History of RAF flight clothing

[dinomartino1]

History of RAF flight clothing
Journal of Aeronautical History Paper No. 2014/01
A BRIEF HISTORY OF FLYING CLOTHING
Dr. Graham Rood
Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) Formerly Head of Man Machine Integration Department, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough

https://www.aerosociety.com/media/4847/a-brief-history-of-flying-clothing.pdf

 

[dinomartino1]

I was intrigued by the pith flight helmet here are photos of one.

 

[Steve27752]

In very good condition

 

[dinomartino1]

Pathe newsreel from 1934.
No. 2 sqn RAF on patrol over the Khyber Pass.
They are wearing the helmets in the flying footage.

.

 

[D97x7]

Fascinating stuff, this was what I was talking to my neighbour about over Christmas, she was telling me how the RFC had a vote on what colour uniforms to wear, they chose blue like the navy as they thought the green was a bit lady like, or words to that effect, it was a most enjoyable hour.

 

[Smithy]

The conversion of the standard pith helmet used by British forces in tropical climes to the pith flying helmet used in the RAF was actually a natural evolution. Cork based flying helmets were two of the first types used by the RFC and RNAS. The first was the French Roold helmet which was adopted in April 1914 just prior to the outbreak of war and which was joined shortly after by the British designed Warren helmet (Ptn No 8115, August, 1914). The conversion of the pith helmet to flying duties was a logical idea, if perhaps not the most practical - airmen found them to be exceedingly ungainly in the air and the airflow had a very nasty tendency to catch the brim and whip the man's head suddenly in unwanted directions. Needless to say its time in the service was very short lived!

 

[Southoftheborder]

Really interesting paper. Thanks for posting it.

 

[dinomartino1]

I can never a pith helmet twithout instantly thinking of Gunner Harold Herbert Horace Willy "Lofty" Sugden, RA.

BSM Williams
"Is it a mushroom? No.
Is it a soldier? No
It's Gunner Sugden."

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Really interesting paper. Thanks for posting it.

Echoed

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

I can never a pith helmet twithout instantly thinking of Gunner Harold Herbert Horace Willy "Lofty" Sugden, RA.

BSM Williams
"Is it a mushroom? No.
Is it a soldier? No
It's Gunner Sugden."

View attachment 13621

That's what's called "Taking the pith"

 

[Arthur]

Fantastic and very interesting paper.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk