I used to own the above set as part of my collection. The 'fliegerbrille' you describe were not designed to be splinter/shatter-proof as that is not possible.Originally posted by Schwarz.13:
Hi Avro,
As someone has already stated above - shards of Plexiglass in the eyes do not help a fighter pilot do his job! The following are two examples of German Splitterschutzbrille which can be translated as anti-splinter goggles or splinter-protection goggles:
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As can also be seen, these German 'goggles' are far more ergonomic and practical when compared to the more unwieldy Allied equivalents and may explain the reluctance of many allied pilots to wear them (their own ones)...
Their advantage was that the lenses were of a high quality 'curved' design which allowed for better vision and could hopefully deflect small splinters..
If you are interested in buying such a pair today they will cost you about £300.00 / $600.00! But beware of fakes
The flight helmet (LKpN101) was typical of Luftwaffe flight helmets in that they were fitted with throat-mics.
There was a greater variety of Luftwaffe flight gear compared to RAF equipment.
Best Regards,
MB_Avro.
Also standard in the USAAF for both aircrew and tankcrew.The flight helmet (LKpN101) was typical of Luftwaffe flight helmets in that they were fitted with throat-mics.
When I used to collect military kit there were some people who had tanks who would use their US Army tank helmets, which had comms gear in, to listen to their walkmans.
fligth googles have a lot of aplications, as well as post war visors.
just some ones :
* protect the pilot eyes from any damage that may trow fragaments, oil or any other nocive body on the eyes of the pilot.
haven't you guys alreay hear about Robert S. Jhonson ?
It was the second lead US ace in ETO, and in probably his most famous mission, a FW-190 hit his P-47 and badly damage it. because he was not whearing googles on that day, oil from the damaged engine soake his eyes. it's googles where to fix on that day. bad lucky ?
he survivived, even after he manage to avoid the other 190's and receive many fire from a lone FW-190 (maybe was Egon Mayer) wich for his lucky, was only with ammo from their MG-17's.
he stay almost blind during the time it was with his eyes soaked with oil. if should whearing his googles that day, nothing would happen with his vision.
* in case of the pilot bail out, be able to still see with high winds on his face.
* some models where in fact sunglasses as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khNM7dt3TdU
this video is part of the propaganda documentary of the bombing campain on mailand Japan "The last bomb" - at 43 until 45 seconds we can see the pilot whearing sunglass fligth googles.
and many, many other aplications.
Originally posted by Wildnoob:
fligth googles have a lot of aplications, as well as post war visors.
just some ones :
* protect the pilot eyes from any damage that may trow fragaments, oil or any other nocive body on the eyes of the pilot.
haven't you guys alreay hear about Robert S. Jhonson ?
It was the second lead US ace in ETO, and in probably his most famous mission, a FW-190 hit his P-47 and badly damage it. because he was not whearing googles on that day, oil from the damaged engine soake his eyes. it's googles where to fix on that day. bad lucky ?
he survivived, even after he manage to avoid the other 190's and receive many fire from a lone FW-190 (maybe was Egon Mayer) wich for his lucky, was only with ammo from their MG-17's.
he stay almost blind during the time it was with his eyes soaked with oil. if should whearing his googles that day, nothing would happen with his vision.
* in case of the pilot bail out, be able to still see with high winds on his face.
* some models where in fact sunglasses as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khNM7dt3TdU
this video is part of the propaganda documentary of the bombing campain on mailand Japan "The last bomb" - at 43 until 45 seconds we can see the pilot whearing sunglass fligth googles.
and many, many other aplications.
I CANNOT believe I had to go to the bottom of the page to see Robert S. Johnson mentioned.
If ever there were a poster child for flight goggles, it was this man.
Of course these days health and safety would require that you have goggles, do a full assessment to ensure your seat is not going to give you back pain, do a full COSH assessment on the oxygen system, require a 10 minute break every 4 hours, no missions longer than 8 hours, and ammunition would be a definite no-no.
Remember, don't run with scissors.
As has been mentioned before, protection from dust and debris tossed about in the cockpit while maneuvering, blast or flash fire, small splinters, or engine/hydraulic fluids, or in the case of darkened or colored lenses, vision enhancement and protection from glare were all good reasons for wearing goggles in flight.
Also, especially in the early war years, many pilots flew with the canopy back (or completely removed, as in the case of many Soviet fighters) for large portions of their flights; the canopies either blocked too much of their vision or simply made them feel a bit crowded into their cockpits. For most US naval aircraft, it was doctrine to takeoff and land with the canopy open, especially for carrier ops, so that in the event of a crash, they could get out of (or be removed from) the aircraft quickly. At those times, goggles are far more practical than sunglasses.
cheers
horseback