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Flight helmet used by the Brazilian Air Force in WW2


Ricardo
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Hi,

 

The Brazilian Air Force performed actions of ocean patrol and train protection alone or as part of the 4th American Fleet in World War II and 1st Fighter Aviation Group of the Brazilian Air Force (1st GAvCa) fought in Italy with the 350th Fighter Group, the then USAAF to fight the Axis forces.

 

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b-25bfab40-2310picifield1942.jpg

 

Images of a flight helmet used by Brazil in WW2:

 

Patrulha%2BMaritma%2BFAB%2B1.jpg

 

Ricardo.

 

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Do you have a specific story to that Type C? The reason I ask is it has the extra back straps that are generally believed to have been a postwar addition. It also has RAF Recievers in it instead of the ANB-H-1 Recievers used by USAAF units at that time.

 

As the Brazillian AF got British built Meteor jets postwar, it makes me think that helmet belonged to a Meteor pilot after WW2

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I think you might have the helmet of a fairly significant Meteor pilot. A little hunting on the web turned this up

 

"After the ground instruction phase, the Brazilian pilots completed an average of ten hours of flight on the TF-7, flying from Glosters airfield at Moreton Valence, before flying the F-8. The aircraft used during their training belonged to the batch acquired by Brazil. The first FAB officer to fly solo on the F-8 was Maj.-Av. J.E. Magalhães Motta, on 12 February 1953. The Meteor was considered easier to fly than the P-47, except for the brake system, operated by a lever on the control column; curves on the ground had to be made by differential braking."

 

 

Note the name of the first solo Brazillian Meteor pilot.

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Thank you for the informations, 38Driver! Interesting that story about the Meteors.

 

The RAF C-type Flying Helmet - Late Pattern was a Brazilian pilot called "P. Motta". I'm checking the records of the Brazilian Air Force on this veteran.

 

There is a record in a book called "Memoirs of a Patrol Pilot", the list of all pilots participating in these activities in Brazil's coast during World War II. The pilot's name was "Motta" in 1942.

 

Same flying helmet type:

 

http://www.historicflyingclothing.com/raf-c-type-flying-helmet---late-pattern_item_10098#.VQJQD3-9KK0

 

Ricardo.

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About the Brazilian Pilot:

 

http://www.abra-pc.com.br/index.php/artigos/mitos/416-13-brigadeiro-do-ar-joao-eduardo-magalhaes-motta.html

 

Translate:

 

To his contemporaries, was the code name "Tweety": what he liked to fly and live in the air. His book flight pointed thousands of flight hours.

 

One of its brands was to have been the only military aviator who, in his time, had flown all types of aircraft in active service in the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).

 

His most "sense of loss" career was not having had the opportunity to participate in the replenishment of the 1st Fighter Group in Italy.

 

Former combat pilot for the US Army Air Force (USAAF) in 1945, was instructor in Fighter Pilots selection stage (ESPC), Wing Commander, Commander of the 1st Gp.Av.Ca., Commander of the 1st / 14th G.Av. He led the Audit Committee and Receipt (COMFIREM) of GLOSTER planes in England and participated in the implementation of this machine in the first Gp.Av.Ca.

 

He received the second batch of P-47 acquired by Brazilian Air Force (FAB), after the war.

post-202-0-88888100-1426216421.jpg

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Sounds like an amazing man. I have an RAF type C with the same set up. It would have been what he was issued when training on Meteors and the Recievers a better match for the RAF radios in the Meteors. I bet he wore a USAAF A-11 helmet when he flew Jugs in WW2.

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  • 2 months later...

Great Helmet! Very very nice addition to anyone's WWII aviation collection. Also, my Mother's Maiden name was Motta.

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