pzjgr Posted February 5, 2018 Share #1 Posted February 5, 2018 OK, so I had a really good day at the 1st Monday Trade Days in Canton Staurday....amongst the goodies, I picked up my first modern flight helmet...ever! It is a barely used US Army SPH-4...The Gentex label is obscured by the Styrofoam liner (which I assume is a retro-fit?) I took a pic, you can't see much, but I gently pried the liner away a bit so I could read it...It says Helmet, Flyers SPH-4, and has a DLA # of DLA100-87-C-4178, so I assume it is 1987 production (same year I graduated high school!), and says GENTEX....and is X-Large. It is completely complete, with boom mike that has a lip light attached....the lip light cord looks like it attaches to a 9-volt battery. There was a patch of Velcro towards the back, I assume was for a battery pouch for the battery. Headphones are complete, all cords are complete. I am guessing if you plugged it in, all would be in working order. Visor has single center mount knob, and is complete, and in decent shape, a few blems, but looks great. I took pics of the labels on the removeable headliner.... Chinstrap and nape straps are complete.\ All in all it appears in outstanding shape. So what sorts of choppers was this used in? I assume maybe Cobra's, Kiowa's, early Blackhawks, etc? As I said, this is my first, and I know next to nothing about them...is the liner system a retro fit? Anything else you guys can tell me about it? Here are the pics, plus one of my son planning his future... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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tdogchristy90 Posted February 5, 2018 Share #15 Posted February 5, 2018 Great looking helmet! I know nothing of helmets but she sure is a beauty! (What's with the Velcro on the side of the helmet?...patch or strap?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzjgr Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share #16 Posted February 5, 2018 I think that is where the battery for the lip light was attached.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthytyler Posted February 5, 2018 Share #17 Posted February 5, 2018 Man, I miss Canton! Great flea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzjgr Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share #18 Posted February 5, 2018 Man, I miss Canton! Great flea It sure is! This weeks haul... A 1942 M12A4 Artillery Panoramic Telescope, a USAF modified 105mm case for the AC-130, the SPH-4, a canteen with 1941 dated cover, and not in pic, a 1954 named dated mug for the 868th FA Bn, an Atomic Annie unit.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohawkALSE Posted February 5, 2018 Share #19 Posted February 5, 2018 87 seems to be the last contract for the standard SPH-4 for the Army. Helmet originally had the suspension liner but at some point in the early 90s it was probably upgraded to that TPL liner. Someone also might have just bought this helmet well after the Army stopped using them and put that TPL in seeing it has a later ML-8 mic light. Only reason I would think it was a non service done upgrade is it doesn't appear to ever been modded for NVGs seeing there is no velcro at all from that. Might have also been used as a spare helmet in the ALSE shop for DG use etc. Those SPH-4s were pretty much used in every Army helicopter except the AH-64, they were even used in the OV-1 Mohawk fixed wing aircraft. In the later years of the AH-1 Cobras they added a Helmet Sighting System visor and sight visor housing assembly. Various NVG setups were used on them from the 80s til the end of the SPH-4 use. That velcro probably was for the lip light battery pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzjgr Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share #20 Posted February 6, 2018 Awesome, thanks so much for the insight Mohawk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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