Artifact Friday: Gentex HGU-55/P

Pilot gear, helmets, and uniforms are a unique visual product to the new era of flight that has

taken over the modern age, especially within the Military. The Gentex HGU-55/P Helmet has been a standard choice within the Air F

orce and Navy for decades since 1980. It has been chosen as the primary helmet for Military pilots for a number of reasons that make it remarkable.

The visor has a bungee visor system that helps the vision of the pilot by being tinted. It includes integrated earcups for communication and can have Active Noise Reduction (ANR) to help

speech intelligibility for the pilot. It is a standard issue, lightweight protective flight helmet for the United States Air Force and Navy that was designed for high G combat environments. While these helmets have been designed to handle fighter jets such as the F-16, F-15, and F-22, the helmet in our collection was used by a C-130 pilot. The Gentex HGU-55/P helmet has two variations that make it versatile to different combat/air missions. The Gentex HGU-55/P is compatible as a lightweight helmet that can remain compatible up to 9Gs. The Gentex HGU-55/P Combat Edge has advanced technology systems that make it compatible with fighter jets such as the F-16 and F-15. The oxygen mask on this helmet is a MBU-12/P, the older version of the oxygen masks typically used on the Gentex HGU-55/P. The more modern version is MBU-20/P that is specifically designed for fighter jets. The MBU-12/P is known for its durability and compatibility to the helmet. The oxygen mask has bayonet receivers that screw into the helmet shell, and you can attach rotators that allow for the mask to hinge on either side that give greater mobility and comfort to the pilot. All these abilities give way to more efficient protection for soldiers. This helmet in our collection shows us the modern Military standard of today, come see it in our new exhibit!