- Manufactured by
- Gentex Corp., American
- Owned by
- Maj. Gen. Bolden, Charles F. Jr., American, born 1946
- Date
- 1998
- Medium
- graphite, nylon, styrofoam, leather, cotton (textile), polyester, canvas, sulfone polymer, silicone, rubber, metal, polycarbonate
- Dimensions
- 2014.243.35.2ab On form: 35 3/4 × 10 × 12 1/2 in. (90.8 × 25.4 × 31.8 cm)
- Visor Cover, flat: 5 × 10 1/4 × 1 1/2 in. (12.7 × 26 × 3.8 cm)
- Caption
- Charles F. Bolden graduated from the Naval Academy in 1968 and become a Marine Corps aviator, flying more than 100 combat missions over Southeast Asia. In 1980 he was selected a NASA astronaut and flew four space missions. Bolden was eventually appointed the 12th Administrator of NASA. He retired in 2003 as a major general.
- Description
- A pilot's HGU-68/P TACAIR flight helmet (2014.243.35.2a) and MBU-12/P oxygen mask (2014.243.35.2b) owned by Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr. The helmet is a graphite and nylon composite shell with foam interior and a camo patterned canvas cover. At the back of the helmet just above the neck is a white label with printed black text reading [MAJ. GEN. BOLDEN]. The helmet has a tinted visor that is covered with a detachable gray visor, which has [BOLDEN] written in black ink along its lower edge. The oxygen mask locks into the front of the helmet with several buckles. The oxygen mask is a hard gray polysulfone shell with a flexible gray silicone rubber air hose. The mask comes with several communications wires and acessories attached. On either side of the mask [Bolden / CB5603] is handwritten in black ink.
- Classification
- Tools and Equipment
- Topic
- Aeronautics
- Military
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., USMC (Ret)
- Object number
- 2014.243.35.2ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




