Abstract: A protective helmet having an impact-resistant outer shell with an impact liner disposed within. The impact liner encloses a substantial portion of a wearer's head. A fan assembly having at least one fan and preferably a fan cowling is disposed between the impact liner and the outer shell. In operation, the fan assembly is connected through a connecting assembly to a source of power. The connecting assembly may optionally include power conditioners. When connected, the fan assembly extracts air or other respiration gases from around a wearer's head, through channels in the impact liner, and exhausts it out of the helmet through vents. The vents and the outer shell feature covering the fan assembly are designed for shell integrity and resistance to impacts and entry by flames or foreign objects. A gas inlet connector may optionally be provided for connecting an external source of respiration gases to the helmet, as may ducting to guide such gas to a wearer's face for respiration.

Abstract: The helmet of the present invention comprises an air deflector or boundary layer control device disposed over the top and sides of the helmet's outer shell. In the preferred embodiment the air deflector is a wicker formed of a strip of rubber or a similar material, which is disposed along the top and sides of the outer shell of the helmet. The helmet of the present invention also comprises a spoiler disposed along the bottom of the front and sides of the helmet's outer shell. The wicker and spoiler interact with the air flowing by the helmet at high speeds to reduce the effects of lift, thrust, pitch and buffeting on the helmet.