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Last Experimental M-1 Helmet, The LINCLOE Titanium.


Bugme
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Recently, I was able to get not one, but two of the original LINCLOE* titanium experimental M-1 helmets which were manufactured in 1968 for testing at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Only 1000 were manufactured and very few survive today(some recently released documents I found indicate that this number could have actually been as low as 500). These two helmets came from an employee of Titanium Metals Corporation of America, who obtained a few of these after it was decided by the US Army Natick Laboratories to not proceed further with the titanium helmet idea after limited testing.

*LINCLOE(Lightweight Individual Clothing and Equipment) project incorporated a lighter helmet, this program is more familiar to most as ALICE(All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment).

 

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Notice the bare rim and silica textured olive drab finish of the LINCLOE helmet

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Suspension System
On Pages 244-245 of the book Steel Pots by Chris Armold, there is a brief mention of these experimental M-1’s which weighed half as much as the standard M-1 helmet/liner combination and incorporated a snap in liner which attached directly to the helmet thus eliminating the two piece helmet/liner system.

The LINCLOE was originally designed to have the Welson-Davis style suspension as shown below:

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These were in actuality, tested with the standard snap-in suspension, as was used on the older M-1 helmet/liner combination. Shown below is one of the LINCLOE helmets with the snap-in suspension:
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According to more recently released documents from the Pioneering Research Laboratory, U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, The LINCLOE Helmet System was tested using the standard suspension system and not the Welson-Davis system as was previously stated in Steel Pots.

Below are some shots of the interior of the LINCLOE without the suspension installed.

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carbinephalen

I haven't ever even heard of this variation! You're in a very elite club Bugme! (*as if you weren't already with all of your treasures ;) )

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Below are some of the results of testing of the prototype LINCLOE Titanium Helmet System August 1968:

Materials: The 1.53 pound experimental helmet system consisted of the one-piece titanium helmet shell and detachable fabric & leather suspension system. The control helmet system being tested was the standard M-1 steel helmet with nylon helmet liner and attached liner suspension. Weighing inat 3.16 pounds. The test group used was very small and consisted of one officer and seven enlisted men.

Fitting Trials: Each subject was asked to fit and adjust both the experimental and the control helmet
After the subject convinced the investigator that they had reached the limits of the helmets adjustability, he was then handed a questionnaire about the fit of both helmets.

Simulated Combat Trials: The course and trial consisted of the following,
a. Running from a concealed firing point to a covered firing point and dry firing the weapon

b. running and jumping ditch two meters wide.

c. throwing two hand grenades at a target 25 meters away but on the same level as the subject.

d. crawling 20 meters across open terrain.

e. crawling under a simulated 4 and 2 pace barbed wire obstacle.

f. running to a steep hillside and crawling 5 meters up the hill using natural concealment.

g. throwing two grenades at a target 10-15 meters uphill from the subject.

h. assaulting to the top of the hill.

Conclusion of report:
a. Both helmets systems appeared to be about equally comfortable which was a surprising finding in view of the major differences in weight.

b. There is no evidence that the experimental one piece titanium helmet system is inferior to the standard M-1 helmet system.

c. The titanium helmet system is significantly more stable than the M-1 system during grenade throwing.

d. Neither system properly accommodates test subjects when wearing the cold weather cap.

e. The chin strap location of both helmets is too far to the rear for some subjects.

f. Grenade throwing is a test of stability who components require further investigation in order to determine whether or not subjective ratings for helmet stability are related primarily to motion in the fore and aft plane.

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I haven't ever even heard of this variation! You're in a very elite club Bugme! (*as if you weren't already with all of your treasures ;) )

Thanks, but, I'm not part of any elite club, I'm just another helmet collecting nerd. ^_^

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Those are pretty awesome Scott...how are the suspension mounting studs secured to the inside of the shell?...are they welded or soldered?...i was expecting to see rivet heads on the outside of the shell thinking they were riveted.....mike

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Those are pretty awesome Scott...how are the suspension mounting studs secured to the inside of the shell?...are they welded or soldered?...i was expecting to see rivet heads on the outside of the shell thinking they were riveted.....mike

 

The studs are welded Mike. You can see a slight impression on the outside of the helmet where they are welded but it is very hard to notice.

 

Nothing better than an attractive set of twins. Great find!!

 

Thanks Troy, I'm working on names for the twins.

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The studs are welded Mike. You can see a slight impression on the outside of the helmet where they are welded but it is very hard to notice.

 

 

Thanks Troy, I'm working on names for the twins.

I vote for Shelly and chloe-Lynn...

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Twins......Pete and Re-Pete.

 

I like that! :) However, I'd like to see the twins as fraternal and not identical so, I'm looking for a Welson-Davis suspension. This should be akin to finding a needle in a haystack but, I'll give it a shot.

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Very cool! Great information, too, because if I ever came across one in the "wild", I would have assumed it was a euro-clone.

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From a logistics point-of-view, where on Earth (literally) would we have found enough titanium to field the required numbers of helmets should this have been accepted? As an example, our government set up fake companies to procure titanium from the former Soviet Union to build the SR-71.

 

No question you have a unique piece of experimental gear. Good think kevlar came along so at least we could make the required numbers of PASGT helmets.

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USMC-RECON0321

I like that! :) However, I'd like to see the twins as fraternal and not identical so, I'm looking for a Welson-Davis suspension. This should be akin to finding a needle in a haystack but, I'll give it a shot.

 

Did you see this one at the SOS? Is that the liner insert you're looking for? I may still have the dealers information. I know it didn't sell and I was trying to work a deal with him at the show and pretty sure I got his card.

 

post-33000-0-11801400-1438615385.jpg post-33000-0-71428700-1438615389.jpg

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Well done, Scott.

 

Do you think the Welson liner was made to fit on those lugs? I have one at home, and will have to see how it's attached to the standard nylon liner we usually see them with.

 

Here are some other variations of titanium helmets discussed previously.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/230413-is-this-folk-art-or-an-unusual-helmet-blank-thoughts/?hl=titanium&do=findComment&comment=1829551

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/31188-experimental-titanium-helmets/?hl=titanium

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USMC-RECON0321

Well done, Scott.

 

Do you think the Welson liner was made to fit on those lugs? I have one at home, and will have to see how it's attached to the standard nylon liner we usually see them with.

 

Here are some other variations of titanium helmets discussed previously.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/230413-is-this-folk-art-or-an-unusual-helmet-blank-thoughts/?hl=titanium&do=findComment&comment=1829551

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/31188-experimental-titanium-helmets/?hl=titanium

 

To me, it looks like they were using them with the last variation of the M1 liner that had the removable suspension. (You can see the suspension lugs being used in the picture I posted above).

 

Troy

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Yeah, the nylon liner and the titanium helmet had the same style lugs attached so as to accept the Welson-Davis liner.

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So the lugs will accept a welson davis liner and or a removable liner webbing system like was used in late nam/70s/80s?...seeing you have two you could display one of each?....pretty cool helmets even without the linings yet!....mike

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So the lugs will accept a welson davis liner and or a removable liner webbing system like was used in late nam/70s/80s?...seeing you have two you could display one of each?....pretty cool helmets even without the linings yet!....mike

Yup, either suspension will fit in the titanium helmet. Finding the web suspension was easy. Finding the Welson-Davis... not so easy. Still looking.

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Here's a Type I titanium helmet with the Welson Davis suspension. I moved the suspension from the nylon liner in which it came just to see how it fits, and it fits just fine.

 

post-14792-0-95684300-1438917612.jpg post-14792-0-79735900-1438917613.jpg

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  • 5 years later...

Hello to all,

 

what's the price on the market today of this kind of helmet please, I mean a very nice Experimental M-1 Helmet (LINCLOE Titanium) ?

Thanks.

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On 8/3/2015 at 4:27 PM, USMC-RECON0321 said:

 

Did you see this one at the SOS? Is that the liner insert you're looking for? I may still have the dealers information. I know it didn't sell and I was trying to work a deal with him at the show and pretty sure I got his card.

 

post-33000-0-11801400-1438615385.jpg post-33000-0-71428700-1438615389.jpg


😯 killer helmet - first I’ve seen like it 

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