Leather and cloth flight/flyer's helmets

[Bob Hudson]

There is something rather glamorous about the old leather and cloth flyer's helmets: they don't typically command high prices, but combined with a pair of goggles they evoke the the early days flight and daring dogfights.

 

Show us some of your examples and be sure to list an detailed information you have about them.

 

Here's a Type A-9 helmet with a pair of unmarked goggles that are similar to the AN-6530's (perhaps a private purchase). Notice the helmet has copper tubes coming out of the ear pieces. This was part of a crude one-way communications system called Gosport tubes: basically an aviation cadet plugged his helmet into rubber tubes that led to a speaking tube at the instructor's seat.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

This is the Type A-11 leather helmet with Type B-8 goggles. Beginning in 1943 this was the standard helmet for flyers in the ETO. This particular one was made in 1945 and has the Army Air Force label and an AAF stamp on the inside and outside but it also has the name and squadron number of the the US Air Force pilot who was still wearing it in the 1950's when he was flying the B-26 Invader with the 34th Bomb Squadron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jumpin Jack]

I'm rather certain, especially considering the way the goggles are affixed, that this flight helmet is being displayed backwards. The oxygen mask snaps should be at the front, and the goggle strap retainers at the rear. Jack

[Bob Hudson]

I'm rather certain, especially considering the way the goggles are affixed, that this flight helmet is being displayed backwards. The oxygen mask snaps should be at the front, and the goggle strap retainers at the rear. Jack

 

You are so correct: I had a senior moment there so I went back and re-photographed it. Here's a shot of his name and the AAF stamp inside.

 

[AustinO]

Nice to see a helmet with the Gosport setup! Now to find some old red surgical tubing! Thanks for showing these pictures (and great photography!). Makes me want to dig out my helmet collection and take some pictures myself...(maybe next weekend!)

[jerry_k]

There is something rather glamorous about the old leather and cloth flyer's helmets: they don't typically command high prices, but combined with a pair of goggles they evoke the the early days flight and daring dogfights.

 

Show us some of your examples and be sure to list an detailed information you have about them.

 

Here's a Type A-9 helmet with a pair of unmarked goggles that are similar to the AN-6530's (perhaps a private purchase). Notice the helmet has copper tubes coming out of the ear pieces. This was part of a crude one-way communications system called Gosport tubes: basically an aviation cadet plugged his helmet into rubber tubes that led to a speaking tube at the instructor's seat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This goggles are pre war commercial SEESALL goggles... very nice condition!

[Lightning Ace]

I have a beautiful pair of Seesall Goggles with mint frames and the blue Rockglas lenses and the early goggle strap but they don't have the rubber face cushion which would be hard to find. My Brother in laws father was a WW II USN Fighter Pilot and he still has the original box for the Seesall Goggles he had in the Navy which I would love to have.

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

This goggles are pre war commercial SEESALL goggles... very nice condition!