Posted by MyBomberJacket.com on 23rd Jun 2017
Flight jackets and how they have evolved | USA Made
Every August 19th, thanks to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939the U.S commemorates the National Aviation Day. The celebration runs concurrently with the birthday of one Orville Wright, the man who piloted the first flight in 1903. This day is not a federal holiday, however; people from all walks of life take a day off to learn about the history of aviation alongside visiting museums and historic aviation sites. Fast forward, it is now true to see how aviation aircraft and equipment and military pilots’ outerwear have since evolved from the days of the Wright Brothers flight.
In September 1917, the flight clothing board was established by the U.S. Army and was immediately charged with distributing heavy aviation jackets. These were a little different from the U.S. Navy jackets that at the time being distributed among the Navy and the Marine Corps. A-1 Leather Flight Jacket.
This jacket was meant for the U.S Navy and was first manufactured in the 1920s; however, it was first issued to the officers in November 1927 to 1931. It was made of horsehide russet and had seven buttons.
It got standardized by the U.S Air Force in the 1930s.The first versions of the jacket were made using seal skin leather and the cotton lining, but as soon as the supply of seal skin begun diminishing, horsehide was the next best material to make them. It was a waist-length jacket and had two front pockets. It also had webbing, which was attached to the bottom of the jacket and the end of its sleeves so that the air is closed out. It also contained shoulder epaulets.
These kinds of jackets were originally called M-445 flight jacket, which the US Navy started manufacturing them during the World War II to replace A-1. They were form fitted and had a long waist webbing at the bottom, a Mouton collar and a bi-swing back (essential for easier arm movement) On the front pockets; it had button enclosures.
These were produced in 1934, meant for military cold weather flight jackets. These jackets were of much reliance according to the aeronauts who the B-17s and B-24s from the space over Europe in the WWII period, as they could fly for more than 8 hours inside the unpressurized cabins. Here the air temperature could drop to the extremes of -600C. The sheep wool in them could create insulating air spaces; retain heat as it absorbed excess heat that got generated by the body.
B-7 Sheepskin Parka
It was on July 12, 1941, that the U.S Army Air Corp made this one official for use. It was a parka style, contained an attached hood and was a mid-thigh length. It was to be used by both ground crew armies working at Northern European bases and bomber crews that flew at altitudes above 20,000 feet during wintertime. Its production got discontinued in 1942 due to its high production cost.
B-10 & B-11 Flight Jackets
This is a cloth jacket that had synthetic fur collar and had two patch front pockets and front flaps. Came in different colors such as olive green, tan, and blue.
B-15 Flight Jacket
In 1944, this jacket was introduced to replace the B-10. Designed for temperature, it was suitable for pilots and aircrew until the late 40s. Its collar was made of Mouton fur, waistband and cuffs were 100% wool knit, the tab for the pilot's oxygen mask, and another tab for keeping the pilot’s headset in place. Latest versions were made of nylon.
L-2B Flight Jacket
This one got produced in the 1950s, for light temperature zone troops. It was a replacement for the Air Force blue nylon L-2A, and alternative to leather bombers. It was until the 1970s that they got replaced by the CWU 36/P flight jacket.
MA-1 Flight Jacket
In the mid-1950s, this one got introduced as the appropriate jacket for Air Force, Navy pilots, and ground troops. It was perfect for temperatures of between 14-50 degrees F. It lost its popularity to the B-15 since its mouton fur collar would impede the parachute harness worn by fliers. It had a collar that was 100% wool knit. It had tabs for the oxygen mask and headset wires and a U.S. Air Force label.
CWU 36/P & 45/P NOMEX Flight Jackets
They are made of NOMEX FABRIC, which is fire-retardant it has a high patch pocketed, pencil pockets, zipper utility, knit waistband and cuffs, fire-resistant threads, zipper tapes, and drawstrings. To this day, the CWU 36/P & 45/P NOMEX Flight Jackets reign supreme.
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