Hi All, I'm not sure if this is the right place for this. But I recently bought the attached, a French Flying helmet variosly known as an Airaille, ZINSZNER (designer), or Gueneau etc. Although often said to be primative for the time, they were actually designed in the mid-1930s, with the hard shell a responce to increased speeds and agility of planes (the RAF B type from the same era was actually also slightly padded).
I've been after one for a while, but they have become rare and pricey. I got this for 65 euro, about 1/4 of the going rate, probably because of the paint! It is dated 1939.
I know they were used Pre-war and in WWII as pilot helmets and tanker helmets (as it has hooks for an oxygen mask, I assume this is the former). Post war they were used as paratrooper helmets, and cloth versions were used as such up to at least the 1970s, often in bright colours, orange, yellow etc.
Now my question is does the paint mean anything? Is it a period squadron colours, post war training colours or just done for use on a moped!
Regards
Steve
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