What good is a helmet?

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:06 pm

In reading the YAHOO! RV-7/7A group list, the subject of brain buckets came up.

Now... I have never, ever even considered installing a helmet on my head when strapping into a certificated ship that I have piloted.

...but, with a tip up (or even a slider) canopy and the possibility of a bird strike, ground loop or an inverted landing for whatever reason, it sure would be a good thing to have.

This un-named individual sees fit to wear one, probably out of desire to survive and policies.

Questions:

a) do you wear one?

b) if so, when?

c) who makes a good one?

Does anyone have any links???

CJ

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:11 pm

Incedentally, a quick search turned up a few.

http://www.flighthelmet.com/cgi-bin/sho ... talog.html

Kinda sporty!

CJ

Post by **Spike** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:51 pm

I am going to need to digest this a little bit to answer your questions with an opinion. Off of the top of my head I wouldnt think that a helmet would help you in a flip over. I think the mechanism of injury there is probably spinal as your head gets pressed into the ground.

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 11:27 pm

I intend to wear my full racing gear when I test fly my RV-8. That includes my nomex racing suit, socks, shoes, gloves headsock, and helmet with mike and earphones. I already have all this stuff to rally my Mustang in the desert where you must wear it all in order to participate. I figure, if it is necessary at 160 mph in a car, then why not at over 200 in an airplane? And why would I not wear it on the first few flights when anything can happen, including fire.

A helmet will protect you from smacking the rollbar more than anything, but with a faceshield it provides protection from fire to some extent and debris from the ground in a rollover and slide maneuver.

Say, do you think professional test pilots wear this stuff on the first flight of a prototype built by professionals? Would it not make sense then, for an amateur test pilot to wear it also, test flying a plane built by amateurs?
Or are amateur builders somehow better than professionals and amateur test pilots more knowledgeable and skillfull than professional test pilots? Me, I've only got around 20,000 hours, so I'm gonna wear all my stuff until I get some experience.

I leave it up to you.

Cheers, Pete

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:25 am

I don't mean just on the test flight.

I am talking about a daily basis.

The military pilots do it as well as others. I am thinking noise attenuation could be better as well.

...and a tinted visor would be hard to beat regarding shaded eyewear.

CJ

l & d lewis · Post by **l & d lewis** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 2:30 pm

I have many hours under a brain bucket in military helicopters, and the helmet has the scars to prove it. Noise attenuation is a factor, the visors are great, but not getting knocked out has advantages too. The type of flying you do should be the deciding factor, I don't see people wearing helmets for typical crosscountry. I entend to have a helmet for the test flights and when doing sport aerobatics, it just makes sense. More important are seatbelts and shoulder harnesses for all flights. We see the benefits of these on a regular basis. I have 5 point restraints in my Varga, the crotch strap holds the lapstrap down making the shoulder straps more comfortable (hardly noticible). If you're into extreme flying give yourself every chance.............

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 11:46 am

When the time drew near to testfly my airplane, I did a forum search for helmets and was encouraged to wear one based on what I read there. I did happen to have one available, leftover from test flying a Pitts S1 decades ago.
I have used my Gentex helmet in my RV-6 for almost two hundred hours so far and have a couple of observations:
I initially used it for the test flying, along with nomex suit and gloves, boots, parachute and lifevest.
Once the test period was over, I started wearing more casual gear than the above stuff, but what made the biggest difference was wearing just a headset instead of the helmet.
The helmet-and mine is a very old, half-shell design with obsolete suspension-is noticeably quieter. My other headset is a Peltor. And I don't mean just easier to hear communications, I mean less engine and slipstream noise make it to my auditory senses.
The visors-mine has either a green tinted or a clear under a cover on the front top part- are far superior to sunglasses. No reflections, no glare, no bright light leaking in around the sides which cause squinting and eyestrain. If it's not bright enough to need the tinted visor, I try to remember to lower the clear one for departure and arrival, as my home airport is on the flyway between the ocean and the city dump and it's necessary to dogfight with all the seagulls at dinnertime. The press-to-unlock knobs for running the visors up and down-big puppies designed to be used by a gloved palm-are on the sides of the helmet, instead of dead-centre in the front for the single-visor model, which means I can sit a little higher.
There's no question that the helmet forces me to sit a little lower than a Peltor headset-with it's very thin headband-does, and the canopy does exhibit a few scuffmarks where I've tried to see around the nose on landing.
The biggest surprise came when I tried flying without the helmet after the testing period, and all I could feel was how hot the cockpit was. NOt just on the top of my head from the sun, but my neck, cheeks and face.
It would seem that the low-viz, flat-grey paint scheme on the helmet shell, coupled with the airspace between the liner and the shell, acted as a a natural barrier and airway to keep me much cooler. In fact, these obsolete helmets are reportedly much in demand by helicopter pilots as they are lighter and cooler than the newer ones which come down over the ears. Taking off my glove and feeling the top of the helmet confirmed that it gets quite hot on sunny days, but I stay cool and dry underneath.
I don't notice the extra weight-as I said, these are lighter-and do aerobatics on almost every flight.
I'm not worried about how effective they will be if called upon to protect my empty head, they were standard issue for the RCAF for many years, and too many pilots ejected from everything up to Starfighters wearing them, with the only rare problems being retention at very high aairspeeds.
The downside? Bulkier in a tight cockpit ( where to put it when getting in and out? I perch mine on the windshield top bow), can't sit as close to the canopy top for viz, and the increased potential for whiplash due to heavier head weight for the neck to control.
Despite being designed forty years ago, they are still available new on eBay from GSProd, called Gentex 41-1.

Thermos · Post by **Thermos** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 8:14 am

Thanks, CJ, for usng that cheezy picture of me in my work clothes

.

I have both the helicopter helmet in the pic (a Gentex HGU-56 for you helmet fans), and the helmet I wore during my military days - a Gentex HGU-55 designed for fixed-wing airplanes with ejection seats. The HGU-55 is the one you typically see on USAF aircrew. As far as quality, Gentex seems to be the standard.

As you might expect, a helicopter helmet provides much better crash protection. It has additional webbing and pads that allow the helmet shell to absorb some impacts without transmitting them to your skull. The down side is that it's bulky - especially the one I wear. I feel like Darth Vader when it's strapped on!

The fixed wing helmet is designed for good visibility, noise attenuation and some impact protection - but not as much as a helo helmet. It's lighter, so that fighter guys don't have to strain their neck muscles as much in 9G turns. It's also a much closer fit to help ensure that it stays on during an ejection.

Helmets do provide some additional noise attenuation, but I've found that my noise-cancelling earphones work better than a helmet for cutting down noise. Most of the people I work with use foam earplugs when wearing helmets.

I plan on wearing the fixed-wing helmet when flight-testing my RV because of the relatively close head-to-canopy clearance - I don't think the helo helmet will fit. Except for aerobatics, I doubt I'd wear one after flight testing is done since I don't think the risk warrants it. But it would be interesting to find out how people get hurt in flip-overs, since the roll bar is supposed to provide protection. Would a helmet help? Who knows.

By the way...if the previous 'guest' poster is the gentleman in BC with the beautiful RV-6 'Imitutor', I hope your ship is back in the air!

Dave

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 8:54 am

Hahaha... You are welcome, Dave!

Thank you and Guest for all the information. I still plan on getting at least one for my plane when it is done. Sounds like the fixed wing design is the "Bucket O' Choice" for attenuation, clearance and weight.

I didn't think of checking ebay, but I will set it up as a favorite search and run it from time to time.

Thanks again!

CJ

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 2:47 pm

"By the way...if the previous 'guest' poster is the gentleman in BC with the beautiful RV-6 'Imitutor', I hope your ship is back in the air!"

Guilty, and, yes, it is back in the air as of early November. Not so beautiful anymore, I'm afraid. Needed a little more tweak on the trimtabs, slight creases in flaps and ailerons, canopy doesn't roll as nicely, more rudder required on takeoff, nuisance electrical stuff caused by the night on the beach. Heck, if I was trying to make it look like an old Tutor, I couldn't have "antiqued" it any better myself!
Good to be back in the air, though, and I feel reassured with how strong the airframe has proven itself to be.
Scott

aerial · Post by **aerial** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:07 pm

mustang wrote: I already have all this stuff to rally my Mustang in the desert where you must wear it all in order to participate.....

Hey Pete, I'd like to see a picture of your mustang! On that note are you going to paint your RV with a similar color scheme?

mustang · Post by **mustang** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:52 pm

Aerial,
No, we are going with the Miss America paint scheme, but without all the stars. We may sub some maple leaves for stars but I like the way that color scheme breaks up the fat wing syndrome. I've got the Red and Blue paint already and will shoot the tail feathers when I get the tips on. Just to make sure I like the colors. I chose a slightly darker, more violet blue and a pure red pigment with no shading, very close to Dodge Viper Red. The Mustang is pure white. I will see if I can dig up a photo from Nevada. I've never figured out how to post pictures to this site so I will email it.
Cheers, Pete