Hello,

 

Could you please tell me more about this Us Navy pilot helmet ?

Do you confirm APH-6 version ?

What era would it be ? no label on it...

Was the M-95A/UR Mic used for helicopter pilots ?

 

Subsidiary question : where to find the missing parts (circled in blue) ?

 

Thanks for the feed-backs.

P.A

Hi Squale,

Definitely APH-6, so Navy use but also USMC (very few had the USMC decal) and coast guard. To be 100% sure about which version, we need to take a look inside (earcups style, styro liner and sizing pads are the most relevant clues, for there were retrofitted examples).

 

That being said, I'd guess APH-6A with little doubt, for it has the plastic single-visor housing, sports the wide holes for the external earcups' plastic disc retention, and the old style striated comm jack on the drop cord inherited from the APH-5.

The -A model was introduced as of 1968 (along with its dual-visor counterpart, the -B version), and remained in service with the later -C, -D and Custom Fit models until the late 70's.

 

The mic mounted on the boom is correct for this era (the most current were M-6A/UR, M-95A/UR, M-95B/UR, and M-87/AIC), and can either fit helicopter crews, propeller attack (Skyraider), cargo (C-1, C-2), patrol (S-1, P-3), and AEW (E-1, E-2) planes. Crews of those fixed wing aircraft mostly used their APH-6s without an O² mask.

 

Note that with the lack of CX-4832/AR comm cord on the rear (that became a distinctive part of use in the aircraft quoted above s of the early to mid 70's), there's a good chance it was an early APH-6A setup of the late 60's, with the drop cord jack and the 2-pin boom mike plug taped together.

The partial tape job with no velcro square (which was a NAVAIR requirement of the early 70's) corroborates the late 60's hypothesis.

Tape jobs of this era were often random, and in that case, unfortunately cannot lead to a squadron ID.

 

 

Regarding the missing parts, the screws for the visor housing are the same as HGU-2A/P's, and the plastic discs can be found here.

Thank you Vark_07 for all this very full information !

 

Here is a pic of the inside... unfortunately with some missing pads

 

Thanks.

Nice helmet.  Appears to be a Gentex APH-6A based on having the foam/leather ear cups, three piece styrofoam liner, setup for plastic ear cup discs, Gentex solid head rivets

on the inner butterfly oxygen mask receiver plate, and flat chin strap buckle used with Gentex APH-6A.  The visor housing is the later one with the open spaces on the back.

The earlier APH-6A had a plastic visor housing with a solid back and no open spaces.  Need a better image to see if the inner mask receiver plate is the wider (earlier) or

narrow one.  The narrow inner plate seems to have been introduced in 1968?  The plastic visor housing with the open spaces on the back may have been introduced by

1968 also.  The helmet does not seem to be modified with the glue on black rubber neck piece for the edge beading.  The helmet could have been used by a training

squardon (T-28 acft., etc); A-3 Skywarrior variant also?  A rectangular amplifier attached to the boom microphone cable is used in some aircraft.  Your helmet does not

have the amplifier attached.  The amp could have been kept by the USN/USMC and used with other helmets in service.

 

Thanks for this additional information !

Could anyone help identifying the last owner ? "HOLMAN"

On 11/10/2023 at 3:46 PM, Squale69 said:

Thanks for this additional information !

Could anyone help identifying the last owner ? "HOLMAN"

Sent you a PM. Send me your address and I'll send you the missing screws for the visor housing