How are you all doing?
Today, let's take a look at the early IJN aviation goggles, which were used before the eagle eye goggles were developed!

With fur (A)
Without fur (B)

I personally estimate that manufacturing began around 1921.
In the photo, it was in use until about 1938.

With fur (A)

Double paned glass with mica sandwiched in between. The Goggle Frames were silver plated. The Goggles were secured to the wearer's head with an elastic band. Later, in the Showa period, the Goggle Frames were changed to aluminum.

The Winter Goggles used red-tanned leather, for the exterior. The inside was fur-lined with brown fur.

Pale yellow/tan silk fabric connected the frames to a velvet face pad, of a similar color (for the B-type Goggles)

Without fur (B)

Without face covering (for summer)

Around 1923.

Around 1923.

Around 1932.

Classmates of the 19th flight training class rubbing shoulders in front of the door of the "lower airplane hangar" of the "Akagi" in 1935.

The Second Sino-Japanese Incident in 1937

Takashimaya's logo can be seen on the goggles on the right.

In the Taisho era, these goggles were attached to a kind of flying helmet made of four pieces of leather sewn together like this.

I would like to draw your attention to the crew in the photo. Taken around 1940, he is wearing a summer flight helmet made of four pieces of leather together, with eagle eye aviation goggles on top of it.

This flight helmet was manufactured around 1920, and is made of six pieces of leather, with the ear covers facing vertically.
Several other types of flight helmets were also used.

Sgt. Kyosaku Aoki of 12 Squadron, 3rd Sgts. at kyukou, northwest of Lake Ban'yo, is leaning against a late Type 96-2 naval battle type 2.
The plane is a "Hokoku-go," purchased with the nation's subsidies. The red-painted tail is a common feature of fighter planes of this era, to make them stand out when landing at sea.

The vertically oriented ear covers appear to be bouncing.

Around 1936, eagle-eyed aviation goggles were invented and adopted.

To be continued next time!

※About ordering※

We manufacture the flight helmets, oxygen masks, receivers, etc. shown in the blog. Please contact us for production orders, film-related orders, etc.

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IJN Early Aviation Goggles