British PECOC helmet

[Composite]

I've been fortunate enough to acquire another version of a helmet from the PECOC (Personal Equipment and Common Operational Clothing) project. For the aficionados this is covered in much more detail in the excellent and recently updated "CompoSite" (Composite Helmet, Ballistic helmets, Military helmets UNITED KINGDOM, UK HELMETS, BRITISH helmet, Kevlar helmet)

Whilst elements of PECOC worked their way into the system this helmet, which at one time was to be THE helmet, seems to have taken second place to the Mk7...which itself is now being replaced in part at least by the Virtus /Cobra

Apart from the shell shape and that of the interior liner skull-cap virtually everything else is different....perhaps the most notable outwardly is the repositioning of the harness bolts clearly visible in the arty line-up profile photo (it's the black one in the middle). The new addition is another "SMALL" which is the same size as that with the HUD bracket (the one on the left!) although it looks smaller in the pics. All the differences are covered in more detail in "CompoSite".

The new padded nape-piece is more visible on the head-mounted pic.

This is a much more "finished article" than the others I have seen which means it might've been one of the last upgrades/developments or perhaps even a model made for sale? Sadly there are no labels although the helmet rim-piece is branded "NP Aerospace" to the rear and "NP" to the inner crown beneath the skull-cap





NB if like me you're a regular visitor to CompoSite you may need to fiddle with your cache to ensure you go to the latest updated version - I'm sure there's a more technical term!

[James C]

Very nice Ade you lucky man ,Certainly looks a real nice comfy liner system and i bet the pictures do not do full justice so i guess i will have to see this one in hand sometime in the near future

[Composite]

'been lucky enough to secure yet another British PECOC variant. Like the other 3, this one's different and is covered in more detail on "CompoSite" ( Composite Helmet, Ballistic helmets, Military helmets UNITED KINGDOM, UK HELMETS, BRITISH helmet, Kevlar helmet ) [thank you Greg!)

This one's grey and shiny ???? and a lot more "agricultural" in that it looks as if work's been done on it post manufacture. A number of models were made and tweaks were made to the liner, harness and edging. Apart from the shell finish, this one has a different liner like the others. The outward finish suggests this one was either early, made to have a cover permanently applied or perhaps just a test model......suggestions welcome please....

[James C]

Ade can i ask if the shell is made from a ballistic weave or perhaps another material if it is possible to tell that is .
As for the chinstrap harness is it 5 point and is the webbing similar in build and materials used compared to the tan versions in your collection

[Composite]

That's a good question mate. This one weighs in at 1.85kg and the comparably sized "yellow" one (with the Revision bracket) comes in lighter at 1.65kg. So it's heavier but it doesn't FEEL ballistic if you know what I mean.

The harness seems to be as per Mk7 and not like that on the black one.

It all seems/feels like a test / evaluation piece except for the edging strip which feels very "finished" in it's flush fit.

As a fellow Compo man, I'd value your thoughts.......

[James C]

This one certainly has a trials look to it and i wonder if the shell is missing it's final finish exterior coating and perhaps would explain the deeper recess on the outer rubber trim ,logically though that would only help tip the scales beyond to 2kg + .. perhaps there is a clue in the reason why it is a heavyweight and its main intended/proposed use ,Police /Special forces maybe ?

[Greg Pickersgill]

All you mad-keen collectors with your noses pressed against the Ebay window will have noticed that no less than *three* PECOCs came up for sale recently. The thing that caught my eye was the serial numbers in each one. There were number 16, 43, and 62. I know of one other numbered 31. Does anyone know how many of these essentially trials helmets were made and distributed? (Can one collect the Set, one wonders...).

I don't have one and all I know about them is not much, so can contribute nothing. Want to post any numbers? By the way a long ten-minutes websearching found no visible labels on any PECOCs.