BACKGROUND: With the advent of military aircraft in WWI most of the early pilots soon discovered that appropriate protective headgear was a necessity due to the cold and the all too frequent occurrence of oil leaking into the slipstream and covering the pilot. Originally the German military was caught unprepared and no specific headgear or uniforms for pilots were available. This resulted in the pilots utilizing commercially produced motor car helmets. These tight fitting, soft leather helmets proved to be ideal and future flight helmets were basically modified versions of the early motor car helmets. The LKpN101 flight helmet came in two slightly different variations but retained the same designation for both patterns. The earlier pattern had a two point oxygen mask attachment while the later pattern was equipped with a three point oxygen mask attachment. Both of these patterns were predominately used by fighter pilots.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Early pattern, brown cotton mesh net construction flight helmet with brown and tan leather fittings and bakelite communications equipment. The interior of the helmet is lined at the forehead, the top central seam and the nape of the neck in light tan chamois and the earphone mounts are lined in white fleece. Complete label.. Roughly a size 58.