Flight Helmets

The room where the ejection seat is going also has my flight helmet collection. I have collected these over a good few years. Being interested in aviation & history these bring both to life. I know a lot about the history of some of them from the Vietnam war to the first gulf war. Encase you are interested below are photos with details attached.

BELOW ARE DETAILED PHOTOS OF THE HELMETS WITH TYPE, ORIGIN, ERA & AIRCRAFT TYPE.

ABOVE & BELOW. HGU-20 EXPERIMENTAL 'CLAMSHELL' FLIGHT HELMET.

Their were approximately 700 of these helmets produced in the 1960's.
How many remain is anyones guess?

Challenger crew with hgu-20's

The hgu-20 was first designed as a helmet to protect the pilot in the event of a mach2+ ejection. It had a built in oxygen supply which eliminated the need for a mask.
It was rejected by both the air force and navy as being to heavy during high g manouvers and inhibiting peripheral vision.

The helmet design was resurrected by NASA who used it in all of their shuttle missions for launch and re-entry up until and including the Challenger disaster