MS22001 oxygen mask, "Y" USN suspension harness,B-8 goggles.
MS22001 oxygen mask, "Y" USN suspension harness,B-8 goggles.
MS22001 oxygen mask, "Y" USN suspension harness,B-8 goggles.
MS22001 oxygen mask, "Y" USN suspension harness,B-8 goggles.
MS22001 oxygen mask, "Y" USN suspension harness,B-8 goggles.
H-3
The H-3 was the first "hardshell" helmet tested by the Swiss AF. Delivery of the first specimen took place during the summer of 1952.
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The H-3 is formed by an outer hardshell and a cloth inner liner fitted with communications equipment and oxygen mask "snap-on" fittings. The rigid shell is constructed of a fiberglass cloth reinforced with epoxy resin and features six reinforcing ridges. The ridges met in a star on the crown of the shell.
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The inner liner was secured to the shell by "pull the dot" snap fasteners on the cheek flaps and in some cases with additional straps attached to snap fasteners fitted in front and in the back of the shell.
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At low altitude communications were made through a M-6A/UR boom mike, above this A-13A or A-14 oxygen masks were used.
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Those (USN) helmets were painted gold because it was found that this colour provides efficient thermal protection against solar radiation. Other colours (except white) have a tendency to make the helmet warm and therefore uncomfortable.
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With aging, the H-3 hardshell has a tendency to turn green, due to the presence of (oxidized) copper particles in the paint.
Copper was supposed, due to its high reflectivity to radar pulses, to be of help with the search and rescue of ditched pilots.
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A pair of B-8 goggles completed the equipment.
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More about the H-3 on the Swiss AF 1950 evaluation page.
The H-3s tested in Switzerland (see black and white photograph ) were of an early version lacking the stabilising straps (see below) introduced later by the USN to prevent the loss of the hardshell in case of an ejection, under high-g accelerations, catapult assisted takeoff and arrested landings.
