APH-5 Helmet

[MasonK]

Hi All,

I recently acquired this APH-5 Helmet as a throw-in with a grouping I purchased.

 

I'm a bit green when it comes to flight helmets. It looks fairly complete, when comparing to other examples, minus of course the O2 mask. Appears to have a connection for Coms, which have been cut. Visor has what appears to be a contract or manufacture date of 10-12-1958. I assume it's safe to say the helmet was produced around the same time? I've seen others with a square, gold contract tag, but it seems to be missing on my example.

 

Reverse of the helmet has the name "Ward" spelled out with tape. Tried some searches on Findagrave and Ancestry, but may be a needle in a haystack without other info. 

 

In any case, thanks in advance for any feedback!

 

 

[phantomfixer]

Thats a nice looking helmet...I think the visor lock knob should be the push button style....but not certain...no holes for the chin strap...and no holes for any O2 mask, be it the leather tab snap type or external bayonet style... 

 

overall a nice helmet

[MasonK]

Thanks for the feedback! How would the O2 mask or chinstrap attach to the helmet? I'm assuming the screw near the wearers jaw line? 

[boxerdogi]

The screw you have circled holds the earphone in place. Leather tabs with snaps normally extend out where the cut out is on the edge roll. They were usually held in place with two rivets and one screw for the chinstrap. Your helmet doesn’t seem to have the rivets or holes. Is there any sign the holes were filled?. Your helmet simply may never had oxygen mask tabs installed.

[cggill85]

2 hours ago, MasonK said:

Thanks for the feedback! How would the O2 mask or chinstrap attach to the helmet? I'm assuming the screw near the wearers jaw line? 

That’s a great looking helmet! The inside is in really nice condition, and I love the patina. The visor lock knob looks like a more recent addition, as phantomfixer noted. 
 

I believe those screws on the sides are to attach the earpieces. An O2 mask would be attached by leather tabs with snaps inside or external receivers bolted to the outside. 

[sundance]

I'm not a flight helmet collector but I like it. During a dry spell at the beginning of Covid I grabbed a similar helmet. Mine is missing the visor and lock knob. Is there a place I can purchase those items?

[MasonK]

Thanks, all. Explains why I couldn't figure out how it attached. Other examples had the additional rivets, etc. Is that uncommon for the helmet to be unfinished? Or did it serve another purpose?

[MasonK]

25 minutes ago, sundance said:

I'm not a flight helmet collector but I like it. During a dry spell at the beginning of Covid I grabbed a similar helmet. Mine is missing the visor and lock knob. Is there a place I can purchase those items?

 

Nice! They are great looking helmets. Was excited this one was included, especially with the name.

 

I'd say eBay would be your best source. Or a want add on here. 

[phantomfixer]

Here are a pics from the net showing chin strap mounts and O2 leather tab mounts

 

see if you find any repairs to the helmet.. I would think the helmet left the factory with at least the chin strap mounted

[MasonK]

13 hours ago, phantomfixer said:

Here are a pics from the net showing chin strap mounts and O2 leather tab mounts

 

see if you find any repairs to the helmet.. I would think the helmet left the factory with at least the chin strap mounted

 

Thanks for the photos. Looked the helmet over, inside and out. In that same area as the photos you shared, on the inside, next to each ear piece are two raised, darkened circles. If its filler, they did a good job on both sides to hide the repair. 

 

Wonder why this would have been done, if the holes were indeed filled/repaired?

[phantomfixer]

Needs of the squadron? or post service use...I can not speak for life support in the 1950s-60s, but there are procudures, even if only at the local level, to fill in holes on the HGU-55 helmet...at least in AMC...at Dover

 

I think Mohawk will know more about filing in the holes and or repairs

[MasonK]

Thanks, @phantomfixer! I appreciate the feedback. Tagging @mohawkALSEin hopes he sees this, and can provide his insight. 

[Vark_07]

Very nice example, 100% genuine from the late 50's. Love the patina and the remains of the pilot's name (or callsign).

If this is a 58 contract, I may have the explaination why the usual 3 holes in the cheeks' area are filled, with the original factory paint covering this patch job.

As others stated, early shells (from 56 & 57 contracts) had 3 holes on each side, 2 used to attach (with rivets) the leather tabs for mask's snap retention, and one for the chinstrap's screw (that was externally attached at this time).

As of november 1957, APH-5s were to be modified to accomodate the Hardman chrome bayonet receivers (with MS-22001 mask hardshell + "christmas tree" bayonets), and the chinstrap to be attached inside of the shell, using one of the screws (or the mounting plate) of the receivers if I'm not mistaken.

 

Here you can see where the chinstrap was attached after the bayonet receivers' retrofit (although the receivers are Sierra 345-30 that replaced the Hardman in the early to mid 60's).

Note the "cut" for the chintrap in the foam rubber edgeroll, you have the very same on your helmet.

 

The helmets that had already been put into service were widely retrofitted with these receivers, leaving empty holes in the shells that were not systematically filled afterwards -a lot of examples can be found this way. However, tape jobs and custom paintjobs covered them most of the time.
My guess is that some of the new contracts' shells (58 and forth) could have been directly patched in the contractor's factories and issued "as is", with or without the receivers.
In any case, your example seems to have been produced this way, for the filling is very well done and there is no sign of repaint to cover the patching. The lack of bayonet receivers would explain why there is no chinstrap attached to the shell, which sports the "cut" in the edgeroll though.

As for the "USAF-type" visor knob, I think a round push-to-unlock button would be more relevant for the manufacturing period, although it is known that a vast number of these shells were retrofitted with cruciform lock knobs as of the late-50's early 60's. Blue / white "Navy" (rounder and thinner) cross knobs were the most commonly used, but some blue "USAF" edgier ones can also be found.

[MasonK]

21 hours ago, Vark_07 said:

Very nice example, 100% genuine from the late 50's. Love the patina and the remains of the pilot's name (or callsign).

If this is a 58 contract, I may have the explaination why the usual 3 holes in the cheeks' area are filled, with the original factory paint covering this patch job.

As others stated, early shells (from 56 & 57 contracts) had 3 holes on each side, 2 used to attach (with rivets) the leather tabs for mask's snap retention, and one for the chinstrap's screw (that was externally attached at this time).

As of november 1957, APH-5s were to be modified to accomodate the Hardman chrome bayonet receivers (with MS-22001 mask hardshell + "christmas tree" bayonets), and the chinstrap to be attached inside of the shell, using one of the screws (or the mounting plate) of the receivers if I'm not mistaken.

 

Here you can see where the chinstrap was attached after the bayonet receivers' retrofit (although the receivers are Sierra 345-30 that replaced the Hardman in the early to mid 60's).

Note the "cut" for the chintrap in the foam rubber edgeroll, you have the very same on your helmet.

 

The helmets that had already been put into service were widely retrofitted with these receivers, leaving empty holes in the shells that were not systematically filled afterwards -a lot of examples can be found this way. However, tape jobs and custom paintjobs covered them most of the time.
My guess is that some of the new contracts' shells (58 and forth) could have been directly patched in the contractor's factories and issued "as is", with or without the receivers.
In any case, your example seems to have been produced this way, for the filling is very well done and there is no sign of repaint to cover the patching. The lack of bayonet receivers would explain why there is no chinstrap attached to the shell, which sports the "cut" in the edgeroll though.

As for the "USAF-type" visor knob, I think a round push-to-unlock button would be more relevant for the manufacturing period, although it is known that a vast number of these shells were retrofitted with cruciform lock knobs as of the late-50's early 60's. Blue / white "Navy" (rounder and thinner) cross knobs were the most commonly used, but some blue "USAF" edgier ones can also be found.

 

Wow, thank you @Vark_07! Would have likely taken me forever to figure that all out. It makes perfect sense. 

 

With respect to the visor knob, I appreciate this info. I was looking to possibly buy a replacement to match the correct push-button style, but seems like it's possible this style on mine was used at the time, but not likely. I'll keep it as is for now, especially since there are none available on eBay at the moment 😄

 

Thanks again!!

 

By the way, that's an amazing helmet you've show. I assume it yours?

[Vark_07]

You're welcome ! But let's wait for Mohawk or anyone else to confirm my statement, I'd hate to mislead you 😁.

 

As for the helmet shown, no unfortunately it isn't mine, just an example picked on the web.

The one I own is much more "classic", from an earlier contract than yours, with the older "sponge liner" inside (instead of sizing pads), leather tabs for mask retention and external chinstrap (by the way, it is an old and incomplete review that lacks important informations I didn't know at that time, so please forgive me ...).
As you can see, it also featured when I received it -just like yours- a USAF cross locking knob, like I said it was not uncommon. However I decided to replace it by a more common NAVY one (better than nothing and way easier to find than a push-button, I mean it's been almost a year I've been willing to replace it by a push-button, with no luck so far !).