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Please help to ID this shell


horridohutch
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horridohutch

I bought a box of helmet parts a few years back and this is the last of it. Looking to put together a Navy helmet as I believe this to be an HGU-33... possible a Protection Inc. I am hoping to get some input from some members before I get too far on the project. It came with a V-tech liner and the only mark is an "A" with a 3 between the legs. Any one recognize the stamp? I am hoping this is the clue to its identification... I have an MBU-14 inbound that I am super happy to have found from flyboys in Jersey... Harry is a great guy to deal with. Check out the pictures and let the opinions fly!

Thanks!

post-133566-0-03275600-1489110486_thumb.jpg

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Looks to me like you found the right shell. To me it looks like a Navy PRK-37 shell and could be assembled as a HGU-33 depending on what you choose to install. Appears it at one time had a boom mic installed and possibly an in line amp. I think a single visor with the mic was a 34/P but Navy stuff isn't my specialty. The dual visor would be a 45/P which is what Ive been working on myself as well as a MBU-17 mask. Been trying to setup a helmet that would be correct for the Marine OV-10 Bronco. Still need a mask mic amp to complete that part.

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horridohutch

Thanks Mohawk, I saw that it had a boom mike and that was one of the items I have acquired for the helmet. That is the round part that the boom mounts to. I also have sizing pads, leather ear cushions, and new black visor tracks. I bought these from Gibson and Barnes. I also have a new black visor which as well as the earphones, H-87 B/U were sourced from ebay. The helmet also came with the blue visor knob and an EEK-4A/P. As far as being a 34/P I read that would be if it had the Styrofoam liner, this came with a V-tech leather covered liner.( Which in my understanding makes it a 33 ) This is why I went ahead and got the same earpads. I am waiting for an MBU-14 that has a mini regulator and the proper amp in the mask. As soon as it shows up I will be able to inspect it closer. I need to figure out what direction I need to go here as I have only seen training (Fighter) squadron helmets with a boom mike. A fighter pilots helmet is ultimately what I am after. Also I need to find out what goes between the mask and the earphones. I know there is something. I am hoping someone will point me in the right direction. The helmet originally came with a CX-1312B, earphone cable and plug.... which I think was used in S-3s, more I hope will be revealed. That would make sense of the boom mike as ASW was usually conducted at lower levels and would preclude the need for oxygen at all times. This is going to be a work in progress and will evolve as I learn more.

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northcoastaero

I agree that the shell is a USN/USMC PRK-37/P with the leather edge roll having a

dense foam core. The ear cups would be made from a black plastic with black vinyl

ear seals that have a bump on the bottom. The boom microphone was used in training

aircraft such as the T-34 and other types of aircraft such as the E-2, C-2,

S-3/ES-3, EA-3, P-3, OV-10. The communications cable for the HGU-34/P and HGU-33/P

was the CX-4708A/AIC with a silver colored question mark clip attached to the rubber

grommet. The S-3 helmets used an amplifier along with a rubber covered cable or a

cloth covered cable, both having two different designations. The CX-4708A/AIC

earphone cable was not needed with these two cables since they had earphone wires

made into the cable assy. I will post the part numbers for the S-3 cables when I

find them. The S-3 cables and amplifiers were used with the helicopter helmets in

the H-60 Seahawk also. Many fighter aircraft HGU-33/P configured helmets have the

boom microphone mount hole filled in or just covered up with reflective tape if the

helmet was previously used in training aircraft. The S-3 acft. configured MBU- mask

used a unique CX- designated cable or a modified cable that was used with the

MBU-14/P. I will dig out these part numbers also. There was also a long cable with

U-384/U and U-385/U plugs added to the mask hose with zip ties which connected the

helmet cable to the cable modified to the dual oxygen hose assy. on the RSSK-8

series Rigid Seat Survival Kit located on the bottom part of the ESCAPAC ejection

seat. The S-3 configured mask also used an amplifier, M-94B/A or M-101 microphone

element, CRU-79/P mini-regulator, and a lower high pressure REDAR hose with a

locking connector on the bottom with one guide pin hole. The earlier S-3A used a

larger Robertshaw chest mounted regulator. The MS-22001 and possibly MBU- variant

mask was configured differently also. The late S-3B used a larger chest mounted

regulator such as the CRU-82/P, CRU-88/P, and/or CRU-103/P. Hope this helps.

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horridohutch

Lots of information Northcoast...thank you! I will learn more when the mask shows up early next week as to what direction I will need to go with this helmet.... its a work in progress. As for the earcups I am going for more of a custom fit look although I do not know for sure if the crew were allowed to use the leather ear cups or if they were available in the early 80s. This is era the helmet is from and the dates on the mask are from then too. The CX cable I have does have the U-384 5 conductor plug as well, it is made by Nexus. I know the regulator on my mask is a CRU-79/P... more to come!

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northcoastaero

The custom leather ear pads seem to be introduced sometime during the 1960s. The earlier ones made from<br />the 1960s-early/mid 1980s have several smaller round holes where the earphones are located instead of the<br />later ones that have only one large round hole. I would use the black plastic ear cups that were made<br />without the two small holes located on the top and bottom for the paracord retention to pass through as<br />found on USAF helmets. Scott, Gentex, and possibly Astrocom mfr., same with the black ear seals with<br />the bump on the bottom. Is your CX- cable the rubber block type or the cloth covered one? The rubber<br />block version was earlier and used with the HGU- designated modified APH-6C and APH-6D helmets for the<br />S-3A aircraft. The rubber block cable would be compatible with the S-3B also. The rubber block cable<br />may have been used with the PRK-37/P shell based HGU-49/P in the S-3. However, I have only seen the<br />cloth covered cable used with the S-3B during the mid to late 1980s-early 1990s time frame. The<br />rubber block cable seems to the preferred cable in current USN/USMC service because I have only seen<br />this type used in present era HGU-84/P H-60 helicopter helmets. The only potential problem with the<br />S-3/H-60 rubber block cable and the similar rubber block cable found with the PRK-37/P shell based<br />HGU-47(v)4/P and HGU-68/P helmets in the P-3 Orion and some helicopter helmets used in the H-53 and<br />H-3 is that the two screw studs on the back can break off.<br /><br />There was a USN/USMC PRU-37/P (not PRK-37/P) helmet that was introduced sometime during the mid-late<br />1970s. It was identical to the PRK-37/P shell except that it may have been manufactured with the two<br />nape strap holes. Also, the PRU-37/P may have been made by Sierra and/or Scott. Possibly manufactured<br />with a fiberglass single visor housing with gull wing cut outs along the front edge and included two<br />white plastic guards on each side of the center visor lock knob track. Most likely used a two piece<br />leather covered form fit liner. The hole for the communications cable to exit through was in the same<br />position as the PRK-37/P shell. These PRU-37/P helmets were probably upgraded with a nape strap assy.<br />and the plastic PRK-37/P type single visor housings or side actuated dual visor assy's during their<br />time in service.<br /><br />The DH-151 shell was introduced by the early 1970s and was made from a lightweight fiberglass shell<br />and usually did not use a nape strap in USN/USMC service. The foam core for the leather edge roll<br />deteriorated over time and left a fine black dust remaining. The DH-151 shell based helmets used<br />in the S-3A seem to mostly use the black rubber block cable and the boom microphone mount was<br />installed on the right side of the helmet until there was a change to have them mounted on the<br />left side sometime by or during the mid 1980s. Leather ear pads along with the two piece form fit<br />liner were common with the custom made DH-151 helmets. The two piece form fit liner was also used<br />with the PRK-37/P shell early on. The PRK-37/P was introduced around 1979-1980.<br /><br />

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horridohutch

I think with the mask I am getting I will be doing a fighter pilots helmet. The mask is an MBU-14 with a CRU-79/P regulator. It has a 3 prong plug and will plug into the redar hose I should have in about a week. I am going to trade in the leather earpads for the plastic cups because the pads have the one single hole and are a later date manuf. I am going for a 79-80-81 era helmet. I will end up I think buying a cloth covered CX-4708A earphone cable as well. Is there something that goes between that and the upper plug on the mask? I also have read that most fighter pilots went sans nape strap. The shell I have has holes for one... what are your thoughts on this? Tape over them or did some pilots have the nape strap? Thanks!

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northcoastaero

The MBU-14/P mask from the early 1980s would have had the green colored face piece, straps, and hose.<br />There would have been two shiny metal hose clamps also. The cable on the early masks was all one<br />piece, even the part that goes to the earphone cable. Many of these early cables were later modified<br />with two plugs to form a break-away. The plugs used early on with these modified cables were the PJ-292<br />and the JJ-055. When joined together, they looked like a dog bone and were referred to as such. Later<br />on, the plugs would have been the U-172/U and the U-173/U. Sometime in-between, a combination of the<br />four types could be used. The PRK-37/P shell would have used the nape straps. The PRU-37/P shell was<br />probably manufactured without the two holes for one and later modified. The early PRK-37/P would have<br />used the leather covered two piece form fit liner without the thin fiberglass backing as found on the<br />later one piece V Tec form fit liner. The leather on the two piece liners was usually black, but brown<br />colored ones were also used. The offset/J bayonets used to attach the mask to the helmet would have<br />been shiny and not the later dull manufactured ones. The M-94B/A microphone element would have been<br />used. The MBU-12/P face pieces, hose clamps, and hose were manufactured by Gentex and Scott. I<br />would go with Scott manufactured ones. The mask receivers installed on the sides of the helmet were<br />made by Gentex and Scott also. The earlier Gentex diamond shaped mfr. plates located on the outside of<br />the receivers would have Gentex in lower case letters. The GENTEX in capital letters was introduced<br />later on. There was an earlier Gentex plate which was mostly black in color. The Scott plates appear<br />to be unchanged since their introduction. Gentex had a mfr. code of 97427. The code for Sierra and<br />Scott was 92114. The visor lens would have a nose cutout for the MBU-12/P and MBU-14/P style masks and<br />be marked Gentex instead of GENTEX on the label. Scott may have made them also. I have only seen<br />Gentex manufactured plastic EEK-4A/P visor housings. The early housings were white, the later ones<br />were gray. The tapered lighter blue colored low profile visor lock knob would have been used with a<br />center screw that had a larger LH stamped into it. The lock knobs also used all metal screws and keys<br />at this time. The two visor tracks with top spacers would be a clear-white in color and not the earlier<br />yellow-white or later black ones. Six plated silver colored screws with T-nuts would be needed. The<br />foam for the ear cups would be made from two pieces of black foam with a layer of a black material on<br />the front called Veltex (can be used with Velcro). There was no hole in the Veltex material. The two<br />rubber grommets installed on the rear facing sides of the ear cups along with the larger cable grommet<br />on the left side of the shell would be made from a softer rubber than the harder rubber used on earlier<br />APH-6 and HGU-2A/P helmets. The chin and nape strap hardware would be silver in color. Both straps<br />would be black in color. The earlier nape straps were one piece and had a total of three large grommets<br />on the ends for adjustment. Also, they were made without the smaller adjustment grommets without the<br />nylon cord. Later nape straps were made from two pieces, with the strap being cut in the center with<br />small grommets on each side of the cut for the adjustment cord-originally black, but white, OD green,<br />and red were used also. There were two variations of the chin and nape pads also. One set was all<br />black and the other set had black cloth with white vinyl. The reflective tape requirement for the<br />early PRK helmets was 100% coverage of any color tape. Around 1983, the requirement was changed to<br />80% white and 20% could be any other color. Solid colors include: white (sometimes referred to as<br />silver), red, blue, yellow, orange, green, black, and brown. The brown color is rarely seen and was<br />used as early as the 1960s with the USMC squadron VMFA-323 Death Rattlers and a limited number of other<br />USN/USMC squadrons. The black reflective tape reflects as a silver-gray color and was introduced<br />sometime during the mid-late 1970s? I would suggest using the 3M brand because it tends to wrinkle<br />less around curved surfaces. May want to use a hair dryer to heat the tape also. The reflective tape<br />for helmets has a silver colored aggressive adhesive backing and not the white backing. The MBU-14/P<br />oxygen mask mini-regulator could have been the CRU-79/P, Robertshaw Type 1, and possibly the<br />Bendix Type 1. The AV-8 Harrier used a larger Bendix chest mounted regulator during the early 1980s.<br />Aircraft that used the CRU-79/P would be the: F-14, A-6, EA-3B, A-4, A-7, F-4. The F-4, A-4, A-7<br />could have used the Robertshaw Type 1 also. A sage green nylon zippered cover with Velcro was fastened<br />around the mini-regulator with the Velcro attaching to the SV-2B survival vest or the modified MA-2<br />(PCU-33/P series) torso parachute harness. A sage green nylon parachute rigger made cover with<br />Velcro closure was fastened around the mask face piece when not in use. There was a snap installed<br />into one of the top corners which attached to the snap installed on the left shoulder of the MA-2<br />harness. That's all that I can think of for now. Hope this helps.<br />

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northcoastaero

Additional information. The EA-6B and T-2B acft. also used the CRU-79/P. It is possible that the T-2B

would also have used the other two mini-regulators mentioned above. The round style boom microphone

mount would have consisted of all black parts during the early 1980s. The mounts with black/white/silver

parts seem to have been introduced during the mid-late 1980s. Sending a PM soon.

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horridohutch

A lot of info to digest there... thanks. I wish I would have known about the white visor spacer before I bought the black ones. Maybe they will exchange. I will check next week. Thanks again for the info!

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northcoastaero

The medium size yellow-white and clear-white visor tracks are much easier to find than the<br />large/extra large size tracks in the same color. The large and extra large tracks are the<br />same-no difference as with the rest of the large/extra large size single visor parts. The<br />PRK-37/P shell was issued in sizes medium, large, and extra large. The extra large size was<br />a special order item and they are very difficult to find these days.<br />

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Wasn't there a Med/Lrg size as well as just the Med and just a Large? I thought I remember reading that in a NAVAIR manual for sizing a PRK-37 shell. Id post a pic of the helmet Im working on but I still have yet to figure out posting pics on here the current way and sized to 251k or less. I miss the old web hosting and then link/code it here.

 

Hutch where did you hear or read about the no Nape part? That is a big no no from anything Ive read and seen. Needs to be properly fit to ensure safety. Dont want a helmet making your head bob around during ejection.

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northcoastaero

mohawkALSE,

 

The true PRK-37/P shell based helmets that I have owned and seen information on

only state sizes medium, large, and extra large. I have been told by collectors

in the past that the earlier DH-151 shells were made in wider and possibly smaller

sizes. Custom flight helmets based on the helmet shells such as the DH-151, modified

APH-6 series, and modified HGU-22/P in USN/USMC service with form fit liners usually

did not have a nape strap until the nape strap was declared mandatory sometime

during the mid 1980s. I have heard that new in the box early PRK-37/P shells had

the holes for a nape strap, but included two rubber plugs for these holes if the

nape strap was not used with a helmet that had a form fit liner installed. The

USAF seems to have had the requirement for a nape strap at an earlier date. I had

a 1975 era camouflage taped USAF single visor helmet that consisted of a lightweight

DH-151? shell which had the white nape strap installed along with a two piece form

fit liner, mask receivers in the T bayonet position, and a black leather covered

glue on dense light gray thick rubber edge roll. The mid-late 1970s USN/USMC

PRU-37/P (not PRK-37/P) helmet shell may not have been issued with the two holes

for a nape strap. These two holes were probably added later on when the mandatory

requirement for a nape strap was issued. Hope this helps.

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horridohutch

Wasn't there a Med/Lrg size as well as just the Med and just a Large? I thought I remember reading that in a NAVAIR manual for sizing a PRK-37 shell. Id post a pic of the helmet Im working on but I still have yet to figure out posting pics on here the current way and sized to 251k or less. I miss the old web hosting and then link/code it here.

 

Hutch where did you hear or read about the no Nape part? That is a big no no from anything Ive read and seen. Needs to be properly fit to ensure safety. Dont want a helmet making your head bob around during ejection.

 

I will have to investigate the "no nape" I think I saw it Friday before work. As for the 251k or less, I just make sure they are about 800x600 pixels (or so) and then post one picture in each reply at the start of the thread.

 

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Copy on the Nape Northcoast. Size wise I rechecked that Navy manual Ive looked in which is like the course from Navy Survival Equipmentmen, and in that says the PRK-37 shell is 4 sizes. Medium, Medium/Large, Large and Extra Large. I think Ive only seen a few of those mid size helmets over the years but certainly not common at all. Ive seen Med and Large, I dont think ive even seen a XL PRK for sale. I tried to copy and paste the paragraph from that manual on sizing but I couldnt figure how to directly paste it here after copying it from the electronic source. If you google PRK-37 fitting it should come up with the correct manual where you can see it.

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northcoastaero

I check out the online fitting table and to me it seems that the medium/large indicates that the

aircrew could be fitted with a medium or large size helmet because they are between the two sizes.

I have heard in the past that the USN/USMC try to fit the smallest possible helmet size to the aircrew.

The USAF was the opposite. I have never seen or heard of the medium/large size shell. I will have

to take a closer look at that online manual. Maybe that size was used early on and later discontinued?

Will make a couple of phone calls also. Interesting.

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