Original Item: Only One Available. This is a rare complete Chinese Air Force Cold War era Tk-1 high altitude flight helmet in its original crate. The TK1 is comprised of three main parts; Nylon under helmet with communication components (transceiver and receivers, fire resistant lace up hood with neck protection and external rigid plastic shell with removable air tight clear face visor. The visor incorporates oxygen and communication lines. The visor is also heated to prevent icing and fogging at cold temperatures due to high altitudes.

The overall condition is excellent. The crate measures 14” tall with a 13¾” diameter. Size of the helmet is approximately 7½  (60cm), but we can’t say for certain as it’s a difficult helmet to size. There is a name-tag next to the data plate translating to Sun Duoguo, a great opportunity for research!

There is a data plate on the crate translating to:

HELMET-1 SIZE 1
PRODUCT NUMBER 810093
SEALED CAP SIZE 3
FLIGHT HAT SIZE 2
MANUFACTURING DATE JULY 1981

There is a small booklet naming the helmet as a TK-1 with its serial number, 810093, meaning it matches the helmet and case, as well as a log of when it was used to monitor the performance of the helmet. A really stellar addition with many written entries.

The fabric visor cover is intact and in place, with two similar looking fabric bags/covers in the crate.

The smaller nylon helmet is in great shape with Chinese characters written on the interior, as well as the same matching serial number, 810093. There are some written inside the larger helmet as well, but they are indiscernible.

This is a fantastic example of a Cold War Mi6 Pilot’s helmet that requires a great deal more research. Comes ready for further research and display!

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was officially established on 11 November 1949 and it is composed of 5 branches which are aviation, anti-aircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles, radar and Airborne Corps. As of 2014, the PLAAF has a strength of around 398,000 personnel and is the largest air force in Asia.

The PLA Air Force underwent reorganization and streamlining as part of the reduction in force begun in 1985. Before the 1985 reorganization, the Air Force reportedly had four branches: air defense, ground attack, bombing, and independent air regiments.[12] In peacetime the Air Force Directorate, under the supervision of the PLA General Staff Department, controlled the Air Force through headquarters located with, or in communication with, each of the seven military region headquarters. In war, control of the Air Force probably reverted to the regional commanders. In 1987 it was not clear how the reorganization and the incorporation of air support elements into the group armies affected air force organization. The largest Air Force organizational unit was the division, which consisted of 17,000 personnel in three regiments. A typical air defense regiment had three squadrons of three flights; each flight had three or four aircraft. The Air Force also had 220,000 air defense personnel who controlled about 100 surface-to-air missile sites and over 16,000 AA guns. In addition, it had a large number of early-warning, ground-control-intercept, and air-base radars manned by specialized troops organized into at least twenty-two independent regiments.