What really funny to me, is the added additional cost of $900 for an O2 mask and visor. I have collected WW2 Army Air Force flight gear for years now, and I can rebuild an original WW2 pilots headgear set-up with flight helmet, O2 mask, goggles, and T-5 throat mike for less that $900, and not to mention, this stuff is more rare than Vietnam era items. Another thing I was wondering, I know that the Huey door gunners wore issued flight helmets as well, but how many door gunners wore 02 masks? If you were a door gunner, you were more than likely flying at a pretty low altitude. I just think Rick said, lets just add a O2 mask and jack the price up, that will look cool! I also cannot believe he had that helmet stripped and redone by young civilians. All of the originality is gone, and I know its a personal item, but monetarily, the price has dropped to pretty much its parts. All of the provenance is gone. Not only that, but if you remember that the guy said that gunners just grabbed whatever helmet was available since they were not issued their own, then I highly doubt it would have looked brand new back then when it was used. I am sure these things got thrown and banged around, because at the time, I doubt they were thinking, I love having a pretty helmet. Most guys that I have talked to from WW2 said that they would purposely beat their new issued gear up, as not to look like newbies. I'm sorry, Ill get off my soapbox now. Just bothers me when history is not "restored" but ruined. And like I said, I concentrate on WW2 flight gear, so I honestly do not know a whole lot about Vietnam, so if I am wrong on any of this, please post a correct answer.
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trang661
12 years ago
Good points, I think if I had a family piece like that I'd keep it and find another beat up one to "restore" and put it on the mantle next to the original unmolested helmet. Would be a cool tandem.
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nyctc7
12 years ago
As to the O2 mask, I read somewhere that this was used by helicopter crews if they were spraying Agent Orange. But that was a specific type of mission and not necessarily something the customer's grandfather was involved with. If the grandfather never used an 02 mask, adding it seems pointless.
I can understand restoring most items to "as new" condition. But NOT everything! Sometimes "original" condition is best! Repairs may be acceptable, certain cleaning methods may be acceptable, certain light restoration may be acceptable, but not heavy restoration. Anyone who watches Antiques Roadshow knows this. A good example is "patina", scub off the patina and you may have destroyed the value of the item, or at least lessened it. Cleaning coins is almost always a no-no, same with firearms.
Part of the appeal of that helmet was its condition. As I said above it now looks like a replica, an adult toy.
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marinersfanfromny
12 years ago
As I said in another post, I am a baseball card collector. Restoration in our culture is extremely frowned upon. However, the expert restorers can make the cards look like they haven't been doctored. This increases their value by extreme amounts.
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syncopatedrhythm
11 years ago
There is no O2 system in any chopper, if they were to use oxygen it would be in a portable bottle.
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