Question about Navy/Marine Aviators

[Herk]

Ryan,
Glad to help. 

With the exception of the "chest pack" an X-Wing pilot is a pretty good starting point for a late 50's early 60's Navy pilot.  Definitely make the "Mae West" vest yellow - generally a mustard yellow.

By the way, the silver canister is a container for die to color the water a floresent green to help locate the downed pilot.  Flares for that time period were about the same diameter, but twice as long. 

Steve P.  (AKA - The BEAR)

PS - If you are still interested in seeing an actual flying helmet from late 60's I'll be glad to bring mine to the June meeting.

[ryanort]

Thanks for the info Steve.  It helps.  I decided to go with an orange suit.  Now that I've painted it I can see it will be a trick to make sure he does not look like an X-Wing pilot from Star Wars!

[Herk]

Ryan,
As an AF Aircrew Survival Technician, I can tell you there is no such thing as a "standard military flight helmet".  I worked with (and flew) the HGU-2 helmet.  The same is true for the flight suits - during the 60's the AF moved from the grey cotton to the serge green nomex suits of today.  The orange suits were usually used by AF and Navy pilots in areas where additional visual aid (color) is needed should the pilot have to bail out.  (It was in the 60's something of a badge for NORAD to wear an orange flight suit.)

The following web site can give you a a good look at the airforce helmets.

http://www.best-of-flightgear.dk/hgu2-26helmet.htm

As for "personalized" helmets, you saw them more often in the Navy - this is usually restricted to the visor cover.

Have fun with your Naval Aviator (they don't refer to themselves as pilots!)

Steve Payne   

[ryanort]

  Excellent photos!  Guess I could go with either orange or khaki.  Khaki is the safe bet but I've never seen an orange pilot modeled and it could add some interest.    Hmmmmm...

Ryan O
-just couldn't leave the emoticons alone

[Ryan K]

Were orange suits used for regular ops as well?

I am not sure. If you look here http://www.vmf235.com/SS60.html and other pages for the 50's. The changed around a lot.

[ryanort]

Thanks Ryan and great pic.

I saw that one myself but (perhaps incorrectly) assumed that because VFAW-3 was the Navy's only participant in NORAD at the time, it was unusual.  I also assumed that orange might be used by test pilots and the like.

Were orange suits used for regular ops as well?

I can see it becoming quite fashionable when needing to get plucked from the sea!

Ryan O

[Ryan K]

I have seen pics with pilots of the era in khaki or orange flight suit. VMF-235 had khaki when flying the Fury but orange when flying the Crusader.


http://www.ccdemo.info/AircraftPix/Skyray.html

Now supposedly from a Skyhawk website VFAW-3 went to A-4 in 56.
http://www.skyhawk.org/3e/vfaw3/vfaw3-a4-unit-assign.htm

HTH.

[ryanort]

For those interested, I stumbled onto these links with some great info and photos.

http://webs.lanset.com/aeolusaero/Articles/romance_of_the_gear.htm

and the evolution of the APH-5 helmet which seems to have been introduced mid to late '50s:

http://webs.lanset.com/aeolusaero/Articles/romance_of_the_gear.htm

Ryan O

[ryanort]

Hey guys,

I've got a pilot primed for a F4D Skyray and want to confirm what he should look like in ~1958.  My thoughts are white helmet, yellow vest with a silver canister (flare?), khaki flight suit with field greenish g-suit, and brown shoes.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Also wondering when helmets changed from plain with goggles (I'm thinking Korean War/Bridges at Toko-Ri) to helmets with integrated visors (Vietnam War)?  Were helmets often personalized?

Thanks much,
Ryan O