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1950's & 60's USAF pilot's helmets, flight suits & more


Bob Hudson
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Picked up this grouping today - it was in trunks in a garage and filled up these bags (most of which are pilot's kit bags or helmet bags):

 

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The cream of the crop are the three USAF helmets and two oxygen masks (behind them are leather and cloth Army Air Force helmets with goggle and two pairs of headset/microphones):

 

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There was lots of insignia:

 

insignia_wings.jpg

 

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insignia_patches.jpg

 

book_medals.jpg

 

insignia_ribbons.jpg

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There were several flight suits and various nylon flight jackets, plus some of the Vietnam era tropical combat shirts and pants:

 

trop_shirt_marked1.jpg

 

trop_shirt_marked2.jpg

 

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fs_marked2.jpg

 

uni_fj1.jpg

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There's various pieces of gear. This first one is the recording magazine for a cockpit voice recorder used in the B-66 and B-57. These were wire - not tape - recorders and these magazines popped in just like a video or audio tape cassette.

 

gear_recorder.jpg

 

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These are pilot's clipboards that strap onto the leg:

 

gear_clip.jpg

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There are a couple of the N-2B parkas, one of which still has a so-called "cutter's tag."

 

uni_n2b.jpg

 

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There's an AF raincoat and windbreaker jacket

 

uni_rain.jpg

 

uni_windbreaker.jpg

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And last ,but not least are the books: not just any books, there are several flight manuals and check lists.

 

There are six books for the B-24D including the flight manual (FYI: a set of these can sell for over $500).

 

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Here's the B-26 manual:

 

book_b26.jpg

 

The B-57:

 

book_b57.jpg

 

The T-33:

 

book_t33.jpg

 

The C-141A

 

book_c141.jpg

 

There are also some manuals for the B-66.

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There is more than one type of check list for some of the aircraft he flew:

 

books_check.jpg

 

Here's his photo and two books from his days in flight training (he actually started flying in the 1940's).

 

book_basic.jpg

 

A couple of squadron books:

 

book_sqd.jpg

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Wow, what a really cool score, I love the helmets.. It would look like someone did a lot of service in TAC air, the B-57 in that role in Nam was awesome as I have built two of them (model's) back in the day's, the A-26 in Korea was the same in my opinion

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Wow, what a really cool score, I love the helmets.. It would look like someone did a lot of service in TAC air, the B-57 in that role in Nam was awesome as I have built two of them (model's) back in the day's, the A-26 in Korea was the same in my opinion

 

It looks like he flew the B-66 and B-57 while with the 34th Bomb Squadron.

 

I may have to start a thread about those flight manuals: the details in those are amazing.

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It looks like he flew the B-66 and B-57 while with the 34th Bomb Squadron.

 

I may have to start a thread about those flight manuals: the details in those are amazing.

I Bet! Very cool grouping once again, I would love to find an early helmet like those..

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Wow, AWESOME! I have been collecting Flight Gear for over 15 yrs and would love to find this grouping.

 

Which leads me to my next question and the reason I joined this forum. No, I wont ask how much you paid, but where do you guys find these groupings?

 

Are they once in a lifetime? I am relegated to searching eBay, and maybe our local auction house, but to no avail. I am tired of eBay prices too. I just want to set-up my museum and pay tribute to these great heroes, not "re-sell" everything on eBay.

 

Yes trading, and selling some stuff that I don't necessarily collect is fine, especially to guys that might collect that stuff.

 

Oh, well I have only 8 posts and I am whining! :(

 

BEAUTIFUL Group and Congrats!!!

 

r/Gunny

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Absolutely incredible! You couldn't have gotten much more of a complete group unless you managed to get his socks!

 

I have his military socks:

 

uni_socks.jpg

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Wow, AWESOME! I have been collecting Flight Gear for over 15 yrs and would love to find this grouping.

 

Which leads me to my next question and the reason I joined this forum. No, I wont ask how much you paid, but where do you guys find these groupings?

 

I will tell you this is the most I've ever paid for something and it was low four figures (all to the left of the decimal point): this was all going to be sold off in pieces at an estate sale this weekend and when I started going through it to appraise it, I decided I would offer to do a buyout without even trying to figure out what the pieces are worth. But I offered more than twice as much as I would if had come across it at a random garage sale or at an estate sale where I was just another customer.

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When I used to buy and sell plastic model collections I would do the exactly the same thing. Go over appraise it, then offer him/her a sum that I thought was fair. Instead of buying it during the actual sale.

 

No matter what a great grouping! I figured it was north of 4 digits to the left of the decimal. :thumbsup:

 

The helmets are AWESOME! The manuals and checklists are AWESOME! Good for you!

 

I need to start going to estate sales! Duh....... :blink:

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Wow, what a really cool score, I love the helmets.. It would look like someone did a lot of service in TAC air, the B-57 in that role in Nam was awesome as I have built two of them (model's) back in the day's, the A-26 in Korea was the same in my opinion

 

It looks like he was with the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron in Vietnam. I went back today to appraise some of the Japanese woodblock prints he had acquired in the Far East and while I was there I uncovered some more stuff including records about his Vietnam era service. Here's some things related to the 29th TCS, showing had 580 combat flying hours during his tour with them in 66-67:

 

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He later flew missions from Norton AFB in California to Vietnam as part as a Military Airlift Squadron. That's a heck of a round trip and the records show he was doing it every other week or so.

 

He did get a lot of hours in, over 1,000 in the B-66:

 

misc_plaque.jpg

 

And over 2,000 in the C-141:

 

paper_c141hours.jpg

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