Frag Out! Magazine

ARCH – Design When it comes to the shell part, basically it is in MICH/ACH shape – well known, commonly used, and tried and tested. The substantial differences are linked to internal and external equipment, which makes a helmet fitted into the common trend, mentioned at the beginning. Undoubtedly, the most visible and distinguished element of the ARCH is a rail kit with an front shroud for NVG, which might be called crown, and a great surface of the loop tape attached to the shell. MSA designers set their sights on attaching to the shell fragment a slot for fixing a night-vision device so as there will be no need to make any other holes in bolt-less manner. Certainly, such solutions were applied a long time ago – one can mention a "ratchet" NVG mounts known from PASGT helmet which can be easily mounted with a screw (if only a helmet has such in the appropriate place) or a tape stay with a smart turnbuckle what did not require to make a hole in the shell fragment. A disadvantage of such a solution was worse stability and a possibility of the accidental unfastening of the turnbuckle fastener. In MSA TC 500/800 an extended rail system joined with an arm slot of the night-vison device was applied, assembled only to screws, which keep a helmet lining system. These are rails compatible with an ARC standard aka reversed Picatinny, but with certain exclusions (about which further), with additionally made slots for putting in rotary buckles of 360°range. For instance, oxygen masks are assembled with them used during the HALO/HAHO parachute jumps (in fact, in this case the buckles are joined with a mask adapter which has its own locking device ensuring sealing) or goggles and are characterised by easy operation (also when one has gloves on his hands) and easiness of size adjusting. Additionally, an arrangement of the bracket slots does not interfere with an equipment assembled on the rails. HEAD PROTECTION

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