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The NP AC900 family

Article about: Here are a couple of composites from National Plastics as was, now Morgan Aerospace (Combat Helmets | Morgan Composites & Defence Systems). Both are obviously from the same root as the c

  1. #1

    Default The NP AC900 family

    Here are a couple of composites from National Plastics as was, now Morgan Aerospace (Combat Helmets | Morgan Composites & Defence Systems). Both are obviously from the same root as the current UK combat helmet, the Mk7, though both have distinct differences. Both of them are black, for a start...

    This first is the SF CTT model (issued to Special Forces units) and is of the two the more similar to the general-service Mk7. In reality the only obvious differences are in the chinstrap rig, and (fairly unimportantly) the actual structure of the brow pad. The SF CTT has a much more obvious 3-point chinstrap arrangment than the Mk7, which in its way actually looks like a four or even five point attachment but really only three elements of the chinstrap are attached directly to the shell. The chincup is also different, being a padded strip remarkably similar to that found on many Italian composite helmets, wheras the Mk7 has a cup and pop-fastener almost identical to the Mk6. Also worth noting are the two 'horns' at the rear, the externally visible parts of the fabulous rubber mushroom rivet which holds in the liner, just like the Mk6 and 6A.


    The NP AC900 familyThe NP AC900 familyThe NP AC900 family

    The NP AC900 familyThe NP AC900 family



    This next is the NP 902 and is actually (I believe) a development of the AC 900 which is issued as the Mk7. Once again there's a very different chinstrap rig, and this time its a genuine 4-point attachment, but with plastic pop-clips at each side, so that the helmet can be more easily removed. There's also a fairly substantial neck-brace which doesn't feature on any other 900-series helmet. Notice on this one - no external 'horns'! This liner is not held by the mushroom fivets, but is actually glued in - fortunately for me the glue on this one has failed (or a previous user contrived to make it so) and the liner can be slipped almost completely out. Giving a rare view of the actual interior of an NP shell, usually not possible unless by cutting those rubber rivets (and then where do you get replacements, tell me that then eh). You might notice a moulding in the crown of the shell - all that I can actually decipher is the large 'M' denoting the size - there are other words/codes, but I can't actually read them. Yet. There's also a fixing point for a face-chield at each side.


    The NP AC900 familyThe NP AC900 familyThe NP AC900 family


    The NP AC900 familyThe NP AC900 family


    The NP AC900 familyThe NP AC900 family

  2. #2
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    Many thanks for taking the time to catalogue and display these composites here Greg, the NP 902 as you stated is glued in rather like an AC-100 I have in my collection, which was fairly "unstuck" so had a sneaky peek below the liner prior to gluing it back in place. Great to see the evolution of British composites in such detailed pictures.

  3. #3

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    greg very nice examples and a very informative study too ,aside from the general service mk7 these are special in there own right ,and deserve the coverage ,thanks for showing

  4. #4

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    I eventually got around to finding out what was moulded in the yellow patch of the 902 illustrated above. I think I have most of it anyway - there's a little patch of glue/plastic that might be obscuring some furhter characters, but I'm not at all sure there is anything really there. And I didn;t want to do too much destructive enquiry.

    Anyway, arranged around the inside circumference of an embossed circle we have NPA (which I take to the National Plastics Aerospace), an apparent date - 2010, and the digits 60 - 1881 (which are completely meaningless to me unless they are a unique number for the shell).

    Wonderful coupling of the new and old - a USB microscope and a soft-lead pencil for highlighting, Right tools for the job.

    Anyway anyway, if anyone has any furhter thoughts stemming from this startling revelation, let's hear them, please.

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