Looking for help on how to get helmets. Currently I have a ZSh-3, and would love to juxtapose it with the US equivalent helmet of the time. I've found a few HGU-26 types, and an APH-5, but none are exactly fitting the bill for what id want. I'm on the fence for an HGU-26/P that I've linked below, but id prefer one from Vietnam, and particularly used with the F-4, but I'm not that picky and I've been close to getting this one lately.

 

https://www.aeronantiques.com/en/flight-helmets/2220-camo-hgu-26-usaf-us-air-force-pilot-flight-helmet.html

 

On the main topic, what tools do you guys use to find these? I'm new to collecting and have mostly seen options on eBay, aeronantiques, and international military antiques. Just wondering if google doesn't always do the trick when searching for these, or if its a waiting game. New to the forum, sorry if this is not the place to post this. Appreciate any replies.

Greetings,

98% of my collection was built with items purchased on ebay.

I wanted WW2 Aircorps headgear displays. I bought them piece by piece over months.

Oxygen masks googles A11 flight helmets flak helmets. Bail out bottles etc etc

It take s time and a lot of searching but ebay is where I found most of my things.

You have to be creative in the search bar as to how you word things as well.

Time to search is key. I always search for things that are going cheap too.

I found good authentic items at good prices..... for the most part.

The forum here also has a for sale section and as you spend time on here you

may meet people that are willing to help you and sell you what you need.

Or steer you in the direction.

Also there is etsy, facebook market place etc etc.

I got all of whats below on Ebay.

Except for the shell casing candle sticks.

lol

 

Cheers !

Last year I saw several of those cammo shells on ebay. Just the outer shells.

The stuff is out there you just need to spend time looking.

hello,

I've got one for each model of Russian-style helmets (8 or 9 in all) but, IMO not easy to tell wich of US helmets could be equivalent to their 'counterparts'. The iconic ZSh-3 was first issued about 1961 I believe, or in early 1962 and if speaking of its unique composition the closest US models could perhaps be the Navy H-3 and H-4 series but, of course not period-wise.

Maybe better the early HGU-2/P?, but these were replaced by more advanced sub-versions before too long, while the ZSh-3 went on through an impressive quantity of years within the air forces of half the planet.

Guessing it's difficult any really precise answer.  btw I've been customer of the French shop Aeronantiques for a few of their items, all first-class material, plus (not the least thing) not a few practical advantages given its geographic location in respect to me.

Welcome, moonpig237! 
 

Yes, time is your best route to finding what you want (and affordably). 
 

If you haven’t yet, consider joining the facebook group Flight Gear Collectors and Collections as another resource for information and sales / purchases. It’s a well administered group with very kind members at all levels. I’ve bought/sold/traded many items domestically and internationally without incident. Scammers appear occasionally, but can be avoided with due diligence. 
 

My collection was mostly through eBay at first, but I’ve picked up a few things locally online and at an antique mall—much harder to find but usually the best price! 
 

Best of luck! 
 

 

On 4/10/2024 at 3:07 PM, The Rooster said:

Greetings,

98% of my collection was built with items purchased on ebay.

I wanted WW2 Aircorps headgear displays. I bought them piece by piece over months.

Oxygen masks googles A11 flight helmets flak helmets. Bail out bottles etc etc

It take s time and a lot of searching but ebay is where I found most of my things.

You have to be creative in the search bar as to how you word things as well.

Time to search is key. I always search for things that are going cheap too.

I found good authentic items at good prices..... for the most part.

The forum here also has a for sale section and as you spend time on here you

may meet people that are willing to help you and sell you what you need.

Or steer you in the direction.

Also there is etsy, facebook market place etc etc.

I got all of whats below on Ebay.

Except for the shell casing candle sticks.

lol

 

Cheers !

 

On 4/10/2024 at 3:56 PM, cggill85 said:

Welcome, moonpig237! 
 

Yes, time is your best route to finding what you want (and affordably). 
 

If you haven’t yet, consider joining the facebook group Flight Gear Collectors and Collections as another resource for information and sales / purchases. It’s a well administered group with very kind members at all levels. I’ve bought/sold/traded many items domestically and internationally without incident. Scammers appear occasionally, but can be avoided with due diligence. 
 

My collection was mostly through eBay at first, but I’ve picked up a few things locally online and at an antique mall—much harder to find but usually the best price! 
 

Best of luck! 
 

 

 

Appreicate the advice! I took a dive and have been checking eBay the past few days, and today an APH-6C was posted for sale. Bring prior Navy, and most of my research pointing to APH's being USN, I picked it up.

 

Some of the pieces look a bit new, and while I dont mind a bit of restoration, I'm a bit worried that it might not be entirely genuine. Tell me if I made a bad purchase!

 

Otherwise, it looks like I'll be in the market for an MS22001 and butterfly clips.

1 minute ago, moonpig237 said:

 

 

Appreicate the advice! I took a dive and have been checking eBay the past few days, and today an APH-6C was posted for sale. Bring prior Navy, and most of my research pointing to APH's being USN, I picked it up.

 

Some of the pieces look a bit new, and while I dont mind a bit of restoration, I'm a bit worried that it might not be entirely genuine. Tell me if I made a bad purchase!

 

Otherwise, it looks like I'll be in the market for an MS22001 and butterfly clips.

 

Will post pictures when it is delivered.

I believe it's a great helmet and authentic. The seller also sold a helmet from HMM-161. I think this one is from the same pilot and squadron. The wings on the side of the helmet kind of follow the "Greyhawk" Pegasus insignia. The seller appears to just buy and sell random items, so I doubt he did any embellishment.....just my thoughts.

Interesting, love learning this kind of stuff. Well if was a helo squadron that it belonged to, I suppose I shouldnt put an O2 mask on it. Which is a pretty solid excuse to buy more helmets.

I've collected a long time and would guess 90%+ comes from local sources - flea markets, antiques shows, estate sales. The best piece of advice I can offer: money is easy to spend. If you are going to buy one or two pieces for your collection it is much better to determine what you want first and then look for it. Generally, the chance of running across exactly what you want locally, for a highly specific collection, will not happen in a short order or ever. To make my point: it took 21 years for me to get a German camo helmet locally despite the fact that I was looking for one. It took 9 years to a real medic helmet and I've never found another in the 14 years since. As your collection grows somethings might lose their importance to you. Truly great things will always maintain their alure. So it is very important to focus.

Even then, truly great things don't necessarily come for sale publicly or even at all. To this point, I know a guy who had a crazy adventure of going to an estate sale early one morning, running around, trying to find stuff, goofing off, yada yada yada, but generally having a great time. There was a great helmet that came out in an extremely round about way and he didn't even know it was there in the first place! Its a top shelf piece and he loves it, but it will never come for sale while he's alive. And even when he's gone its already explicitly dictated who it is going to and multiple people know. But its going to his best friend as a memory of their sincere friendship. Money is irrelevant.

 

Therefore, I think the moral of the story is that a good piece goes into a collection and stays there until the collector dies. It's not a question of price. Patience and timing are everything. Collection defining pieces cannot simply be bought. They must be earned through hard work, perseverance and persistence.

Nice one!

Congratulations !

 

Airborne Hunter.....

"Therefore, I think the moral of the story is that a good piece goes into a collection and stays there until the collector dies. It's not a question of price. Patience and timing are everything. Collection defining pieces cannot simply be bought. They must be earned through hard work, perseverance and persistence."

 

Yup totally agree it takes time and work. And sometimes luck.

Just plain luck.

 

 

On 4/13/2024 at 8:17 AM, moonpig237 said:

Interesting, love learning this kind of stuff. Well if was a helo squadron that it belonged to, I suppose I shouldnt put an O2 mask on it. Which is a pretty solid excuse to buy more helmets.

Unless you can identify a name or the tape as being for a rotary wing squadron I wouldn't assume (based on the comm cable and lack of boom mic) it was for a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft that would not us an O2 mask.  Of course it could have had a removable boom mic at one time, without some research it's hard to say for sure but I wouldn't be afraid to add an A-13A (MS-22001) to this helmet until you find out otherwise. 

Nice 70's era APH that I wouldn't be afraid to put it in my collection - should be fun to research.

It does look like there might be a name penned into the styrofoam liner. I would also contact the seller and see if they might be able to offer any information…… and down the collectors rabbit hole you must go!

Received the helmet, didn't think to take any close up pics before leaving for work. The seller never responded with information. The name, as far as I can tell, is "MAJ AO2 ANSON". Not sure what the AO2 could be. I could also be wrong on some of that, the writing is very worn away. The MAJ supports the thoughts on it being a marine unit, so HMM-161 is looking good, however I couldn't find any wear on either of the left or right screw thingamajigs where a mic would be mounted. Will try to do some research, any ideas on sources and were to start is appreciated.

 

Is this worth making a new topic over? I feel we might have strayed from the original point of the post but I don't wanna spam the forum with my bologna.

On 4/17/2024 at 5:57 AM, moonpig237 said:

Received the helmet, didn't think to take any close up pics before leaving for work. The seller never responded with information. The name, as far as I can tell, is "MAJ AO2 ANSON". Not sure what the AO2 could be. I could also be wrong on some of that, the writing is very worn away. The MAJ supports the thoughts on it being a marine unit, so HMM-161 is looking good, however I couldn't find any wear on either of the left or right screw thingamajigs where a mic would be mounted. Will try to do some research, any ideas on sources and were to start is appreciated.

 

Is this worth making a new topic over? I feel we might have strayed from the original point of the post but I don't wanna spam the forum with my bologna.

Make a new post on this helmet.

Thats what you should do with a new item you want to share.

P.S. ...Some helos can fly up where you need oxygen.