COMPARATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE MK4 AND MK10 SERIES AIRCREW HELMET
Simon Smith
The UK MoD has used the Mk 4 series of aircrew helmets in rotary wing aircraft since it was introduced in the early 1980s. Helmet Integrated Systems Limited (HISL), having developed an aircrew helmet known as the Mk 10 - primarily for the UK fast jet applications - have sought to obtain approval for its use in rotary wing applications.
The current specification for the Mk 4 series is based on BS 2495:1960. This is a rigid mode test which equates to a single impact of 203 Joules (150 ft lbs), on three different sites - rear, crown and front.
The current specification for the Mk 10B is based on BS 6658:1985 which is a single axis falling headform test resulting in a single impact on the rear, crown, front and sides of the helmet, at a magnitude of 122 Joules (90 ft lbs).
The different test philosophies coupled with the difficulty in testing to BS 2495: 1960 - which is now obsolete - makes comparison of the two helmets difficult.
A test programme has been undertaken to conduct comparative testing using the guidelines detailed in the current European standard R22-05, a specification that uses a free falling headform fitted with a tri-axial accelerometer.
This paper describes the rationale used to derive the impact energies and impact sites used in the comparative assessments of the two models of aircrew helmet and presents a summary overview of the results obtained.
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