Cloth helmet to fit with Zulus?

Jeanie

Jeanie

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Jeanie
Is there such a thing? The only ones I ever see are with old David Clark headsets .... I can just use a ribbon under my chin but even though that may be quite "stylish" :D I'd rather just have a helmet.
 
I've never seen one. Helemts are generally made for aerobatics and you wouldn't usually be doing aerobatics with zulus.
 
Try Popsleather.com. Measure carefully. Everything is custom made. But I use Halos. Just a plain helmet works well. 30 day no hassles return for the best aviation headset and bargain. Sell the Zulus, pay for everything and have money left over. ;>)
 
Jeanie, you don't need a cloth helmet to keep the headset in place during acro. All you need is a chinstrap and you can make one out of velcro tape. But the in-ear systems - either Clarity Aloft or Halo (I use the Halo) really do work well in acro planes.
 
I'll consider the in the ear sets but I don't like poking plugs into my earS, I have small ears... Maybe I can get some earmolds made that fit. My early career was an audiologist for an ENT/head and neck surgeon so I certainly understand custom molds and their affect on frequencies transmitted thru the ear canal....

Don't know why you wouldn't wear Zulus to fly if you can hold them in place while inverted.
 
The eagle is pretty loud in the cockpit. I suppose the halos have sufficient notice dampening or you wouldn't like them.
Do you wear a helmet over them?
 
whifferdill said:
Jeanie, you don't need a cloth helmet to keep the headset in place during acro. All you need is a chinstrap and you can make one out of velcro tape. But the in-ear systems - either Clarity Aloft or Halo (I use the Halo) really do work well in acro planes.
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Physically, they might be wearable, but the guy at Halo told me not to wear a helmet over it. Not really an option, in an open-cockpit plane in the winter....

Ron Wanttaja
 
Jeanie said:
The eagle is pretty loud in the cockpit. I suppose the halos have sufficient notice dampening or you wouldn't like them.
Do you wear a helmet over them?
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No, helmets aren't worn over the in-ear systems. A cloth helmet's only function is to keep the headset in place during acro, or in an open cockpit plane to keep the headside in place and also prevent your head and hair from getting beat up. Hard helmets are of course another matter.

Never tried the Clarity, but with a good fit of the ear plug, the Halo equals or exceeds the noise attenuation of ANR headsets. The Halo comes with three types of plugs - two different size sets of foam plugs, and rubber plugs. Not going back to headsets.
 
My 540 eagle was so loud my ears rang for days after 1 15 minute flight. I tried every anr and passive headset made. None helped.
I bought the clarity aloft on the 30 day trial. It was very quiet and clear. I have small ears also Jeanie, they give you 3 size tips to try. They are special and block out way more than a regular ear plug. I chose the clarity because it has music input. The Halo does not. I also liked the clarity tips better.
 
Jeanie said:
Don't know why you wouldn't wear Zulus to fly if you can hold them in place while inverted.
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Don't they have that noise canceling thing with batteries in them attached to the cord (like bose)?
 
whifferdill said:
No, helmets aren't worn over the in-ear systems.
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I can see that being an issue with a Halo...since pushes the audio to the ears via sound tubes...but unless the Clarity Aloft sticks appreciably outside the ear, it shouldn't be a problem.

I have used a Russian leather helmet with ear buds; no problem, but it does have "bump-outs" around the ears where the speakers used to go.

I'm currently making a Clarity Aloft clone, using Plugfones (www.plugfones.com). These are essentially ear buds inside foam earplugs. Compress the foam, stick 'em in your ear, and let them expand. I've test-worn the Plugfones under a leather helmet and there's no interference. Using part of an oil can for the mike boom. Figure the total cost will be less than $100....

Ron Wanttaja
 
Jeanie said:
Yes they do. Why?
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You really need to make sure that thing will be secure. You don't want the thing coming loose due to high Gs and then knocking you out as it flies around during the next maneuver. I know it's nice and light when your just holding it on the ground, but imagine what's going to happen if it's not secure in the cockpit and your doing a tumble...
 
For what it's worth, I use (and love!) the Halos. He has a really good 30 day money back guarantee, so it is worth a try. They are so light, I doubt they would come off at -1 anyway. I wear mine under a canvas helmet in summer and a fleece lined one in Winter. In winter I usually wear a balaclava modified with iron-on patches at the ears, which I have cut a hole it for the Halos, so I wear the Halo over the balaclava and then the fleece lined helmet over that.

Jeanie the Halo comes with two sizes of foam ear plug one of which is really small. In addition, there is a soft plastic multi-ring thing. My ears have different size openings and I wear the large foam in one and the plastic in the other. I tried custom ear molds and didn't really like them.
 
wanttaja said:
I can see that being an issue with a Halo...since pushes the audio to the ears via sound tubes...but unless the Clarity Aloft sticks appreciably outside the ear, it shouldn't be a problem.
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Yes, but I think you're referring to open cockpit applications. No need for the helmet with ear buds in a closed cockpit like the Eagle.
 
Well, there aren't any new halos available till after Christmas so I'll just use a ribbon for now and I did order a mesh helmet from pops as well.

I have Velcro thingies that I use to secure the battery part of the Zulus in place. They don't come loose during inverted spins. I won't be tumbling the eagle.
 
Have you already had issues with the headset staying on? In my experience, most headsets will stay in place through basic acro as long as you don't tilt your head way back while pulling hard (no reason to do that anyway) or push more than -1G or so. Depends on the headset though.

Jeanie said:
I won't be tumbling the eagle.
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Why not? That Whirlwind prop is begging you to tumble it. :D Pull 45, roll left knife edge, wait till you're at or below your max outside snap speed and then apply full right rudder followed by putting the stick in the right front corner. It'll do a shoulder rollie/tumbly thing before crapping out after a couple rotations.
 
whifferdill said:
Yes, but I think you're referring to open cockpit applications. No need for the helmet with ear buds in a closed cockpit like the Eagle.
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The guy from Halo told me I didn't need a helmet at all. I sent him this picture....

ice.jpg


Ron Wanttaja
 
whifferdill said:
Have you already had issues with the headset staying on? In my experience, most headsets will stay in place through basic acro as long as you don't tilt your head way back while pulling hard (no reason to do that anyway) or push more than -1G or so. Depends on the headset though.

~~~~ it moves around a bit during inverted spins

Why not? That Whirlwind prop is begging you to tumble it. :D Pull 45, roll left knife edge, wait till you're at or below your max outside snap speed and then apply full right rudder followed by putting the stick in the right front corner. It'll do a shoulder rollie/tumbly thing before crapping out after a couple rotations.
Click to expand...

~~~~ lightening hole flange. New owner .. Maybe someday
 
Jeanie said:
~~~~ lightening hole flange. New owner .. Maybe someday
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I've got the light flange as well. I avoided tumbling mine until I switched to the lightweight composite Catto. But I really don't do much of that stuff. IMO, gyro stuff is more fun to watch from the ground than from inside the cockpit. If you had a metal prop, I'd definitely avoid that stuff. I wouldn't mind doing it with the Whirlwind. Composite blades cut way down on gyroscopic stress on the flange due to their light weight and flexibility. You would have to do a lot of gyroscopics with a metal prop to cause problems with the light flange. It has happened, hence the AD. My flange survived a lot of snap rolls and competition acro since 1976 with a metal prop before I switched a couple years ago. I like the peace of mind. Most Eagles seem to have the metal Hartzell. Glad you've got the Whirlwind. Composite is nice to have for a lot of reasons.
 
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