phantomfixer Posted April 15, 2020 Share #1 Posted April 15, 2020 https://www.ebay.com/itm/USAF-MBU-5-P-Vietnam-Era-Oxygen-Mask-Regular-Narrow-1974-Sierra-Eng-Co/114178519036?hash=item1a9591effc:g:8UYAAOSwl05ejkTT This is on Ebay with a BIN for 400.00, and not an auction, I thought I could post this unusual flight helmet rig a AN-H-15 WWII era helmet with a MBU-5 mask...all seems pretty much standard, seen before items, but for me, the O2 mask bayonet receivers are a first...looks like plastic receivers that snap on to the helmet.. Has anyone seen this combo before?...are the plastic receivers meant to be used on an early HGU-2A or P4 helmet ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majormadmax Posted April 15, 2020 Share #2 Posted April 15, 2020 Those appear to be the same bayonet receivers used on the HGU-7/P, which screw into snaps with holes in the center... Now as to whether they were originally used on this helmet or not is beyond my knowledge.The HGU-7/P came out in 1959, but did not originally come with bayonet receivers (the MBU-5/P snapped on). They were added later as far as I recall.Why such devices were fitted to a WWII helmet is beyond me, but anything's possible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majormadmax Posted April 15, 2020 Share #3 Posted April 15, 2020 HGU-7/P with MBU-5/P snapped on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majormadmax Posted April 15, 2020 Share #4 Posted April 15, 2020 HGU-7/P with MBU-5/P bayoneted on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMT500E Posted April 15, 2020 Share #5 Posted April 15, 2020 I have a pair of those recievers. They were made by Sierra eng. Never found a use for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share #6 Posted April 15, 2020 Thanks Major for the update...that is good info the AN-H-15 was used well into the 60s and possibly early 70s for training..mainly the altitude chamber...that is one explanation that I can see for the set up on Ebay Major,,,are there inserts in the plastic housing? or is it a one piece unit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share #7 Posted April 15, 2020 Thanks for up close pics AMT...looks to be the plastic housing...are the receivers in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMT500E Posted April 15, 2020 Share #8 Posted April 15, 2020 yes they are plastic - complete and functioning. Fixed serrated blades on either side for the bayonets to engage with. Looks like a pretty limited install with regards to mask adjustment to the face because there is no "swing" up or down once they are fixed to the helmet. Probably not a big issue for that time frame but ... I dont think these were ever installed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majormadmax Posted April 16, 2020 Share #9 Posted April 16, 2020 Yep, mine's from Sierra Engineering as well. Here's a close-up pic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohawkALSE Posted April 16, 2020 Share #10 Posted April 16, 2020 Its interesting to see that cloth helmet also appears to have a H-143 headset setup installed in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share #11 Posted April 16, 2020 Thanks for the close up pictures guys...greatly appreciated Mohawk, Kinda why I was thinking a altitude chamber helmet...or other operational use...or it could be a cobbled together setup, but having the bayonet receiver leads me think it was a USAF used helmet, role unknown the auction says used by a glider pilot...which I find hard to believe...Gliders do not operate at altitudes requiring O2 masks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMT500E Posted April 16, 2020 Share #12 Posted April 16, 2020 lots of great info about these recievers covered by the membership years ago www.best-of-flightgear.dk online in the Oxygen Mask section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share #13 Posted April 16, 2020 Thanks for the link...good information.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohawkALSE Posted April 16, 2020 Share #14 Posted April 16, 2020 Thanks for the close up pictures guys...greatly appreciated Mohawk, Kinda why I was thinking a altitude chamber helmet...or other operational use...or it could be a cobbled together setup, but having the bayonet receiver leads me think it was a USAF used helmet, role unknown the auction says used by a glider pilot...which I find hard to believe...Gliders do not operate at altitudes requiring O2 masks... Ill tell you straight up I don't know squat about Soaring, but my friend that was big in it a little while back actually did use O2 in it so that seems its very possible. I guess some of it is done at higher altitudes. Earlier people did buy surplus AF gear to use in them, which that regulator hose sure looks like. They also didn't want to use a CRU-8 or 60 obviously so they took the 3 pin bayonet connector off and replaced it with the MC-3A that you can plug directly into the supply hose it has with it from the regulator. My buddy used to use a old black leather HALO helmet that had the cast bayonet receivers as well as comms installed. He had a MBU-12 mask at one point then got a MBU-20A/P. He also wore a BA-22 back chute in it as well. Was a full setup e wore, forget the type of regulator he had but it was one of those older USAF ones with the knobs, not a panel mounted regulator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share #15 Posted April 16, 2020 well hell, that is cool that gliders can up that high...or maybe higher elevation requires O2 at a lower altitude ...No idea...but I think it is cool your buddy used surplus gear while soaring... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted April 16, 2020 Share #16 Posted April 16, 2020 Talk about coincidence....just a few minutes ago while watching a program on PBS about flight and Air Force experiments concerning altitude and space there was a scene of a guy wearing a anh-15 (minus earphones) with mbu-5 during altitude/oxygen testing. I think it was very early 60s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohawkALSE Posted April 16, 2020 Share #17 Posted April 16, 2020 That cable with the black torpedo on it appear to be a low to high impedance matching adapter from the 70s or so for using Mil comms in GA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share #18 Posted April 17, 2020 dig it...so could have been used privately...the kicker are the plastic receivers...that it is what intrigued me.. and if this guy wired all this up to soar, makes it even better Tleo, yeah man...they used the helmet well into the 60s for that kind of work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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