Just about to start building a para helmet from a shell (thanks Spiers) but...
Does anyone know where I can get a repro liner from?
Would a tommy liner fit, even if adjusted?
Where can I get the chinstraps from?
I know that SoF can supply the last two but what's the best liner to use?
I used the Tommy Helmet Liner from SoF on both our RAC helmets.
They will fit but you will need to cut down the rubber spacers around the edges to fit into the smaller shell. Just use a stanley knife and shave off small amounts until it's comfy. Be sure it's not too tight on your head though or you WILL get a very bad headache very quickly.
The only other problem is the Tommy Helmet Liner is fixed by a nut and bolt through the crown of the shell, the RAC ones have a lift out tab press stud type arrangement.
I ignored the nut and bolt that comes with it and pressed the liner over the stud and packed out around it with some packaging foam and they stay in place fine. You do need some padding over the stud though as I've heard of at least two people who didn't take this precaution and both regretted it.
If a MkII repro liner fits as B&A suggested, try and get hold of a MkIII/MkIV or a MkV liner which does have lift-the-dot fastening. The MkIII/IV will look kinda in keeping with the helmet, but the MkV won't (too modern, but probs won't be seem inside those deep para helmets) and will be ever-so comfy!
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
As to the straps, our very own Warren of ShootNScoot does the leather ones, Give him a ring or drop him a PM 
I hope this isnt going to offend anyone but-dont bother with the hassle and expense of trying to convert an RAC helmet that will never end up looking right no matter what you do 
Plus they are going for stupid money now on Ebay and Sabre have ran out.
Original post war Airborne helmets can be had on Ebay for £50-£80 or a Pegasus one for £100.
I have a very limited budget for my kit and after your weapon yes its a lot to pay for your helmet but i can GUARANTEE you will not loose any money on either a repro or original helmet when you come to sell it on
Cheers for all the help guys! I have an old Tommy helmet which I can use and I'll drop Warren a line for the straps.
I've been after a helmet form a while and yes, they are going for silly money. In the end, I saw a shell for sale and having got tired of being out-eBayed thought I'd build one myself!
i can GUARANTEE you will not loose any money on either a repro or original helmet when you come to sell it on
Why would i want to sell anything on? 
plus i think my RAC helmet (with liner) cost about a tenner, so that + a chinstrap, is considerably more affordable than £100 for a repro at the moment, i'm afraid.
Taffpara may have a point. RAC helmet £15. SoF liner £20. Leather strap £25. Total £60.
However, just out of interest, Sgt Heide was talking about doing some cheapo fibreglass shells a while back - don't know if anything came of it though.
I'm in the process of converting an RAC lid, anyone know if I should texture the exterior like a US lid?
also, I'm presuming that the colour should be olive drab?
thanks for any help.
"Major Bernard Himmler, does the name mean anything to you?"
My RAC lid came with a texture, I left it as it was.
pretty much done my lid, extended the liner band to fit, replaced the inner sweatband and replaced the vinyl crap with black leather (bastard of a job but well worth the hassle)
now before I go and drill a hole in the back to fit a new swivel lug for the chinstrap, could somebody please tell me-
WHICH END IS THE BACK??!
there is a date stamp in front/back? and there is a seam on the helmet rim (OOER MISSUS!) on the opposite end.
the stud in the top is set at an angle and I cannot decide which way round the helmet should go, both look ok to me, but before I ruin it, please help!
cheers for any advise guys.
"Major Bernard Himmler, does the name mean anything to you?"
I also agree with taffpara. The Pegasus lids are super-comfy and look the biz.
Unless you are on a really tight budget I would avoid the ballache of doing an RAC conversion. If you are on a really tight budget then skip the lid and just buy a maroon beret.
WHICH END IS THE BACK??!
there is a date stamp in front/back? and there is a seam on the helmet rim (OOER MISSUS!) on the opposite end.
the stud in the top is set at an angle and I cannot decide which way round the helmet should go, both look ok to me, but before I ruin it, please help!
cheers for any advise guys.
When the liner is square on your head, the "back" of the helmet will be the lower end.... I think.
Good luck drilling the holes. Let me know if you succeed - an engineer went through 2 tungsten carbide drill bits before giving up on mine. After all, it's meant to be bullet proof. The guy who makes the liners said he uses a welding torch to heat the metal before drilling it.
The guy who makes the repro liners is Adler & al:
http://www.solomonadler.com/headdress.htm .
Complete liner & chinstrap for £65.00 - not too cheap but if you already have an RAC helmet then not too bad.
The seam is usually at the back.
I was lucky as i bought my as new Pegasus helmet a lot cheaper than the new price.
I would say if doing Airborne that the 2 most important pieces of kit you need is your Airborne helmet and your Denison-how many bits of pointles guccci/bling bits of kit/extras have you wasted money on when you dont realy need them.
Stay off the beers for a weekend or 2 and invest in a decent helmet-you will not regret it 
oh well, the steel does indeed appear to be impervious to tungsten drill bits!, I wouldn't go as far as saying that they are bullet proof, rather more bullet resistant!
I'll just have to fix the rear chinstrap fixings to the liner instead of the shell.
thanks for you help with the correct helmet facing!
"Major Bernard Himmler, does the name mean anything to you?"
Leather para chinstrap - help please!
right, sof leather strap arrived, I figured out how it works but need advise on how to fix it in place into my rac shell.
do I drill out the rivets that are used to fix the bailer swivels/strap loop fixtures, and scource a couple of brass bolts and nuts and put these through the shell and the chrome eyelets on the strap to secure to the shell at the sides?
If I do this, I guess I'll have to drill out two holes at the rear of the shell to do the same to fix on the rear straps?
Could anyone who has a real or converted lid please confirm if this would work/look correct as just tying the strap to the bailer swivels with boot laces would be my easy way out and I'm not happy to wear a heath-robinson bodge on my noggin!
thanks for any advice guys!
stewart.
"Major Bernard Himmler, does the name mean anything to you?"
Leather para chinstrap - help please!
right, sof leather strap arrived, I figured out how it works but need advise on how to fix it in place into my rac shell.
do I drill out the rivets that are used to fix the bailer swivels/strap loop fixtures, and scource a couple of brass bolts and nuts and put these through the shell and the chrome eyelets on the strap to secure to the shell at the sides?
If I do this, I guess I'll have to drill out two holes at the rear of the shell to do the same to fix on the rear straps?
Could anyone who has a real or converted lid please confirm if this would work/look correct as just tying the strap to the bailer swivels with boot laces would be my easy way out and I'm not happy to wear a heath-robinson bodge on my noggin!
thanks for any advice guys!
stewart.
Unfortunately you have a problem as the chinstrap lug holes are not in the same position on your RAC shell as they are on an Airborne shell 
Thats from what i can remember when i had an RAC helmet-they are more towards the centre whereas on an Airborne shell they are a lot more forward
Leather para chinstrap - help please!
right, sof leather strap arrived, I figured out how it works but need advise on how to fix it in place into my rac shell.
do I drill out the rivets that are used to fix the bailer swivels/strap loop fixtures, and scource a couple of brass bolts and nuts and put these through the shell and the chrome eyelets on the strap to secure to the shell at the sides?
If I do this, I guess I'll have to drill out two holes at the rear of the shell to do the same to fix on the rear straps?
Could anyone who has a real or converted lid please confirm if this would work/look correct as just tying the strap to the bailer swivels with boot laces would be my easy way out and I'm not happy to wear a heath-robinson bodge on my noggin!
thanks for any advice guys!
stewart.
Unless you have a blowtorch, drilling is almost impossible (see previous posts)
What I did was this:
1) Found loads of pics on the web of original helmets to determine the correct position of the screws. Some pics here http://www.gostak.demon.co.uk/helmets/unitedkingdom.htm
2) Cut the heads off 4 screws with a junior hack saw. (I had them in the toolbox - M4 or M5 - I used pan head screws but "truss" head would probably be more correct (I had to look that up here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw#Shapes_of_screw_head )
3) Used 2 part clear epoxy resin glue (available in homebase & B&Q) to stick the threaded parts to the inside of the helmet in the correct position. I made sure I ground off any paint first - you get a better bond directly to metal.
4) Glued the heads of the screws on to the outside of the helmet in the correct position.
5) Sprayed it all olive drab.
6) Attached the strap with correct size nuts.
Okay, I need to get out more. Most people just attach the strap to the liner. 
People told me it wouldn't be strong enough but it's held up for a training day and Operation Varsity. They use epoxy adhesives to hold planes together nowadays, so I thought it would be okay.
To finish off the look you could grind off the existing rivet, it's only brass I think, then fill in then hole before you paint it, but I never got round to it.
many thanks, I will get my father to drill it, he is a toolmaker so will be able to blast his way through the steel with some huge bit of kit!
"Major Bernard Himmler, does the name mean anything to you?"