Newbie

[Chisse]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm a big fan of movies related to the '60s, '70s and '80s military aviation (Flight of the Intruder, The final countdown etc) so a few years ago I decided to purchase some pieces of history. As I spend a lot of money on motorcycles so I got only two helmets so far.

This is my SPH-4 purchased from the USA. Origin unknown, chin strap was missing but could buy a new one for a few bucks.

[Chisse]

This one is an HGU-2A/P(G) with a Scott MBU-5/P mask which I purchased separately a few weeks ago. It served in the german Luftwaffe, on F-104 Starfighter. The gold plated nuclear flash visor (produced by german company Astro-Technik GmbH) was mounted on all german helmets at that time.

This helmet was previously equipped with an MBU-5/P mask with J-banjo, receiver was also twisted about 45 degrees. When I purchased the helmet I could see the old holes and marks for the T-banjo so I mounted receiver as seen on the photo, and bought the matching mask with T-banjo.

[Chisse]

The Gentex HGU-33/P is my all time favorite, but the prices got so high that I'm not sure I can get one soon.

I found this one here in Germany for 380 euros (450 USD) where the liner and banjo receivers are missing. Later I'd change the visor as I'm gonna attach a HGU-5/P mask to it.

The question is if you see anything strange on this helmet. The ear cups are spring loaded, as there is only about 1-1/2" between, and the visor housing doesn't seem to be the same as usual.

Is it worth the money or should I wait for an other deal?

Any info would be helpful.

Thanks

[majormadmax]

If you're not already aware, Chickenhawk was a book by Robert Mason on his experience as a UH-1 Huey helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.  That may account for the graphic on your SPH-4...

 

[mohawkALSE]

Not the best pic for details to give a full run down but Ill tell you no HGU-33 has spring loaded ear cups, they just velcro to the inside of the shell.  Early HGU-2 series helmets had a spring loaded ear cup.  This honestly looks more like a HGU-2 to me than a HGU-33.   Not sure if its just the bad pic or not but the edgeroll looks odd to me, and the visor lock knob doesn't seem to be installed in the visor right.   That visor currently on that looks to be cut for an MBU-5 mask.

[AMT500E]

Edge roll looks somewhat AFH-1 ish as they were 1/2" and rather thick compared to APH-5, etc.. most likely AFH-1.

No pronounced bead(HGU-33, etc) around the front of the visor housing would indicate a carefully "gull cut" HUG-2 (AP) housing

and size large plastic visor housings fit the AFH nicely.

 

 

[Chisse]

21 hours ago, majormadmax said:

If you're not already aware, Chickenhawk was a book by Robert Mason on his experience as a UH-1 Huey helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.  That may account for the graphic on your SPH-4...

 

Thank you for the info, never heard of this book. That sounds cool. I always thought that the graphic was made by a previous collector, because it's not finished yet. Eyes and beak are not finished yet.

[Chisse]

Thanks for the replies. I found this helmet also a little strange. Because of the white chinstrap I'd say it's most likely an HGU-2.

[majormadmax]

7 minutes ago, Chisse said:

Thank you for the info, never heard of this book. That sounds cool. I always thought that the graphic was made by a previous collector, because it's not finished yet. Eyes and beak are not finished yet.

I think the chickenhawk is looking over its left shoulder thus the eyes are not visible (i.e. you are seeing the back of his cranium).

But I also believe it's a "commemorative" piece and not one actually from Vietnam.  Isn't "4-88" on the label the month/year of production?

Still an interesting lid!

[Chisse]

17 minutes ago, majormadmax said:

I think the chickenhawk is looking over its left shoulder thus the eyes are not visible (i.e. you are seeing the back of his cranium).

But I also believe it's a "commemorative" piece and not one actually from Vietnam.  Isn't "4-88" on the label the month/year of production?

Still an interesting lid!

That's right, production date is 4-88. The earcup retention assembly is made of green fabric and not brown leather like in the '60s and '70s.

I'm not sure if the lid has been changed or not. The paint is different as the helmet shell. The velcro on the back of the helmet must have been for the ANVIS battery, in which case the lid should have ANVIS mount too.

[Vark_07]

Love the german HGU-2A/PG, a rare find. Looks like the offspring of an APH-6 and an HGU-2 with the Sierra Ramshorn, USN knobs, and earcups' plastic discs retentions characteristic of APH-6s. You were right to fix the receivers horizontally and put T-bayonets to the masks' shell, from wthe very few ones I've seen these helmets were mostly fitted with straight (in-line or T) bayonets to MBU-5/P or MS-22001 masks.

 

As for the "HGU-33", I concur with MohawkALSE : the spring mounted earcups are a giveway : that was specific of the early / middle version HGU-2A/P.
Moreover, as AMT500E pointed out, the HGU-33 visor housing features a visible beading all around the front and connected to the central rail (see below), which doesn't seem to be the case with this helmet (more likely an HGU-2A/P or single visor 26/P gullwing cut).
The visor is clearly not properly connected to the knob's nut and seems ready to fall (screw must be loose), but this could be easily fixed.
All in all, I would pass on this one if I were you, too many uncertainties.

[mohawkALSE]

3 hours ago, Chisse said:

That's right, production date is 4-88. The earcup retention assembly is made of green fabric and not brown leather like in the '60s and '70s.

I'm not sure if the lid has been changed or not. The paint is different as the helmet shell. The velcro on the back of the helmet must have been for the ANVIS battery, in which case the lid should have ANVIS mount too.

Id probably say that painted visor cover was a add on to it after its time in service.  As you noted it does have velcro on the back of the helmet, either for old school counterweights for the old PVS-5 NVG setups or for the battery packs for a AVS-6 ANVIS setup.  Seeing it has no snap studs added to the shell or adel clamps and the current visor housing doesn't seem to have had any glued on velcro removed,  Id rule out the velcro was for the old PVS-5, so it might have had the single visor ANVIS housing, and when it left service they retained that and put a standard single visor housing back on it and someone painted it later down the road.