Headgear for pilot in warbirds

Would flying a warbird with this helmet on scare more people than be of use


http://www.rockwellcollins.com/content/ ... g_9609.jpg

I like the old ww2 style ANH-15 and A-11 cloth/leather ones but sadly they dont provide protection in a crash nowdays if flying at all.

You can find A-11 and ANH-15 on ebay very easy and good prices and complete with WW2 headsets also.

[Mark V]

These are the way to go if you want a period look and modern protection.....
http://www.campbellaeroclassics.com/products.asp

[tom d. friedman]

looks like a mutant from a sci fi movie!! that gear looks hardly comfortable!!!

[retroaviation]

These are the way to go if you want a period look and modern protection.....
http://www.campbellaeroclassics.com/products.asp

Yup. I couldn't agree with you more. I love my Campbell helmet!

Gary

[daveymac82c]

Those classic remake helmets are amazing. I want one for X-mas!

Then I'll need a Tigermoth...

Cheers,

David

[n5151ts]

would generate a few laughs though!

[Bill Greenwood]

It's well known those jet guys aren't as handsome as the seasoned veterans like me and Tom that fly the great prop planes. But I didn't know they were so bad as to have to have to hide their entire head from view. Sort of the aviation version of the abeta sp. ?
As for the New Zealand one, it sure looks good, but didn't fit me. The last time I checked it was over $2000! Also, you might try before you buy, especially at that price. I wore one in the show at Oshkosh and found the avionics excellent, I could hear even better than my David Clarks. However within 20 minutes I had a bad headache, it was cutting into my forehead. The problem is the shell is very round and my head is more elongated. I had on a med. I tried a large and it was way too big. They said they could add padding to the large, but that didn't seem ideal for me, you want it near your skull. Too bad. They do look nice. Might even help some of those jet guys. I got the impression the folks selling the helmet were on the level, so you might be able to arrange a return or exchange if it did not prove out.
I always wore one when ski racing, and I have fallen once at about 55 mph and could just feel the helmet disapate the force.

Last edited by Bill Greenwood on Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[b29flteng]

Bill, a vise would help reshape your head to fit. Seriously, I think you can have a custom formed insert to put in the helmet. We had those in the military, with no pressure points.

[Tinker51]

I wonder if they could do a custom head mold for a better fit?
My Gentex HGU-33 from Flight Suits has a custom molded liner and I can wear it for long periods without the painful hot spots Bill spoke of. I stopped by one day and had the mold done there but they can mail you the mold to do at home too. The campbells do look the part though

[muddyboots]

Bill, a vise would help reshape your head to fit.

Or possibly a cheese grater.

[b29flteng]

Cheese grater is too messy.

[Bill Greenwood]

It seemed to me the med size shell was just not long enough front to back. I guess I slept on my side as a child. So a liner change would not seem to help. The large size could be made to fit long wise, but the sides were way too wide and would need a lot of padding. Am I correct about the price, is it currently $2000 plus in US dollars?
It is really frustrating to shop for ski boots; most seem to be made for European feet which are sort of square and mine are longer and narrow.

[Lynn Allen]

Can you order just the goggles only??

TIA,

Lynn

[retroaviation]

The last time I checked it was over $2000!

No offense, Bill, but that kind of statement (which I hear all the time) drives me nuts! The way I see it, $2,000.00 is much cheaper and far less painful than an emergency room visit when you've bashed your head without a good helmet. And just so you know, my Campbell Aero Classics helmet, which is just the basic one, was $1,600.00, not $2,000.00, just last year.

Sorry, rant over.

Gary

[Bill Greenwood]

Gary, I think you misunderstood me or at least misstate what I wrote. It would not be the first time on WIX that the message perceived was not what I intended. I have never advocated flying a fighter without a helmet, I will bet you $1000 I have never written that on WIX, on rare occasions I flew without one. I flew to and from Midland this year with a new David Clark to replace the one I have used for years. I believe the price was about $300 new, sans headset which I already have.
I love the look and the avionics of the Campbell. If it fit me, I would have bought one the day I tried it. Since then with inflation and a problem of balance of payments and exchange rate, the price has risen. I recall checking at Sun N Fun or Oshkosh as year or two ago, and the price fully furnished was about $2000 US. Whether that is competitive I don't know, but it is not cheap. We aren't all overpaid, wealthy A&P/Midland oil men after all.