The New Helmets That American War Fighters Wear Are Very Displeasing.

It's not about looks, it's fit, stability, ballistic protection, weight, and impact protection. Secondly, the helmet you posted is the PASGT, a fairly old version now seldom encountered even in non-combat National Guard units. The newer generation helmets include, but are not restricted to the MICH, USMC LWH, ACH, ECH and OPS-Core FAST. The materials used for construction, cut/shape, suspension and retention systems vary greatly,

 

The PASGT was first used in action 30 years ago last month I believe.

 

And discontinued about a decade back (post #15).

They now apparently mostly wear the ACH (etc)., which does sound a bit like a disappointed German, now I come to think of it.

 

Dammit, they fix the looks and then go and mess up the name. Actually the word helmet sounds like a German name. It's a plot!

 

"Helmet" actually stems from the French Heaume . The term is courtesy of William the Conqueror when he visited his neighbours in 1066 and made medieval French official language in England for 300 years.
If you want to go further back in time you'll get to the Latin Galean (Gallic headwear) .

 

I always figured "helmet" was the diminutive of "helm" as the former doesn't cover as much of the head as the latter. I guess by that a spangenhelm as pictured above would actually be a helmet.

 

There have also been a fair number of modifications of the current helm. Close ups might make some apparent others not so much.

 

The newer helmets in question are pretty good for what they were intended for, but not much use for boiling water or cooking in or things like that.

 

We used to boil water in our old M1's. Didn't find out till a few years ago it damages the temper of the metal and destroys its ballistic protection.

 

Not to mention dangerous if you had to don it in a hurry while cooking dinner!

 

Most of the early jets were directly inspired or desugned by Germans...

From memory, the original "modern" helmet was designed by Australians...i think the company was wooed by the US and moved to the states...not sure if they still run the business...

 

The first Jet engine to be patent was England's Mr Frank Whittle in 1930 ,and Germany's Hons Von Ohain's received his in 1936..

 

Serious...early jets (aircraft) not the engine. Im talking post war...late 40s 50s...Thanks.

 

No problem all is good ..

 

In that case I'm not sure you are correct. I'd certainly like to see any supporting evidence to that effect.

 

The first jet aircraft that actually flew was the HE178. However this was also a radial flow engine like the Whittle engine. The Junkers Jumo 004 and BMW 003 were axial flow engines. By the 1950s all jet engine development had moved to axial as it was more efficient and allowed faster speeds. The axial designs were ok for helicopters and applications that did not require streamlining.

 

This depends upon your definition of "modern". The PASGT was developed at the Army's Natick Research Labs. A team under Phil Durand were researching the use of aramid fibers and plastics for use in the construction of helmets vs the conventional metal construction. The original prototype helmets, produced in both Kevlar and fiberglass were produced by a Massachusetts company, Geonautic, Inc. The production helmets were initially manufactured by Gentex an old Pennsylvania company. Gentex had formerly been known as General Textile Mills, and had been the US's largest producers of parachutes during WWII and the company traced its origins back to Klott's Throwing Company back in the 1890's.

 

Any book on aircraft of the time will exaplain...Off the top of my head the F-86 Sabre...classic example.

 

Just had a quick scan of the net - i post from work who only give ten minute "windows" before cutting out, so a quick scan is all i can do - All i could find was the "Enhanced Combat Helmet" - Introduced into Australian Service in 2004 - Replacing the PASGT

 

I don't see it. While German research certainly played a part in the design of the F-86 so did US and British R&D and from what I can tell the latter predominated.