Soviet/Russian Flight Gear
Helmets, Oxygen Masks, & Flight Suits
by Major Craig Martelle, USMC, Retired

Updated April 10th, 2005! 

This page is not an advertisement - it is for information regarding Soviet & Russian Flight/Pilot Gear.  The information contained in this file has been researched by me from first hand sources in Russia.  If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to ask (gauntlet2@hotmail.com).  

This page is also meant to update the information in the Jet Age Flight Helmet book by Wise & Breuninger - this is the bible of flight helmets, but at the time it was researched, not all the information was available. 

Click below for the helmet you are interested in.  Be advised that these pages load slowly as I tried to maintain as high a resolution as possible for the pictures. This page is mostly finished with periodic updates (will be listed above as I make them).  If you have the latest version of Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator and you experience problems with the pictures (long file names with spaces), please contact me and I'll attempt to fix them.  

Leather Flight Helmets: 

• ShL or ShZ-50, 61, 78, and 82 leather helmets.

• World War II Helmets (individual items)

Protective Helmets (all helmets in this series have an odd numbered nomenclature)

• ZSh-3 with helmets ShZ-50, 78, or 82 and O-2 mask KM-32.

• ZSh-5 with O-2 masks KM-34 or KM-35

• ZSh-5MKV2 - used with the Sh-ZUM-1 Targeting system

• ZSh-7 with O-2 masks KM-34 or KM-35

• ZSh-9

Hermetically Sealed Helmets (all helmets in this series have even number nomenclature).

• GSh-4 - Test-pilot helmet from the 1960's.  Just added

• GSh-6 - High-Altitude partial pressure helmet

• GSh-8 - no info from me, but there are pictures on Mr. Holdek's page out of Poland - http://www.holdek.prv.pl/

Helmets in Action - Pictures of pilots with their gear and aircraft taken from numerous Russian/Soviet Aviation Magazines and Publications.

Oxygen Masks & Accessories

• KM-15

• KM-16

• KM-18 

• KM-19 (added Oct, 2004 - pictures from the collection of Jerg Maier)

• KM-30 (pictures from the collection of Steve Norris)

• KM-32

• KM-34

• KM-35

• Throat Microphones

• PO-1M (bugeye) and Ya-89 (box) Goggles

Flight Suits & G-suits (also called Partial Pressure Suits)

• PPK-1Y

• PPK-3

• VK-3M

• VKK-4 - external link to Red Pilot's superb page

• VKK-6M - altitude compensation suit (picture of a VKK-4 is on this page)

• VKK-15K(KM) - altitude compensation suit

• Baklan - full pressure suit for use on the Tu-160/Blackjack bomber

• VSK-2

• VMSK-4 - (includes the ZK-4, MK-4, VZK-4, TZK-2M, PPK-1YK)

This is not a helmet collection.  This is just a bunch of stuff sitting in front of my piano, about five years ago.  Since then, all these have sold along with many others.  This picture shows one of everything I think - KM-15, 16, 32, 32AG, 34, 34DII, and 35. ZSh-3, -3B, -5 blue visor, -5 green visor, (no ZSh-5MKV2, he was sent off to his new home last week in Dec, 2000), -7A, -7AP, GSh-6A Exp, GSh-6A, GSh-4MS, ShZ-50, - 78, -82, ShShZ-3A, ShShL-3...  

ВК - вентилирующий костюм - VK ventilating flight suit

ВКК - высотный компенсирующий костюм - VKK, Altitude Compensation Suit

ВМСК -  - VMSK, Naval orange flight suit coverall / naval flight suit system

ВСК -  - VSK

ГШ - герметичный шлем (гермошлем) - GSh, Fully-sealed (hermetic) Helmet

Шл - шлем летний - Summer Helmet (ShL-78 or ShL-82)

ШЗ - шлем зимний - Winter Helmet (ShZ-78 or ShZ-82)

Speedjeans (PPK) come in sizes 1 - 5. same as masks, but the 5 will only fit a person about 6' 2" and 210lbs.  Again, a size 3 is the average size to fit a standard-sized Soviet/Russian pilot who is about 5'10" and 165 lbs.  Collectors have a tendency to be a little larger, so will want larger sizes, which are uncommon.  The Soviet pilot selection process eliminated  men of large proportions.

Flight suits and VKK (altitude compensation suits) come in sizes 3 - 12. 3 is for a small woman and 12 is for the guy that is 6' 2" and 210 lbs. There simply aren't Soviet/Russian pilots who are bigger. I would say the standard sizes are 8 and 9 to fit a man of 5' 11" and about 175 lbs.  These are supposed to fit skin tight, so if you have a large mid-section or extra large thighs, then no VKK will fit you, no matter how large you buy it.  These things were made from someone with a slender to medium build, in good physical condition, but not a weightlifter.  If you are 5'7" and only 170 lbs, but have a  42 waist, you won't fit into any of the VKK's.  

Hard shell helmets come in sizes 1 - 3. 1 is small and 3 is large. A size 2 will fit someone with a head of size to about 7 1/8 (American). A 3 might fit someone with a head size to 7 1/2, depending on head shape.  Other notes - the GSh-4 only comes in sizes 1 and 2.  The GSh-6 comes in sizes 1, 2m, 2, 2b, 3m, 3, 3b.  The m and b are m for small and b for large, so there are a number of variations on sizes for the pressure helmets.  According to the GSh-6 technical manual, the inner communications helmets come in sizes 53 to 62.

The leather helmets come in sizes 53 to 62.  A 60 will probably fit someone with a hat size to 7 1/2, depending on head shape, but these are phenomenally rare.  The average leather helmet is size 58, which is a good fit for me and I wear a size 7 1/8 hat.  A size 56 will fit someone to about size 6 3/4.  I have never seen sizes 61 or 62.

Rating scale for Soviet/Russian Helmets:

Scale from 1 to 10, 10 being brand new.

10 – New (new fittings, fully functional, no scratches)

9 – Like New (only very minor wear in one or two spots; maybe a small scratch or two on the outside shell; no rips, tears, or visible wear in the cloth; sunshield is pristine; fittings are fully functional; could have a name stenciled on the outside or inside).  This is a superb helmet and an item for only the most discerning collectors.

7-8 – Excellent Condition (only minor wear; scratches on the outside shell; some wear on the inside, but no rips or tears on any internal cloth, but there may be some discoloration due to the pilot's sweat; fittings have signs of wear and might have a slight rust spot or two [some parts were not made with stainless steel], but they are fully functional; sunshield may have scratches; probably has a name stenciled somewhere).  This also is a superb helmet and makes for a high quality addition to any collection.

5-6 – Good Condition (has major wear; will have scratches on the outer shell with the glossy coat wearing off; only a minor tear or rip in the internal cloth; fittings are rusty and worn, but still functional; sunshield is worn with scratches; name stenciled on the helmet somewhere; maybe one or two of the gaskets or grommets are cracked and worn).  This helmet is still fully functional.  This helmet is fine for a display and a good bargain for any collector.

Rating scale for Soviet/Russian Oxygen Masks:.

Scale from 1 to 10, 10 being brand new.

10 – Brand New (dust is on it from where it was packed).

8-9 – Like New (some wear, but everything is shiny; good flexibility with the rubber; seals and grommets look fine; no rust; canvas straps are fully flexible).  This is a great mask and should be with a helmet of similar quality.

6-7 – Excellent condition (some wear; good flexibility and the seals still look good, but they are at the end of their service life;  the fiberglass shell may have some chipping off the edges; only minor rust spots on the connectors, but they still function; canvas straps may be creased).  This is the most common kind of mask and could be found with any helmet of quality 5 through 8.

4-5 – Good condition (some wear; limited flexibility; seals may be dry; rust on the connectors, but they function; discoloration and chipping of the fiberglass shell; overall - probably not functional as a mask).  This completes a helmet set for display purposes only.  This mask will be included with 5-6 scale helmets only.

Contact me at gauntlet2@hotmail if you have any questions.: