Who's collecting militaria?

[old man emu]

Looking for the forum member who collects memorabilia, especially aviation helmets.

 

I found two pilot's helmets. 

Model 8415-01-040-3127

Helmet, Flyers, Regular HGV-39/11

Inspection date 14/4/87

 

Been kicked around a Ready Room a few times.

[willedoo]

ome, are you sure it's HGV and not HGU (Head Gear Universal). HGU-39 helmets are U.S. made helicopter helmets. I only collect Soviet and Eastern Bloc helmets, but I know a USN aviator who could probably tell you the part number of every screw on them. Photos would be handy, especially of any I.D. tags. This is a HGU-39P but there's a lot of variation in models. Sometimes what looks like the helmet designation is actually the designation of the shell alone and not the complete helmet.

 

[willedoo]

Just an edit to the above post. The HGU-39P wasn't used by the U.S. military as a helicopter helmet, although there's nothing stopping civilian use in helicopters. Apparently it was an interim helmet between the HGU-26P (the type we had in the Mirage era) and the current HGU-55P flight helmet. The 39P was compatible with the NBC masks which the older HGU-2P and HGU-26P helmets were not, so it was a replacement until the HGU-55 came out, which is NBC mask compatible. I think where the confusion is, the HGU-39P uses the same shell as the SPH-4 helicopter helmet. The SPH-4 is the classic Vietnam War era helicopter helmet.

[willedoo]

[old man emu]

Sorry, can't get photos as it was in a shop. The details I posted were taken directly from an inventory system tag attached to the helmet. The tag was made from paper card and was of this type:

 

Unfortunately, I didn't do the copying, so I can't confirm HGV or HGU until I go back into Dubbo, which I don't have a need to do shortly. Note that the descriptor is HGV-39/11. There is no alpha, and I can confirm that particular bit as I saw it myself. 

 

Also, note the inspection date. I would say that is the date that it was returned to Stores for possibly the reason you give above. 

[facthunter]

Not a police one is it? The smiling piggy in the earphone. Nev

[willedoo]

6 hours ago, old man emu said:

Unfortunately, I didn't do the copying, so I can't confirm HGV or HGU until I go back into Dubbo, which I don't have a need to do shortly. Note that the descriptor is HGV-39/11. There is no alpha, and I can confirm that particular bit as I saw it myself. 

It sounds like HGV was just a misprint then and I've never heard of it as a designation prefix. Most American made flight helmets have the HGU (Headgear Universal) prefix, except for the SPH (Sound Protection Helmet) helicopter helmets, and the U.S. Navy flight helmets APH (Aircrew Protective Helmet).

 

It would be a HGU-39P by the sound of it, particularly as that model number is the same as the 36P. I'll most likely be bumping into a couple of ex RAAF pilots next week, and if so I'll ask them if they know if our airforce or navy used them. The RAAF helmets and masks these days are all American as far as I know, but back in the Sabre/Mirage/Canberra days we had an unusual combination of American HGU-2/AP helmet and British RAF 'P' Type mask. From memory I think the helmet was standard and the P Type masks had modified attachments with bayonets to fit the helmet's standard bayonet receivers.

Edited February 24, 2023 by willedoo

[willedoo]

Typo in the above post and too late to edit. 36P should read 39P.