RAF MK 2A bone-dome jet helmet with Type P oxygen mask,  complete in transit case.

 

Excellent example of this beautiful and very rare jet flying helmet issued in the 1960s and 70s to pilots (and back seaters) in such aircraft as the Lightning, Phantom, Buccaneer, etc. The first "all-in-one" jet helmet which featured a drop down visor/screen operated by pulling down or pushing up on the yellow bar. The visor would also drop down and lock automatically for ejection. The visor mechanism was fragile and the protective housing quite flimsy, so many broke in operational use and it is now one of the harder to find jet helmets, though undoubtedly one of the most attractive looking. This helmet is in very good condition, showing light use but no damage. Slight scratching to visor, but housing is intact and mechanism works perfectly. Fitted with all electrics/comm. gear and including a Type P oxygen mask with hose and microphone all in similar condition. Visor is amber tinted. Comes in its correct fibreboard transit case which has a few dings and lacks the padding but solid with good hinge and clasps. A rare and desirable helmet from a great era of fast jet aircraft.

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$1,175 / £850 / €995

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RAF Mk Ia "bone dome" with Type G helmet and Type Q oxygen mask.

 

Lovely used example of the standard "fast jet" flying helmet worn by RAF pilots and aircrews in the late 1950s and early 1960s in such aircraft as the Hunter, Javelin, Vampire, Canberra etc. as well as the V bombers: Vulcan, Victor and Valiant.  These are getting very hard to find these days and represent a golden era in military aviation at the start of the Cold War. Mk Ia helmet by Helmets, Ltd. is a size 2 in very good condition, dated 1969 and complete with very good visor. Minor chips and dings to shell, and minimal scratches to dark visor. Some very minor stress cracks to the rubber edge guard but no cracks or separations. Type G inner helmet is also size 2, in very good condition and dated 1966, with nice large padded leather telephone holders and all communications gear. Fitted with a good Type Q mask with correct mounting hardware and complete with microphone, cord and breathing tube.  Mask has some minor surface cracks at the stress points along the edge of the folds but remains supple and pliable. An excellent display set and becoming increasingly difficult to source as early jet helmets grow in popularity with collectors.

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$895 / £650 / €765

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USN aircraft carrier yellow flight deck crew helmet.

 

WWII US Navy aircraft carrier flight deck crew  identification helmet. this example in yellow cotton, unlined with chin strap and buckle.  Different colours signified different roles among the flight deck crews: aircraft handlers, armaments/reloaders, refuelers, etc. Large size though unmarked. Excellent condition showing light wear, still bright. Fighter pilots would often try to get hold of these helmets because in many ways they were actually better than the issued flying helmet, and they can be found in various colours, fully wired  with telephone receivers holders sewn onto each side. This example is untouched. A great display item for a carrier flight deck.

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$75 / £55 / €65

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Luftwaffe LKpW101 flying helmet complete with rare fur lining.

 

The standard issue winter flying helmet for the Luftwaffe throughout WWII in exceptional condition, this particular model having the extremely rare rabbit fur lining. Though not an uncommon helmet, the fur lined variety is seldom encountered, and this example is in absolutely first class condition; the leather is superb with none of the usual scuffing on the hard ear pieces, and the woven interior label bears the full manufacturer's name, dating it at 1940 or earlier. It is a size 56 and fits a standard display head comfortably. Fur lining is excellent, and the helmet has not been "butchered" by removing one set of the snap fasteners on the strap of the Mi4c carbon throat microphones, a common practice after 1941. Fitted with receivers and undamaged acetate inserts, and an interesting mid-length cord and plug. A lovely example of a rare variant of this iconic Luftwaffe helmet.

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$625 / £450 / €530

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WWII Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft carrier deck handler's helmet.

 

A very scarce accessory - cotton helmet as worn by Royal Navy deck crews while manhandling aircraft on the flight decks of aircraft carriers during WWII. Each colour denoted a specific role or duty and I believe royal blue indicated starboard general duties. Simple unlined cotton helmet with a chin strap and buckle (essential for it not to be blown off in the high winds and propwash). Size 2 (Large) in unissued condition.  See last photos for wartime colour photos of helmets being worn on cover and editorial in Illustrated News dated 1943. Note: this helmet is not the same as the US Navy issue deck helmets which were often modified into flying helmets by USN pilots. Very scarce item.

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$75 / £55 / €65

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Scarce early USAF Type P-1B jet helmet of "Air Defense Command".

 

One of the earliest – and most scarce of the USAF P series jet helmets. The P-1 series was introduced in 1948 - just a year after the founding of the USAF. The P-1A and P-1B included minor modifications to the suspension/neck strap etc. This helmet needs some care, but most all it needs cleaning, and could, I believe either be displayed as is or be restored into a great example. The shell is good. the leather is dry and would benefit form leather food, but appears to me to be intact and complete for the most part (one separation where leather attaches to webbing neck band). Receivers are still in place through wiring needs to be replaced; microphone jack is still attached on left hand side. Good label. An "Air Defense Command" decal has been placed over the USAF decal. A fair to good example of what is a very rare early jet helmet.

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$250 / £180 / €210

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AAF Type A-1 Visor for A-11 or ANH-15 flying helmet.

 

Green cotton covered visor, with webbing tapes and two snaps/press studs for attaching to specially modified A-11 or ANH-15 flying helmets, for aircrews flying in bright sunlight.

Well marked, excellent condition showing light use.

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$75 / £55 / €65

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RAF Type G Flying Helmet in green cotton, dated 1990 and size 4.

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The often undervalued and underrated Type G helmet was first issued in the mid 1950s and continued in service until the 1990s. Initially designed to be worn under the Mk I "bone dome" it could also be worn alone and remained  ever popular with the crews of transport and reconnaissance aircraft throughout its service life as a more comfortable alternative to just a headset. This example is one of the last made, and is in virtually mint condition. The green fabric is impeccable and the white leather ear pads are unblemished. Fully wired with receivers and plugs and size 4, the largest size produced.

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$60 / £45 / €50 

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RAF Type G helmet, Cold War era.

 

Nice complete example of the Type G flying helmet which replaced the wartime Type E and served both as a flying helmet in heavy bombers and transports, and as a liner for the "bone-dome" crash helmet in fighter jets. The Type G had a long and illustrious career, from the mid 1950s until the early 1980s, changing from traditional RAF blue-grey to NATO green along the way. This is a nice early example, dated 1965, placing it right in the midst of the Cold War. It is named and the owner has also added his initials to the outside over the left receiver housing. Size 2 (medium) but these were generously sized and made from stretchy airtex material for a good fit. Complete with receivers, wiring and plugs. Slightly grubby from use but overall very good condition.

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$100 / £75 / €85  email to secure this item

AAF Type A-9 Flying Helmet, size medium.

 

The very basic summer weight flying helmet with which the US Army Air Corps entered WWII.​ A simple, unlined OD cotton skull cap with a leather chin strap wrapped in shearling, with shearling pads on the inside to cover the ears and webbing patches sewn to the outside securing hooks to which the A-9 and A-10 Standard oxygen mask would then be attached. It also has drawstring cords for tightening the brow and nape. These helmets were intended to fit very tightly and therefore sizes tend to run on the small side. This is a size medium which is actually quite generous. It has the addition of webbing tapes with snaps mounted so that a later A-10A or A-14 oxygen mask may be worn. It has a small tear at the back where the cotton fabric has separated but apart from that looks to be unissued or unworn. While once considered very common, like everything else, these are beginning to dry up.

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$50 / £37 / €42  email to secure this item

Early Luftwaffe model FK34 Summer Flying helmet.

 

A very early production FK34 Summer Flying Helmet in very good clean condition. Nice salt and pepper weave cotton fabric body with brown cotton lining, leather trim and heavily plated hardware. Super high quality. This helmet was designed for pre-radio days and was usually worn by pilots of single seat aircraft, and even gliders (many early photos show this type of helmet being worn by Me109 pilots). Condition is great. It has a simple label inside with the RB Number printed and size 55, pretty small - suggesting perhaps a young trainee glider pilot. Early examples like this are not common.

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$180 / £130 / €150  email to secure this item

AAF Type A-11 flying helmet size Medium by Fox Chase Knitting Mills.

 

Nice example of a used - but not abused - A-11 flying helmet manufactured by Fox Chase Knitting Mills, one of the least often encountered labels in my experience. Leather is excellent, chamois lining is a little grubby from wear but there is no damage. Has several names written inside and then inked out. The small U-shaped lock on the chin strap buckle is absent but could easily be replaced and pilots almost never buckled their helmets anyway. Nice decal to side is 90% complete, which is unusual - these "water slide" decals almost always wore away. Size medium which makes it the perfect size for display on a standard male feature head. No receivers or wiring fitted. 

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$150 / £122 / €126  email to secure this item

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