Message 3331, Jul 2, 2001
I am trying to find some photos on the A-13A. I think I have some B-36 crewmembers wearing the thing. It's an interersting helmet and probably a little rarer than most people think. I'll look for the photos.
Cheers, FIGMO

Message 3315, Jun 30, 2001
Hi Maggot, The A-13 story is one that I myself am not completely clear on. I recall that Figmo, in the course of his writing the book that is in progress, made some remarks addressed to the A-13 on the forum not long ago. I wish I had the specifics so that you could dial in those comments, but perhaps you could go to the flightgear website and check back through the remarks and search for "A-13 helmet"?
To the best of my understanding (and it is at best faulty, incomplete, and possibly even incorrect), the A-13 was intended for use in multi-engine and "low & slow" aircraft. It was used in types like the B-36 Peacemaker and the B-29. It may also have been used in the winter in early jets such as the P-80, since the AN-H-15 was also used in those early jets during warm weather. It found applications in the odd spaces between mission specific demands, hence ended up being used in FAC (apparently, since this one definitely was) and for aircrew in heavy multis.
The original version featured the HS-38 headset & chamois-covered earphone cushions (identical to early P-1 and P-3 helmets) and was constructed of a light to medium brown leather. The later version (of which mine is an example) was constructed of gray leather and used the H-75/AIC type headset identical to that in the P-4 hardshell helmet.
I am sure Figmo has more information on this interesting transitional helmet, but regardless of the facts, it is one of those rare anomalous links bridging the prop and jet age together. You see them crop up occasionally on eBay but they are usually snapped up at a fairly hefty final bid price. If you got yours from Chad for the stated figure ($285 was it?), that was a fairly good deal (especially with the A-14B mask that it came with). As Figmo has pointed out in his researches into the many uses and types of MS22001 configuration that were in use over the years, the MS22001 mask was used not infrequently for low altitude 'demand only' missions. Fo this, the pressure compensated exhalation valve was removed and the inlet check valves were also taken out, with substitution of a standard rubber one-way exhalation valve in place (identical to that used in the A-14 type masks). The apparent reason for this was that the M-32 type mics were not easily fitted to the A-14 type masks, having limited space in their nose section to accommodate bulky mics, hence use of the MS22001 pressure-demand mask converted to 'demand only' (non-pressure applications) config. That is about the extent of my own knowledge about the A-13 helmet.
Cheers, DocBoink

Message 3314, Jun 30, 2001
Hey, Doc - Thanks for the photos of the A-13 - I already have one (picked it up from LeBeau about ten years ago for $285 w/A-14A mask -the price is burned in my memory because it's the first and last helmet purchase I ever cleared with my wife ;-). I have been trying to determine when and where these helmets were used, and your recent acquisition and explanation almost clouds the waters - what's the earliest use of these that anyone's ever documented? They just don't show up in period USAF archival photography...
Maggot

Message 3312, Jun 30, 2001
Hi Group, Things seem pretty slow on the Flightgear Forum today, so I thought I'd post a few images of two recent acquisitions. A week ago "Milcollec" on eBay auctioned off a set of items described as a "lot of FAC gear" formerly belonging to a Vietnam pilot (named Capt. W.A. Judge). No information was provided about the aircraft types Capt. Judge flew, although being a FAC pilot, he was presumably operating either 0-1, OV-10 type smaller aircraft and not the "fast FAC" F100 types. This is further substantiated by the two helmets that were included in this grouping, a grey leather USAF A-13, and a white plastic HGU-7/P. Before the old bugaboo about the HGU-7/P's use or non-use in FAC ops arises for the umpteenth time, the facts in this case are that this particular HGU-7/P helmet was definitely used in a small FAC aircraft by this particular pilot (Capt. Judge), as was his A-13 helmet.
The HGU-7/P helmet came with an MBU-5/P specially fitted for use with the HGU-7/P (identical arrangement to the specimen shown in Wise & Breuninger book--JAFH) and the A-13 helmet, fitted with the H-75/AIC earphone system and U-93/AIC connector, was used with the MS22001 shown. The MS 22001mask, interestingly enough, is dated 1955, and it was fitted with the standard rubber demand exhalation valve (not the pressure-demand exhalation valve); it furthermore did not have inhalation one-way check valves fitted (mic used in this mask is a standard M-32 with PJ-292 connector that interfaced with aircraft system through the A-13 pigtail cord).
The helmets and masks are in excellent condition and I was happy to find a specimen of the interesting A-13 helmet that was not priced in the $400 range (as some have been over the past year, as this helmet's interest value increases among collectors). The other items that came with this lot include two sets of Vietnam jungle fatigues in excellent condition, worn by Captain Judge and still emblazoned with his subdued embroidered name tag, wings, and rank insignia; additional, a complete late issue USAAF C-1 survival vest contained personal and issue survival gear for the Vietnam theatre of operations. I was surprised to see this C-1 USAAF vest used by a USAF pilot in Vietnam FAC ops, but apparently Captain Judge preferred this and used it on his flights.
I have attached photos of the two helmet and mask sets for the benefit of anyone interested. The HGU-7/P is interesting because of the controversy that it has provoked as a FAC helmet, while the A-13 is a very interesting relic of the USAAF to USAF transitional period (it was used well into the 60s, apparently, and an earlier version was apparently light brown leather, fitted with the HS-38 type communications earphone set--this one is gray leather and has the later H-75/AIC communications headset in it).
Cheers to all on the forum, DocBoink