The helmets used by American pilots today are based on an outdated design from the 1980s. So, as you might imagine, it is outdated. So outdated that their design was never designed with helmet-mounted display systems in mind, with a negative impact on comfort. However, this will change the modern helmet of American pilots of fixed-wing aircraft, which will be a completely new generation of equipment, about which we just learned a little.
The modern American aviator’s helmet is still under development. We know the company that will develop its prototype
According to the latest announcement by the US Air Force, LIFT Airborne Technologies will continue to develop a prototype of the new helmet for pilots in fixed-wing aircraft. This is the fruit of the Combat Air Command program, which aims to search for the best possible helmet design for a new generation. Design cards should have:
- Solve the problem of long-term back and neck injuries
- Improved integration with aircraft technology
- Increase the chances of survival for pilots
- Provides better compatibility with different crews
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In other words, the new generation of American experimental helmets should take a completely different approach from the basic design. The most important aspect seems to be reducing the weight of the additional hardware installed on older helmets and ensuring a better fit for different head sizes, especially women.
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In the design, the main parameters are weight, pilot comfort, optimal fit and protection, stability, optimal center of gravity and integration with various helmet-mounted systems. And the above-mentioned company turned out to be the most effective in this regard, because its work was distinguished from more than a hundred other proposals. However, this is not the end of business, but its beginning.
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After a full prototype is developed, the new helmet will undergo additional research, testing and finally improvements, before the Air Force can confirm the prototype’s success and propose a production contract. This will happen in 2024. After production is completed, the plan is to gradually deliver a new helmet to all crew members of fixed aircraft in the Air Force, starting with the crews of the F-15E Strike Eagle.
