not sure where to post this but here goes. im trying to find a leather aviators skull cap. bought one of those they sell on ebay, pretty cheap imitation. trying to search the internet to find one but no luck so far. any ideas.

 

Look on some of the military auction sites. The problem is they haven't been used in quite a while so demand and production are down.

 

If you are planning to use it for something, the originals are 65 years old and the leather is not going to be too strong. I have some leather items from WWII-(dad was a pilot)-and I'm very careful with them.

You might look into Russian made stuff, they used leather helmets into the 80's, even the gomers in the nam wore leather helmets.

Doug

 

ill give it a shot. yeah i want to use it, from time to time.

 

http://sportys.com/PilotShop/category/809

You might try here.

 

funny you should list that site. i was checking out there aviator helmets and they look like quality. the only reviews that were neg. were they were brown instead of black and one size. but they look good. like how it has the welting around the edges.

 

this is what im trying to find, but in black.

 

The built in headphones and boom mike makes me believe you're looking for British or German design. Notice the straps to retain the googles. This is incase of loosing the canopy or in the event of bail-out. Also it may be a fighter instead of Bomber Crew design.

In WWII most American pilots flew with throat mike/external headphones.

The boom mike would be quiet noisy and I don't think the noise cancelling boom mike came along until Korea. Also it looks cold war USSR issue. I also don't see anywhere to clip on an oxygen mask. Brits use over the head oxygen apparatus.

Where did you see it???

 

http://www.hlj.com/product/BUN19144

Try this..

 

The type of head gear worn depended on where they were stationed, the season, the mission-how far and how high they had to go, and even enemy resistance-flack helmets. My dad flew B-24s, B-17-( 50 missions)-, DC3 and P-47s, I have numerous pictures of him, he wore everything from a ball cap, crusher, a-11, b-6, to a steel helmet when the flack was expected to be bad. For communications they used throat mikes, hand held microphones and he sometimes had a telegraph key that was strapped to his leg for long range morse code, it just depended on what they were flying and doing.

A-11 Helmet, most common leather helmet, auction is over this is just for a pic.
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6648888


B-5, Real nice and expensive; The B-6 is similar
http://www.historypreservation.com/h...landing7_2.php

Russian:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Russian-Pilot-Fl...item2557f3e884


Good luck
Doug

PS: I never liked Sporty's, their stuff was always expensive.