Developed sometime in the 1950s, GSh-4 became the first Soviet high altitude helmet design that
reached serial production in more or less big numbers. GSh-4 has seen much of its service with
Soviet test pilots, but it is possible that later on in its service life it reached regular units
tasked with flying at high altitudes.
To this date only two types of GSh-4 helmet are known to exist - GSh-4M and GSh-4MS. Either
version is extremely hard to obtain...
GSh-4 helmet consists out of a number of parts - internal communication helmet made out of fire
resistant material; material and rubber hoods attached to the face plate; face plate visor with
oxygen hose and pressure valve; metal shell worn over the material part of the helmet and a small
sun shading visor attached to it (though not all of the GSh-4 helmets had it).
Face plate visor is heated and has a constant flow of air over it on the inside to prevent it
from fogging. Smaller sun blocking visor has a number of preset positions in which it can be placed;
movement up or down is achieved by pulling visor by hand in the desired direction.
GSh-4 helmets are available in sizes 1 and 2 only.
Front view on the GSh-4MS helmet. Small dark visor is in one of the intermediate positions.
Dark visor completely down.
Left view, dark visor is completely raised.
Material hood. Note that it has laces on either side for a better fit adjustment.
Rubber hood is located under the material hood. Its worn over the communication helmet.
Inside view of the GSh-4MS shell. Leather straps can be adjusted to achieve better fit.
Dark visor lowering mechanism.
Note the two-way hook on the face plate - lower hook is for attachment of the face plate
visor; upper one is for the helmet shell.
Close up shot on the upper portion of the GSh-4 helmet.
Front view of the GSh-4 communication helmet.
Microphone detail.
GSh-4 communication helmet from behind. Note adjustable laces.
ID tag of the GSh-4MS helmet.
Close up shot of the main visor heating system.
Detail shot of the pressure valve, also know as exhale valve (it allows extra air escape from
the helmet thus maintaining constant pressure inside).
Lock that attaches shell to the face plate. To operate, leather strap is pushed all the way
down and outside.
