When one does this job for a while, it's hard to get super excited about something, but with this I was like a kid! Of all the things I never thought I'd get, a full pressure suit is amongst them. Designed in the late 1950s when high-altitude flying was the strategic choice of the day, these suits were designed to work in Phantom, Skyray, Crusader and Vigilante. A number of height and speed records were set by Navy pilots wearing them. I'm not sure they would have been much operational use, with the navy moving away from high-altitude flying, but it's not with the Navy these made their name. When NASA was planning for Project Mercury, they approached a number of companies to submit proposals for suits to be worn by astronauts. The choice was the Mk4 which has some quick modifications made, including the shiny silver outer layer! This is as close as I will ever get to owning a proper US made space suit, and I'm pleased to offer that same opportunity to collector!
This listing includes both the suit - tagged 1963 and Extra-Large Long, and the Helmet tagged 63 and fitting the suit. It also includes a Mk2a harness that was supplied with it, though I'm not sure it's correct for the suit.
Condition
Overall these seem in good shape. The helmet looks solid with no damage to the shell. There is some light corrosion to the metalic parts of the plexilgass visor, but nothing to be too concerned about. Internally there is some degradation to the rubber that would have sat around the face. The comms equipment, receiver and microphone have been removed, as have any connecting hoses. The suit is similar, the shell is in great shape, complete with boots etc. There is some degradation to the internal rubber lining, and small flakes of red dust have built up inside. Along with this some of the gold thread used on the two USN patches (chest and shoulder) seems to be flaking. The main issue is the large main zipper. The rubber on the inside appears to have expanded and degraded, currently preventing the zipper pull from moving. The rubber could be removed with some patience and skill to enable to zipper to move for display, but I'm not willing to do that and leave it up to the next owner.
Size
- Tagged an extra-large long.
- Given this isn't not being sold as a wearable I won't provide further measurements.