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USN Goggle "Rigger" Straps


Wayward Son
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I picked up a pair of Rochester Optical / Type II USN goggles to be displayed with one of my "naked" H-4 flight helmets. When the goggles arrived, I found the frame and lens to be in good shape, but the elastic strap was toast. When I tried to place the strap over the helmet, it just shredded to pieces. What a disappointment.

For the next month or so I searched high and low for a correct replacement strap. Turning up empty handed day after day, I decided to fabricate my own straps. I wasn't going to let these goggles go to waste.

I found a place in Oregon that makes 3/4" sublimated elastic straps in the correct USN shade of grey. Once I had the elastic strap in hand I figured out the measurements needed for a snug fit of the goggles both in the up and down positions. After trimming the straps to the correct length, the ends were doubled over and box stitched for reinforcement. I set a mil-spec snap on one end of the strap as an attachment point on the H-4's exterior. The other end was weaved through the goggle frame and into the lens where the doubled over end holds that end together quite snugly. 

I am pretty happy with the end results. Even though they were not made below the pitching flight deck of the USS Kearsarge in the paraloft, they serve their purpose for my display.

Cheers!

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Wow, they look just like the real deal, a modern "D.I.Y. rigger mod" so to say !

The rigger H-3 / H-4 straps for B-8 / 1065 flight goggles could be found with many variations (green, grey like yours, and even white, single or two-part, with or w/o adjusting ring), so the way you crafted them looks totally legit.
Very well done 👍 !

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3 hours ago, cggill85 said:

Great work! 
 

Where did you find the straps in Oregon?

Strapworks in Eugene. Great folks. Strapworks Dot Com for their e-commerce site.

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19 minutes ago, Wayward Son said:

Strapworks in Eugene. Great folks. Strapworks Dot Com for their e-commerce site.

That’s what I thought! Yes, I’ve ordered many things from them and they are wonderful to work with. Bonus for me is that they are just about 50 miles away :) 

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Very nice! I had no idea those existed. I am sure a package of those is scarce as hen's teeth today, hence my decision to go "rigger" as inspired by this photo.

 

 

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