The MA-2 Pressure Helmet was a standard type of high-altitude helmet worn above 50,000 feet and was used for many years with a variety of partial pressure suits. It was basically a soft helmet with a bladder to provide pressure, a detachable outer shell of rigid molded plastic to provide protection and retain the prssure within the defined area, and a transparent faceplate. This example was the spare helmet that belonged to Francis Gary Powers at the time of ill-fated reconnaissance flight in a Lockheed U-2B over the Soviet Union in 1960. The U.S. Air Force insignia normally worn on the front of the helmet was painted over and replaced with Powers' identification number "29".
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.