Jump to content

Some of my WWII Naval Aviator flight helmets


bazelot
 Share

Recommended Posts

Wow, Bazelot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . I've gone through your entire thread. What a great effort and treat to have been able to observe such a fine collection! Looking foward to that next addition!

 

Cheers, Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for this photos Bazelot... I like You helmets! Especially M-450 with oxygen mask snaps on green strap added from A-14 accecories kit! NICE!!!

and this one An6540 series with two green snap straps... it is not modification to the JET helmet???

 

The best regards,

Jerry K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for this photos Bazelot... I like You helmets! Especially M-450 with oxygen mask snaps on green strap added from A-14 accecories kit! NICE!!!

and this one An6540 series with two green snap straps... it is not modification to the JET helmet???

 

The best regards,

Jerry K.

 

 

Jerry,

Thanks! The AN6540 is indeed fitted for the Post war Gentex helmet.. THe serial number is aWWII serial number though and I thought I would included it in this thread.

This M-450 with the oxygen tabs was my first M-450 and it still is my favorite. It came with the general purpose goggles that you see it fitted with in the pictures. Those general purpose goggles were used quite extensively by Navy pilots.

Again this one is named and I still have to research it :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Bazelot... Thanks for info.. I was thinking that this AN6540 is fitted to Jet age helmet... nice custom made modification!!!

 

I love this M-450... we cant see not many M450 with oxygen mask snaps:) Yes, right the general purpose goggles was used many often by Naval Pilots... Im curiosity why.. they dont looks very comfortalbe...

for bad luck I dont have any new helmets:(((

 

Best regards,

Jerry K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
flight helmets 522
Let's try another. This is a nylon tropical helmet with Charles Fischer Spring Mk-IV goggles and an M-5/UR lip mic. They were intended to improve speaking clarity at altitudes below oxygen mask levels but weren't too practical and were quickly replaced with the boom mounting system which used the same mic.

post-9787-1277694352.jpg

 

All nice helmets...Thanks for posting

 

Phil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

flight helmets 522

I wanted to post some of my WWII Navy flight helmets. Here they are. They are all named and some of them are researched. One belonged to one of the USS Missouri catapult pilots. Another one belonged to a Black Cat pilot who was in one of the PBYs that spotted the Japanese Navy at Midway. Another one belonged to a F6F pilot. I never buy my helmets mint. I always buy helmets that have history attached to them and that actually saw combat.

I would love to see some of yours.

 

IMG_4009.jpg

 

IMG_4010.jpg

 

IMG_4014.jpg

 

IMG_4018.jpg

 

IMG_4019.jpg

 

IMG_4020.jpg

 

IMG_4021.jpg

 

IMG_4022.jpg

 

IMG_4023.jpg

[/quote

 

Really enjoyed seeing your collection. Nice helmets!

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Phil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

I bought a few more helmets with goggles. Here is the latest one; I have 4 or 5 more to take pictures of as well. the pictures are from the listing and I will had better ones once I install the headphones. Anyone selling ANH1 headphones by any chance?

 

helmet4-2.jpg

 

Helmet3-2.jpg

 

Helmet2-2.jpg

 

helmet1-1.jpg

 

helmet-1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

those Mk II goggles in good shape are getting hard to come by. The ones that came with this helmet are in excellent shape and the rubber cuchion is still pliable. I got the set for avery decent price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pictures of the helmet with the correct communication gear (I realized I had a spare set). This AN6540 helmet is mint and it looks like it was made yesterday. Boy was it hard to install the earphones in their rubber receptacles.....

 

Picture108.jpg

 

Picture107.jpg

 

Picture105.jpg

 

Picture109.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Bazelot. It look like You got nice first generation of AN6540 type Navy helmet with black rubber earcups. Your is AN6540-2L( 2 from size Medium and L from Leather type for intermediate climate... at first photo the snap at chin strap look like missing or it is only a photo illusion ?

What is a contract cord at You ANB-H1A Navy round receivers... some earphones like that was made post war with N383 contract !

Thanks for great photos!

The best regards,

Jerry K.

 

Pictures of the helmet with the correct communication gear (I realized I had a spare set). This AN6540 helmet is mint and it looks like it was made yesterday. Boy was it hard to install the earphones in their rubber receptacles.....

 

Picture108.jpg

 

Picture107.jpg

 

Picture105.jpg

 

Picture109.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Bazelot. It look like You got nice first generation of AN6540 type Navy helmet with black rubber earcups. Your is AN6540-2L( 2 from size Medium and L from Leather type for intermediate climate... at first photo the snap at chin strap look like missing or it is only a photo illusion ?

What is a contract cord at You ANB-H1A Navy round receivers... some earphones like that was made post war with N383 contract !

Thanks for great photos!

The best regards,

Jerry K.

 

THanks for your input Jerry. Contract on the cord says n383s-1388. I always thought that was a 1945 contract. Can that be dated more precisely? Again these are not original to the helmet so they can be removed. THey were just layoing around in a box so I just used them.

 

The snap is there. It was just not attached. It was stuck in the female part. I reattached it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bazelot.

 

For sure the N383 contract is a post war:( I dont have a list of post WW2 Navy contract but I think some guys from there who interested a Navy stuff after WW2 have more info about it.

Here is a list of WW2 contract: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...?showtopic=1590

 

I never see a vintage pic from WW2 with these type of earphones, but for sure they are orginal, maybe some limited production... I have two example with NOA(a) 2496 contract and it is between :

992 6-43

3071 2-44

Im still working at some new helmets, hope post it soon :)

Regards,

Jerry K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bazelot.

 

For sure the N383 contract is a post war:( I dont have a list of post WW2 Navy contract but I think some guys from there who interested a Navy stuff after WW2 have more info about it.

Here is a list of WW2 contract: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...?showtopic=1590

 

I never see a vintage pic from WW2 with these type of earphones, but for sure they are orginal, maybe some limited production... I have two example with NOA(a) 2496 contract and it is between :

992 6-43

3071 2-44

Im still working at some new helmets, hope post it soon :)

Regards,

Jerry K.

 

I guess i will have to hunt for a different set of headset then. I may have another one at home. I need to double check. Navy contracts can be really confusing and hard to track. Couldn't they just put a date like the AAF?????? Thta would have made my life too easy I guess :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Always You can installed there a AAF ANB-H-1 plastic receivers with cord, they are also correct!

Yes, for sure the Navy could introduced a better way of date their items:) but from vintage photos and some observations You can put some items in "date frame" a little bit !

The main contracts for aviation are: NXS, N288 and NOA(s)...

 

Regards,

Jerry K.

 

 

I guess i will have to hunt for a different set of headset then. I may have another one at home. I need to double check. Navy contracts can be really confusing and hard to track. Couldn't they just put a date like the AAF?????? Thta would have made my life too easy I guess :)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bazelot.

 

Here are two of my old helmets ( nothing special but looks good )

 

First:

Very used AN6542( late model with sewn chin strap ) with probably orginally installed TH-37 earphones with extension cord. It is not typical to see late war helmet with early war earphones(TH-37) but earcups look like receivers were there for a long time! I put under the helmet USN (very used condition with named stamp under bill "Tunner") hbt baseball cap used like a sun visor, we can see very often these type of configuration. Goggles are AN6530 with brown rubber face pad.

post-369-1296038383.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Earcups and earphones inside. I attached also two shots from "The Fighting Lady: The Lady and the Sea" and scenes where baseball cap is visible under the flight helmet:)

post-369-1296038458.jpg

post-369-1296039032.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is my second helmet: AN6541( 1 from type : for intermediate climate made from leather). Nice configuration with A-14 oxygen mask snaps added. Earphones are ANB-H-1A metal flat sided receivers with long cloth type cord with NAF stamped plug, probably from headset. Goggles are standard USN contracted AN6530 with grey foam face pad.

 

Regards,

Jerry

post-369-1296039486.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great helmets Jerry, I can't get enough of Navy helmets. Your 6540 is the same as the mint one I have. I also installed the correct ANB-H-1A metal flat sided receivers on mine. I will post pics this weekend. Thanks for posting those and keep them coming.

 

 

Admins, any chance we could pin this thread. I know it's along shot but I've gotta ask :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bazelot.

 

Thanks for words. What a pity that no one did post some more Naval helmets:(

 

My AN6540 is a different than yours. Yours is first generation of AN6540 with three seems section on the left and right side of helmet and oxygen mask buckles are in round shape, smaller and blacken.

AN6540-L for intermediate climate, AN6540-S for summer climate(without small brow section at the front) and AN6540-W for winter climate and size 1,2,3,4 from small to X large for example AN6540-3W (Large, winter version)

Next generation is my one, without three seems section on the left and right side of helmet, oxygen mask buckles are more in square shape, larger and black painted. AN6541 for intermediate climate, AN6542 for summer, AN6543 for winter. All models have a small brow section at the front. And sizes the same 1-4(small- X large) for example AN6542-4 (summer version , x-large)

 

In late 44 was introduced a tropical nylon helmet under N288-26302 contract without any oxygen mask buckles and with sewn chin strap on the left side and buckle on the right side and after that also cloth version was available under N288-27405 contract.

 

Regards,

Jerry K.

 

Great helmets Jerry, I can't get enough of Navy helmets. Your 6540 is the same as the mint one I have. I also installed the correct ANB-H-1A metal flat sided receivers on mine. I will post pics this weekend. Thanks for posting those and keep them coming.

 

 

Admins, any chance we could pin this thread. I know it's along shot but I've gotta ask :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is one more version very limited probably made between AN6540-L,S,W and AN6541,2,3 under NXSA contract:

Construction is like AN541,2,3 helmets, without three seems section one the left and right side of helmet, with small brow section at front but the oxygen mask buckles are still in old style: smaller, round shape and blacken.

Here is example from Bell Aviation site.

post-369-1296640163.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...