HGU-36 Helmet Liner Question

[FtrPlt]

Anyone have an HGU-36 helmet (ballistic version of the HGU-22 shell). I'm curious about the liner configuration. Fighthelmets has a stripped shell which appears to have temple pads rather than the complete front edge pad used on the HGU-22 shells. I was curious if the styrene liner on these came up flush to the front edge of the helmet or if it sat back like an HGU-22?

 

My first thought was some type of padded edge roll but the helmet appears to use black rubber edge beading in the same way the beading is on the -22 shell

[Bluespicker]

I have a copy of the HGU-36 A/P Technical Order (1985 dated HGU-36 A/P) and I have an HGU-36 A/P in my collection. The TO makes no mention of anything but the styrene liner and pads for this helmet. couple oddities: the USAF has segmented spacer pads behind the frontal pad but the person who had my helmet just applied a single pad without the spacing pads. The Styrene liner is black and one piece and I believe it is correct. At first glance it doesn't appear to "fit until you look at the TO. In the HGU-2 without thick edge roll, there is grayish rubber pad across the front of the helmet. If you cut out the middle section of that pad leaving the two end pieces, they are in fact used to hold the liner in. So you have two small gray pads glued to the shell that hold the liner in.

[Bluespicker]

tO parts image

[northcoastaero]

I had an HGU-36/P or HGU-36A/P at one time. I believe this type of helmet was fitted with mask receivers and a boom microphone assy. It was used with the AC-130 Hercules gunship variants. The interior had a black painted styrofoam liner for use with fitting pads. The shell was cut wider and higher at the eyes. I have been told that the difference between the HGU-36/P and HGU-36A/P is that one was issued as a quarter helmet and the other as a complete helmet assy. I remember the temple pads on each side. I do not think there was a dense foam piece that connected the side temple pads like on the HGU-2A/P.

[FtrPlt]

Thanks for both your comments!

Bluespicker: the part you were referencing (on the HGU-2/-26) is the front edge pad (brow pad). I'm wondering if the reason just the small end-pieces (using the browpad analogy) were retained (and not the part across the forehead) is simply due to northcoastaero's comment that the shell was cut 'wider and higher at the eyes'?

 

In the drawing the styrene liner appears to sit flush with the top (forehead) edge of the shell. If the opening was indeed higher, the space occupied by the front edge pad would literally have been removed.

 

My next question would be the visor. It appears to use single visor tracks, and cover. Was it a standard plastic cover or the same ballistic material as the shell? Also wondering if would have to be specific to that helmet to not hang down and block upward vision due to the opening changes to the shell iteself?

 

[northcoastaero]

The helmet that I had used black single visor tracks on the sides, a visor with the MBU-12/P oxygen mask nose cutout, 6 black screws on the sides, and a hard plastic visor housing that was the same color as the shell. The visor housing also had open spaces on the back and a straight across edge on the front-no gull wing cutouts. The visor lock knob was the same style as the 1980s USAF white lock knob, but made in the same olive drab color as the shell. The lock knob was probably made by Astrocom? The end pieces of the eyebrow pad were probably

only used because the shell was cut wider and higher at the eyes.

[FtrPlt]

Is/was there a wear-out date for the HGU-36? The last update I could find is 31 Mar 97.

 

MIL-H437140A(USAF)

NOTICE 1

31 March 1997

MILITARY SPECIFICATION

HELMET, FLYER’S HGU-36A/P

This notice should be filed in front of MIL-H-87140A(USAF), dated 3 April 1987.

MIL-H-87140A(USAF) is inactive for new design and is no longer used, except for

replacement purposes.

Not sure of the date of this photo. Obviously HGU-36 and HGU-55's in use concurrently.