5/6 and PRK-37 family helmets...

 

Cheers/Salute!!

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Thanks!! Your Italian is 99.5% perfect... really.

 

VF-111 pilot is in "Flight Clothing", pag.2 - Collection from Italy, F-14 pilot.

 

Cheesrs - Franco

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thevespabandit

Wow, that set up is amazing!

 

Molto bellissimo! It is very hard to come across genuine Tomcat, 1980s era helmets... I'm growing very impatient in finding one, and unfortunately I don't know where to looks, but an HGU-33 is definitely next on the list for the collection! :-)

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Thanks for your appreciation!

Next November there will be a Militaria event here in Italy not far from me - a couple dealers/collectors are the only people here arouns still having, as for I know, genuine 1980s period Navy helmets on their tables.

I still do attend at these shows, even if collection is over since years ago.

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Couple of things to consider on the HGU-55/P.

The visor's are trimmed for the oxygen mask. If you swap the mask to an MBU-12/P then to be accurate, the visor should be trimmed for the MBU-12/P.

The earphones in Navy helmets are H-87 and the USAF used the H-143. I would suspect that the helmet is equipped with H-143 as the rest of the comms is USAF. You can tell which earphones by the openings: lots of small circular openings is H-87 while the H--143 has a three sort of circular openings.

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well, I'm not sure but suppose Bandit's helmet was used at the time together with a MBU-12/P - even if not, I saw many a photo of -55/Ps (both USAF and Navy) being utilized with -12/P masks, yet their visors clearly were still trimmed for older MBU-5/P.

 

Not a true error and no problems about this.

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thevespabandit

Thanks for your appreciation!

Next November there will be a Militaria event here in Italy not far from me - a couple dealers/collectors are the only people here arouns still having, as for I know, genuine 1980s period Navy helmets on their tables.

I still do attend at these shows, even if collection is over since years ago.

Very interesting, I will have to find a way to get in contact with these collectors, unfortunately I live very far from Italy :-p

 

 

Couple of things to consider on the HGU-55/P.

The visor's are trimmed for the oxygen mask. If you swap the mask to an MBU-12/P then to be accurate, the visor should be trimmed for the MBU-12/P.

The earphones in Navy helmets are H-87 and the USAF used the H-143. I would suspect that the helmet is equipped with H-143 as the rest of the comms is USAF. You can tell which earphones by the openings: lots of small circular openings is H-87 while the H--143 has a three sort of circular openings.

I'll have to double check, as the helmet originally came with a double bungy clear/smoke visor. I've swapped the visor around which is cut for a -12 and put the -12 mask on. I'll have to find what the original visors were cut for...

And I've just had a look, they are indeed H-143's in the helmet at the moment.

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