AAF A-11 Flying Helmet with snaps for attaching Type A-1 visor.

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Scarce variation of the A-11 helmet, having snaps/press-studs mounted on both ear cups for attaching the A-1 visor. Size large and overall in very good condition, nice soft leather and clean chamois lining, with a crisp silver AAF stamp to the outside and a good label inside to The Selby Shoe Company. Second model of the A-11 with 4 snaps eithrr side for attaching the oxygen mask. Not a common variant. 

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$195 / £150  / €168  email to secure this item

AAF ANH-15 flying helmet, size Large in excellent condition.

 

Excellent example of the standard summer / warm weather flying helmet of the AAF from 1943 until the end of the war. Unlined cotton helmet with chamois "donuts" for noise attenuation. Shows very light use. Good label to Bates Shoe Company. Very generous large size.

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$75 / £58 / €65   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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$45 / £35 / €38   email to secure this item

RARE late war AAF Type A-10A summer flying helmet complete with HS-38 headset.

 

The A-10 saw very limited production due to the development of the similar AN-H-15 intended for both Army and Navy use. The improved A-10A summer flying helmet was a "last hurrah" for the Army Air Forces. Introduced in 1945 and featuring minor modifications over the A-10, it was the last flying helmet independently procured by the Army Air Forces and examples of this scarce helmet are missing from many collections. It differed from the AN-H-15 in having cotton goggle strap tabs and a different chin strap arrangement. This is example is service used but overall very good condition. It is slightly grubby and shows wear to the brow liner inside but displays well. Fitted with correct ANB-H-1 receivers, long cord and plug.

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$255 / £195 / €215  email to secure this item

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Type C Flying Helmet late war, fully wired.

 

Lovely used example of the naval version iconic flying helmet, built with radio and Gosport communications. Leather is in excellent condition, as is the chamois lining, though it is grubby from hair oil and shows use but no abuse or damage. Fitted with correct receivers, internal (partly enclosed) wiring loom and plug for the oxygen mask as well as the bell-shaped jack plug. Braided cord has a couple of worn spots, nothing serious, and rim of bell plug is chipped and broken away, but again, this doesn't particularly spoil its appearance for display. Size 2 (medium) so fits well on a standard male feature display head. Chin strap somewhat stretched out. A true veteran! This is the last version of the Type C, with the wiring not fully enclosed (making it easier for riggers to work on) and extra tabs to the rear of the helmet. 

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$485 / £390 / €435  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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$200 / £165 / €185  email to secure this item

WWI US Air Service issue pattern flying helmet.

 

The standard pattern flying helmet as issued to aviators in the US Army Air Service at the tail end of WWI. Soft leather helmet lined with blanket wool, with rectangular ear flaps, long chin strap and short bill. It also had short goggle retaining tabs on each side and was stamped on the back with Quartermaster's Stores information. The ink stamping, in reddish purple ink, is almost always blurred to obliteration, but contained words to the effect of "US Air Service" followed by a date (usually May 1918 based upon previous examples I have handled). The ink stamping is illegible but obvious what it represents. One of the goggle tabs is missing, and there is a small square area of leather worn away on the rear, otherwise this helmet is in good condition. Few are found these days due to to the poor quality of leather and tanning process used, this being a rare survivor in above average condition.

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$300 / £260 / €280

email to secure this item

Scarce early AAF type A-11A flying helmet.

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Lovely example of the early production run of A-11 helmet, later re-issued as A-11A. These early pattern helmets were made from a higher grade of cape leather which soon ran out forcing a change in the contract. Early examples had no provision for attaching the mask, with snap fasteners being added in the field as needed (or in this case, not added, perhaps suggesting use of the A-8B mask, or the A-9/A-10 with Juliet harness). The helmet also features an elasticated gusset at the back instead of the strap and buckle fitted the later A-11. Spec. label has been removed - most likely because this helmet was redesignated mid-production. I would estimate it's a Large size. It is stamped inside with the AAF acceptance mark and is in overall very good condition.

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$195 / £160 / €175  email to secure this item

Lovely RCAF Canadian made Type B flying helmet in a large size 3.

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Excellent example of the Canadian made flying helmet based on the iconic RAF Type B. Lovely soft chestnut brown leather with soft chamois lining, zipped ear compartments for telephone receivers (not fitted), leather chin strap and chrome plated metal buckles. Inside is marked with broad arrow inside a large "C" and size 3. It is also named iniside one of the ear cups. A really nice gently used example.

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$425 / £330 / €395  email to secure this item

AAF Type A-1 Snap-on Visor for flying helmet.

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Quite a difficult item to find because they didn't make or issue too many of these. For pilots who spent any amount of time flying in direct sunlight, these, together with sunglasses, could help alleviate glare and the stress. It required 2 male snaps fasteners to be attached to the flying helmet, usually on the hard rubber ear cups. Excellent condition and well-marked. 

 

$85 / £65 / €79   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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Scarce 1920s US Navy intermediate / lightweight flying helmet.

 

This is a scarce early US Navy issue intermediate weight flying helmet, made from super high quality glove leather lined with chamois. Though the helmet is sadly not in pristine condition, the leather is still soft and pliable and actually displays well. The surface of the leather has dried out and rubbed from being folded and perhaps improperly stored, but it does not appear to be rotted or weak and the wear is to the surface. t is most noticeable on the centerline where it was folded, around the edge and the rear panel at the nape. The snaps for the goggle straps have partially pulled through but remain secure. The chamois lining has separated at the crown on the inside. However, the leather is strong and the helmet displays well. It is of the unusual pattern with the extremely long "lappi" style chin strap and buckle.  The helmet is well marked "USN" with a size tag that reads "7" and is named in two places to "Cox." A seldom seen helmet that would certainly fill a gap in most collections until a better replacement can be found. Priced according to its condition but a very scarce helmet nonetheless.

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$135 /  £105 / €120  email to secure this item

Great War French Roold aviator's safety helmet in good condition and a large size. 

 

Produced for and sold in the Roold Department store in Paris, this helmet became ubiquitous in the Great War and was used by all the warring nations. It was standard issue for French aviators but also found its way into Royal Flying Corps inventory and was also used by German flyers, since at one time or another, almost all armies were stationed in or around Paris. This example shows use but is in remarkable condition for its age. The oilcloth covered cork is nicely darkened from engine oil  but retains its shape well;l. The brass "wheel" inserts in the ear flaps appear to have been removed, perhaps to facilitate better communications? There are two holes purposely cut into the side skirts, perhaps to toe a scarf or even an early oxygen mask? The helmet retains its quilted lining and inner elastic strap (no longer stretchy) as well as its original chin strap button. A very large size 59. 

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$850 / £650  / €760  email to secure this item