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IJNAF CLOTH SUMMER HELMET

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The pattern of this late war cloth summer helmet is essentially based on the naval Type 2, 1942 pattern flying helmet, featuring a button-down goggle strap loop at the back and ear pockets to accept gosport-style receivers. 

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This helmet is missing the original chin strap. At some time a crude rubberized cloth strap far from representing any original feature was stitched on en lieu.

Towards the end of the war high quality material became more and more scarce, thus manufacturers had to refer to low quality leather and any other available sources in order to keep up with the increasing demand of equipment. The stitching pattern and the scrap cloth construction is typical, and helmets of this pattern were also made of blue overcoat cloth, fish skin and even paper. Reportedly these kinds of helmets were mainly made for air cadets, while the better quality helmets were reserved for regular pilots.

Yamamoto hawkeye pattern goggles

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This pair of flying goggles represents the more standard hawkeye pattern also used by other manufacturers. The metal frames come in the typical Yamamoto company purple color and feature the classic felt lined face pad. The goggle strap is thinner and longer than the usually elasticized broad specimen seen on other goggles. One might argue if this "double arrangement" was intended to add the possibility to use the second loop as a chin strap, keeping the goggles in position if exposed to  the slipstream in open cockpits.

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The Yamamoto company issued flying goggles in various shapes, like the streamlined pattern or the experimental folding lightweight pattern.

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