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#3196370 - 02/02/11 03:56 PM Air Force A-2  
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Josh Echo Offline
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Anyone know of a good manufacturer for an "authentic" reproduction of a 1944-era U.S.A.A.F.-issue A-2 flight jacket? I don't know much about the subject; hopefully some of you do. I basically am looking for something that is as close as I can get to what the real guys would have had.

Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#3196404 - 02/02/11 04:34 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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Fitz505 Offline
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www.gibson-barnes.com or you can type flightsuits.com, which will take you there. Bought my G-1 there 5 years ago and love it. Most of their leather jackets are custom made. Ain't cheap!

#3196419 - 02/02/11 04:46 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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Josh Echo Offline
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Did they try to sell you a bunch of snake-oil to put on your jacket, "to protect it"? [smile ] I got an A-2 jacket ten years ago and the salespeople insisted that I needed to put some goop on it to keep water from ruining it. I got lazy and stopped doing it after one or two treatments, and it never did take any water damage.

However, my jacket is far too big for me and so it doesn't keep me warm. I live in a place with rather nasty winters, and I'm wondering if a flight jacket is even right for me. They weren't designed to protect from wind, but rather to keep a pilot warm in an enclosed cockpit. Right? Temperatures were deadly low at high altitude, but not from windchill.

According to their sizing chart, I have the chest of a medium, the waist of a small, and sleeves of an extra-large. No wonder I can never get clothes that fit me. : (

#3196483 - 02/02/11 05:57 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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Mace71 Offline
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Darlington, UK.
Are they the ones with the big fleece collars?


Antec 902 | Intel i7 920 2.66Ghz OC'd to 3.40GHz | MSI GeForce GTX 660 Black Knight 2048MB GDDR5 | Corsair 6GB DDR3 | Coolermaster V8 CPU Cooler | W7 64

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#3196525 - 02/02/11 06:41 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Mace71]  
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semmern Offline
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Originally Posted By: MaceUK33
Are they the ones with the big fleece collars?


No, that would be the Irvin for the RAF, and the B-3 for the USAF.


In all my years I've never seen the like. It has to be more than a hundred sea miles and he brings us up on his tail. That's seamanship, Mr. Pullings. My God, that's seamanship!
#3196534 - 02/02/11 06:48 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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Gibson-Barnes makes a nice Navy G-1. I should get one. They have lady sizes. Maybe I should get one for The Lioness. She's mostly a western-wear sort, though.

Cheers!

Rick... pilot


"We are extending ourselves in Space and Time not because of capitalism or socialism but in spite of them. The Right/Left Capitalist/Socialist establishments are psychologically unprepared for our emerging situation in Time and Space." - F. M. Esfandiary, Upwingers
#3196547 - 02/02/11 06:58 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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Josh Echo Offline
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A-2 is the one generally issued to U.S.A.A.F. fighter pilots, I believe. Not too sure on what was standard issue when or where, or even if there was a consistent standard.

#3196627 - 02/02/11 07:55 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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Fitz505 Offline
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Upstate NY
I actually got 2 G-1's from them over time. I made the mistake of getting lamb's skin for the leather. It looks fantastic, but is too fragile for hard wear. It scuff's too easy, so it became my "dress jacket". Besides, I had them put 'hand warmer' pockets on that one, so it worked out OK. The second one was a stock G-1. Cowhide and no wussy hand warmer pocket's. The older it get's, the better it looks.

#3196630 - 02/02/11 07:57 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Fitz505]  
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Originally Posted By: Fitz505
I actually got 2 G-1's from them over time. I made the mistake of getting lamb's skin for the leather. It looks fantastic, but is too fragile for hard wear. It scuff's too easy, so it became my "dress jacket". Besides, I had them put 'hand warmer' pockets on that one, so it worked out OK. The second one was a stock G-1. Cowhide and no wussy hand warmer pocket's. The older it get's, the better it looks.


I'm glad to know that. I'm rough on clothing so I better get the cowhide.

Cheers!

Rick... thumbsup


"We are extending ourselves in Space and Time not because of capitalism or socialism but in spite of them. The Right/Left Capitalist/Socialist establishments are psychologically unprepared for our emerging situation in Time and Space." - F. M. Esfandiary, Upwingers
#3196662 - 02/02/11 08:25 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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meh
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US Wings makes some good jackets as well.

http://www.uswings.com/

#3196753 - 02/02/11 10:00 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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BlackLion Offline
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in the Cockpit of whatever I a...
IMHO there is only one manufacturer on this planet that really makes great authentic aircrew jackets and that is Eastman Leather!
I have one of their B-3s and it is just GREAT!!!!!
they do the whole range of US, UK and even Luftwaffe jackets (though the LW never had a standard issue jacket, there were several models that have become famous through their wearers smile - funny enough Heinz Bär used a liberated A-2 jacket while several LW fighter pilots used B-3s, obtained from captured bomber crews).
be prepared to dish out some hard earned dineros for an Eastman, but you will not be disappointed!


Experience of battle divides those who talk about nothing but the anticipation from those who talk about everything but the memory of it.
#3196916 - 02/03/11 01:08 AM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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Jaz Offline
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Dordrecht, the Netherlands
Those flight jackets are very nice! Especially those RAF bomber jackets.

Now I want something for which I don't have the money banghead

Jaz


Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself - Confucius
#3197318 - 02/03/11 02:54 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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jocko- Offline
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Eastman makes very nice jackets but if you want the best:

if money is no object


Cheers!

jocko-

417 RCAF
#3197646 - 02/03/11 08:21 PM Re: Air Force A-2 [Re: Josh Echo]  
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Sim Offline
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Title "Air Force A-2" instantly made me think of intelligence....Although "Air Force" was a bit redundant. Sorry. Carry On.


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