United States Air Force Type P-1A protective flying helmet, 8.5 x 9 x 9, consisting of an off-white fiberglass shell with the front bearing the emblem of the United States Army Air Forces, the back of the helmet stenciled “332,” and the cloth strap to the reverse annotated “Wilkinson.” A very faded USAAF emblem is also present to the interior leather strap webbing. In very good to fine condition, with obvious signs of wear and use, including notable disintegration to interior leather and foam padding. This was the first type of hard helmet mass-produced for standard issue to the United States Air Force jet crewmen to provide buffeting and crash protection. The original P-1 was introduced in March 1948. The P-1A was identical except for a neck strap, which was added to prevent the helmet from tilting up during maneuvers.
