Flying Helmets

[Ronnie]

Here are two Flying Helmets I've had for a while now. The A11, O Mask and goggles came from a 3 war veteran. I got a lot of stuff from his widow and if I can find the photos I will post them cause it was a great find.

[BROBS]

wow really love that A-11 setup especially that it's named.

[Ronnie]

Brobs it's a long story but a fantastic one. I will save it for another day. But when I met with the widow and she started showing me rooms around the house with items scattered everywhere...well I was amazed. Then when she took me to the attic it was like King Tuts tomb......I saw wonderful things.

Ronnie

[BlueBookGuy]

it looks like A-14 mask (beside being in great shape) is a "Large" size. Something in cheek flaps' shape in respect to nose bridge, and overall dimension in respect to goggles and foamhead so suggests to me.

If so a rather uncommon instance - I read elsewhere that out of all A-14 masks actually utilized in WW2 perhaps 60% were Medium, 20% Small and 20% Large.

[Ronnie]

Blue I never thought about that. But you are right it is a large size. Let me tell you about this leather helmet and others with it. When I found these they were in this ladies attic. Her husband had 3 footlockers packed full and 2 parachute bags packed full. One bag had a complete parachute, harness and all. The other bag had various gear including helmets, gloves, boots and a bunch of other stuff. There were a couple of A11's. One was in a plastic bag.....just a plain ole plastic bag as was the O mask the other A11 was loose in the parachute bag. Over the years the one loose in the bag deteriorated while the one in the plastic bag was soft and supple. As was the O mask. I thought that was pretty interesting. There were also a couple more O mask that were loose and those were dried out too.

Thanks.

Ronnie

[littlebuddy]

Very nice find !! once in a lifetime perhaps ???

 

LB

[BlueBookGuy]

Ronnie a very interesting anedocte, it must have been a stunning sight - at least I speak for myself, remember when in those pre-internet years I had to do "aerobatics" unthinkable of today. How much words and mails and phone calls... and trust into somebody's assurance that a particular item was really 100% soft and great-looking (and not dried or prone to break), nor were it always possible to see myself. Rubber and leather things, of course were most critical.

 

I have handled till now many A-14s, only one was Small sized (and with M-254 mike + cord mounted) all others were Medium, the latest one (technically not owned by me) is currently for a B-17 waist gunner wich a friend of mine is working on together with me.

Franco.

[Ronnie]

Franco honestly I never knew that a large size A14 would be rare. But it does make sense. I have two but only this one is large. Yep I remember those days where you were told one thing only to find something much different when you actually held the item.

Thanks for the comments.

Ronnie

[Ronnie]

Little buddy it was absolutely a once in a lifetime event!

Thanks.

Ronnie

[BlueBookGuy]

Thanks to you.

As for the A-14 Large sized, if not rare we can say indeed uncommon.

[Ronnie]

Yes sir.

Ronnie

[Ronnie]

This is the companion piece to the A11 pictured above. This Vietnam era helmet belonged to the same Col. That owned the A11.

Kinda weird to think this fellow was wearing a leather flight helmet in his first was and this nice hard flight helmet in his last war.

[northcoastaero]

The white fiberglass helmet with the blue visor lock knob is a USAF HGU-2A/P. Could be a Gentex made helmet from pre 1966 era? The oxygen mask appears to be an early to mid 1960s Sierra MBU-5/P with the single loop bayonets.

[Ronnie]

Yep....it's a nice piece.

Ronnie