ties70
Well-Known Member
Hi guys,
after having equipped and taped a HGU-26 helmet during lock-down, I came up with the "What if...?" idea of getting a motorcycle helmet and mod it into a USN HGU-55 lookalike helmet.
My wife and kid were away for the last two days. So I started yesterday and came as far as you can see on the photos.
The basic helmet is a Biltwell Bonanza open face helmet in "storm grey". The color was secondary, I just wanted something in a glossy finish: My old Caberg helmet was matte black....and the finish ended just like all these cheap Chinese USB-sticks. The matte finish turned into a gooey, sticky mess.
This was the helmet yesterday at 8pm:
The snaps on this size M are fixed. A size L would have had the snaps bolted-on, which would have made the following tape job sooo much easier!
As the original HGU-55 features nappa leather applications, known as "elephant ears", I wanted to copy them, too.
What a clever idea!
I ran into walls at each and every corner:
- find the correct shape and size
- modify the shape and size to the bike helmet
- get some thin and flexible, but durable nappa leather
- get the leather attached to the helmet
Usually, one would opt for a lighter color or dark grey, but due to the fact that the helmet's interior was black, I chose the black leather.
I have used contact cement for the leather underside, fitted it to the rubber edge of the helmet and fixed everything with plastic wrap from the kitchen drawer....Worked perfectly:
Then came the "fun" part....and some lessons learned...
The standard one inch wide reflective tape works just fine for proper Gentex HGU helmet shells. The Biltwell bike helmet on the other hand has a completely different handling due to the curvature.
The attached "elephant ears" didn't help much either.
Nevertheless, I started with splitting the helmet into "halfs". Find the mistake here:
As I tried to avoid the front snaps and the leather, I started with an arrow-shape. WRONG! When taping a helmet with elephant ears, make a perfect cross...from front left edge to back right nape area, and vice versa....
I did not follow this advice, covered the helmet "somehow", and went to bed at 3am.
Today, I was so unhappy with the results that I stripped the complete front area again, and re-taped it from left to right.
Much better!
I am quite happy with the result:
Nobody would mistake the helmet for a proper HGU, but with some velcro and squadron markings...?
I am thinking VF-31 or VF-103...
At least it's a one-of-a-kind motorcycle helmet.
Ties
after having equipped and taped a HGU-26 helmet during lock-down, I came up with the "What if...?" idea of getting a motorcycle helmet and mod it into a USN HGU-55 lookalike helmet.
My wife and kid were away for the last two days. So I started yesterday and came as far as you can see on the photos.
The basic helmet is a Biltwell Bonanza open face helmet in "storm grey". The color was secondary, I just wanted something in a glossy finish: My old Caberg helmet was matte black....and the finish ended just like all these cheap Chinese USB-sticks. The matte finish turned into a gooey, sticky mess.
This was the helmet yesterday at 8pm:
The snaps on this size M are fixed. A size L would have had the snaps bolted-on, which would have made the following tape job sooo much easier!
As the original HGU-55 features nappa leather applications, known as "elephant ears", I wanted to copy them, too.
What a clever idea!
I ran into walls at each and every corner:
- find the correct shape and size
- modify the shape and size to the bike helmet
- get some thin and flexible, but durable nappa leather
- get the leather attached to the helmet
Usually, one would opt for a lighter color or dark grey, but due to the fact that the helmet's interior was black, I chose the black leather.
I have used contact cement for the leather underside, fitted it to the rubber edge of the helmet and fixed everything with plastic wrap from the kitchen drawer....Worked perfectly:
Then came the "fun" part....and some lessons learned...
The standard one inch wide reflective tape works just fine for proper Gentex HGU helmet shells. The Biltwell bike helmet on the other hand has a completely different handling due to the curvature.
The attached "elephant ears" didn't help much either.
Nevertheless, I started with splitting the helmet into "halfs". Find the mistake here:
As I tried to avoid the front snaps and the leather, I started with an arrow-shape. WRONG! When taping a helmet with elephant ears, make a perfect cross...from front left edge to back right nape area, and vice versa....
I did not follow this advice, covered the helmet "somehow", and went to bed at 3am.
Today, I was so unhappy with the results that I stripped the complete front area again, and re-taped it from left to right.
Much better!
I am quite happy with the result:
Nobody would mistake the helmet for a proper HGU, but with some velcro and squadron markings...?
I am thinking VF-31 or VF-103...
At least it's a one-of-a-kind motorcycle helmet.
Ties