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Treasures from the Past: Vintage Flight Helmets

Featuring the MB-5 partial pressure helmet, the DH-101, and the MA-3 high altitude full pressure helmet.

FlightHelmet.com is proud to support the acqusition, preservation, and display of vintage flight helmets! We hope you enjoy the fascinating history behind these precious treasures of the past.

by scot ranney • January 04, 2020

Vintage Flight Helmet Gallery


FlightHelmet.com is proud to participate and support the acquisition, preservation, and display of a vast collection of vintage flight helmets! This blog post discusses just a few unique and historic flight helmets. Do you have information to contribute about the vintage flight helmets featured in this blog post? Or do you have a vintage flight helmet that you would like to know more about or would like to find a good home for? Send us an email at customerservice@flighthelmet.com with your comments, questions, or items for sale. We hope you enjoy the fascinating history behind these precious treasures of the past as much as we do. If you are interested in purchasing a vintage flight helmet of your own, we occasionally are able to offer original vintage flight helmets for sale on our website here: https://www.flighthelmet.com/category/FHVG.html

The MB-5 partial pressure helmet (above) was used in the 1950s by USAF Strategic Air Command (SAC) crews with the S-2, MC-1, and MC-3/MC-4 partial pressure suits. It is very similar to the USAF K-1 helmet and has a liner with a short neck skirt, but the communications equipment is more like the later USAF MA-2 helmet, except with a longer communications cord. Partial pressure and full pressure suits and helmets are used to protect aviators from the effects of high altitude if their aircraft were to lose pressurization or if they were required to eject/bailout.

The DH-101 (above) was a nuclear flash protective helmet assembly used during the 60s by US Navy as an experimental nuclear flash protective helmet. The special visor, automatically darkened after a nuclear flash, operates by ink material sprayed on the inner surface of the two visor lenses. The ink was sprayed by an explosive cord that lies at the sensor at the top of the visor between the two lenses when receiving a trigger pulse initiated from the sensor at the top of the helmet through an electronic box carried in the pilot's pocket. The pilots had to carry extra lenses to replace the old one after experiencing a "blackout."

The MA-3 high altitude full pressure helmet (above) made by the Bill Jack Instrument Company was used in USAF fighter and test aircraft in the early 60s, including early X-15 flight tests. The MA-3 utilized the same cable restraint system as the K-1 and MA-2 helmets. The visor was mechanically sealed by way of a top-mounted tension bar mechanism. The MA-3 was used with either the CSU-4/P partial pressure suit or the A/P22S-2 full pressure suit. Partial pressure and full pressure suits and helmets are used to protect aviators from the effects of high altitude if their aircraft were to lose pressurization or if they were required to eject/bailout.

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