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My first flight helmet


krautpot
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My second piece of leather from last week. I am a helmet guy, so it was no big step from steel to leather. The helmet is in awesome shape. Is it a WWII model or postwar? I dont know anything about these helmets.

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I just become interested in these also so I'm lacking in knowledge. What I can tell from what I've seen is that there seems to be no end to variations. I think a lot of that is that standard models were modified in many ways, most of which relate to the addition of headphones. Of course you walk right into another addiction thanks to goggles, oxygen masks, microphones etc.

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I just become interested in these also so I'm lacking in knowledge. What I can tell from what I've seen is that there seems to be no end to variations. I think a lot of that is that standard models were modified in many ways, most of which relate to the addition of headphones. Of course you walk right into another addiction thanks to goggles, oxygen masks, microphones etc.

Another addiction... B) " I need to have the missing parts, oh and there is another helmet model." My wife won't be amused.

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Helmet looks like a nice WW2 era type A11 flight helmet. Came out around 1943 I believe and was made up to the end of the war and a little beyond in a modified version. This one is USAAF property marked and looks to date from WW2

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Helmet looks like a nice WW2 era type A11 flight helmet. Came out around 1943 I believe and was made up to the end of the war and a little beyond in a modified version. This one is USAAF property marked and looks to date from WW2

Made in WWII, nice to hear. Thank you for the info!

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be prepared to shell out some money for an original loom to compliment that A11 , receivers do come up for sale quite often , as do the oxygen mask clips ,

A great source of info is Mathieu Bianchis book " flight gear 1942 - 1945 "

 

Pm me if you need any help ! :)

 

LB

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Hint on inserting 70 year old earphones in the helmet. It a good idea to heat the ear cups up a bit (hair dryer?) and be careful not to split them as you insert the earphones. Anyone have any sage advice for how best to do this? Anyone have any problems?

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It took me nearly 2 hours to get a pair inserted on a helmet i have , take your time and dont force anything !! use some kind of lubricant ,vaseline perhaps

 

LB

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2 hours? Omg.

But that was with my AN-H-16 , which is a somwhat rarer type of helmet and i dint want to go screwing it up !! ;)

 

A little patience and and steady hand ! The hair dryer method worked for me ,just to give some suppleness to the rubber of the harvard ear cups and some natural lubricant like vaseline worked for me

 

Use a blunt instrument like a spoon handle to help "lever" the receiver in place

 

Remember they were not originally inserted this way , they were fitted from inside the earcup then chamois was stitched on afterwards

 

LB

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Hi.

 

There is a faster way but it is pretty rough .....

 

You remove the inside cushion and then you glue them back. When you come from the inside it is easier. It takes 15 minutes and there is no way to tell. That's how I do

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