Flight helmet worn by Thunderbird pilot Gen. Lloyd W. Newton
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1974
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Shepard Airtronics, Inc., founded 1960
label: Manufactured by
content: IMCO Products, Inc., American
label: Used by
content: General Lloyd W. Newton, American, born 1942
label: Subject of
content: United States Air Force Thunderbirds, founded 1917
notes: label: Caption
content: Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton graduated from Tennessee State University in 1966 and became an Air Force fighter pilot. He flew 269 combat missions, including 79 over North Vietnam. In 1974, Newton became the first African American pilot in the Air Force’s Thunderbirds. He retired from the Air Force in 2000 as a four-star general.
label: Description
content: Red, white, and blue flight helmet with black visor. Flight helmet is predominantly red, with an illustration on the back. Illustration on helmet depicts an eagle with four fighter jets in a white star at its center. Blue stars set against a white background surround the eagle. Blue type below the eagle reads, [Thunderbirds]. At PR and PL sides of helmet are metal mechanisms that the flight oxygen mask clips in to. Type on each of the mechanisms reads, [60C4459/IMCO PRECISION/PRODUCTS INC.]. Painted at the center of the helmet's front is [Fig]. Helmet's visor is adjustable using a white knob. Type on white knob reads, [LOCK ASST. VISOR/8475-722-7292/ F/N 66D1722/SHEPARD AIRTRONICS INC.].
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1969-2001
label: Topic
content: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Tools and Equipment
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Military Uniforms
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of General Lloyd "Fig" Newton
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.221ab
objectType: label: Type
content: helmets
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: plastic , leather , metal , nylon , cloth
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 35 × 10 × 10 1/2 in. (88.9 × 25.4 × 26.7 cm)