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![]() jacket. The biggest diffence (aside from the slash pockets) is the cheap lambskin being used in the Chinese version (if a leather jacket is selling for $99, it's not quality stuff), while a military jacket is goat or cow. Isn't shearling by definition lambskin? By the spring of 1942, the majority of AVGs were wearing shearling jackets, as in the 3rd Sq ground crew photo I mentioned. Both of my Airborne Leathers jackets are cowhide, same thickness as the MIL spec jacket, but the leather is a bit more stiff and it lacks the brightness of finish of my well-worn issue jacket. Sounds good to me. all the best -- Dan Ford email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9 see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com |
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Cub Driver wrote in message . ..
jacket. The biggest diffence (aside from the slash pockets) is the cheap lambskin being used in the Chinese version (if a leather jacket is selling for $99, it's not quality stuff), while a military jacket is goat or cow. Isn't shearling by definition lambskin? By the spring of 1942, the majority of AVGs were wearing shearling jackets, as in the 3rd Sq ground crew photo I mentioned. Yes, shearling is sheep or lambskin, and the B-3, B-6, D-1, M-444 and M-445 were made out of sheepskin. The A-2 and M422/G-1 were not. The A-2 was horse, goat or cow and the M-422 was goat. ~Michael |
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(ArtKramr) wrote in message ...
Subject: Bomber-jacket leather and our law From: Cub Driver Date: 9/22/03 2:33 AM Pacific Daylight Time Message-id: jacket. The biggest diffence (aside from the slash pockets) is the cheap lambskin being used in the Chinese version (if a leather jacket is selling for $99, it's not quality stuff), while a military jacket is goat or cow. Isn't shearling by definition lambskin? By the spring of 1942, the majority of AVGs were wearing shearling jackets, as in the 3rd Sq ground crew photo I mentioned. Both of my Airborne Leathers jackets are cowhide, same thickness as the MIL spec jacket, but the leather is a bit more stiff and it lacks the brightness of finish of my well-worn issue jacket. Sounds good to me. all the best -- Dan Ford email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9 see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com Anybody remember the designation of those big sheepskin lined winter flying suites we wore? I wish I still had mine. (sigh) The B-6 was the intermediate weight sheepskin jacket and the B-3 and AN-J-4 were the heavy weight sheepskin jackets. What clothing (and how many layers) did you usually wear on missions? From the photos I've seen, it doesn't look like the B-26s crews wore a ton of clothes or were issued electric flight suits or sheepskin (very often). ~Michael |
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Subject: Bomber-jacket leather and our law
From: (Michael) Date: 9/22/03 5:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time Message-id: The B-6 was the intermediate weight sheepskin jacket and the B-3 and AN-J-4 were the heavy weight sheepskin jackets. What clothing (and how many layers) did you usually wear on missions? For winter flying we were issued elecric suits, heavy sheepskin jackets and bib pants and quileted long johns as well as 4 pairs of gloves From the photos I've seen, it doesn't look like the B-26s crews wore a ton of clothes or were issued electric flight suits or sheepskin (very often). ~Michael Very often? I am not sure what you mean by very often? .. Arthur Kramer 344th BG 494th BS England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany Visit my WW II B-26 website at: http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer |
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(ArtKramr) wrote in message ...
Subject: Bomber-jacket leather and our law From: (Michael) Date: 9/22/03 5:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time Message-id: The B-6 was the intermediate weight sheepskin jacket and the B-3 and AN-J-4 were the heavy weight sheepskin jackets. What clothing (and how many layers) did you usually wear on missions? For winter flying we were issued elecric suits, heavy sheepskin jackets and bib pants and quileted long johns as well as 4 pairs of gloves From the photos I've seen, it doesn't look like the B-26s crews wore a ton of clothes or were issued electric flight suits or sheepskin (very often). ~Michael Very often? I am not sure what you mean by very often? Sorry for the confusion. I'm assuming since there is little photographic evidence of sheepskin jackets being used by B-26 crews, that they weren't something the entire group of aircrew was outfitted with. That's what I meant by not "very often". So how did it work? Was every flyer in your group issued a heavy sheepskin jacket? And would they have gotten it stateside before they shipped out or when they arrived at their assigned group? It seems like an A-2 or B-10 jacket or B-11 parka over a flight suit and wool uniform was the most common outfit worn by B-26 crews, even during the winter. ~Michael |
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Subject: Bomber-jacket leather and our law
From: (Michael) Date: 9/23/03 7:01 AM Pacific Daylight Time So how did it work? Was every flyer in your group issued a heavy sheepskin jacket? And would they have gotten it stateside before they shipped out or when they arrived at their assigned group? It seems like an A-2 or B-10 jacket or B-11 parka over a flight suit and wool uniform was the most common outfit worn by B-26 crews, even during the winter. ~Michael Every flier in the group was issued sheepskin pants and jacket, quilted long Johns, electric suit and 4 pairs of gloves. They were issued to us in England. The clothing you describe would only be worn in summer. And we were never issued a parka of any kind. It would have been useless. Imagine a chute harness over a parka for example. During the bitter record setting winter of 1944 ( Battle of the Bulge) we flew in the sheepskins and after the missions we kept them on and slept in them to keep from freezing. The electric suits were of limited use since if it was really cold on the ground you couldn't bail out in an elctric suit. You would freeze to death. Also the electric suits had "hot spots" in them. After a while they would burn under the armpits and behind the knees and elbows and they had to be turned off until those areas cooled. And by the time they cooled the rest of you was shivering. So you would fly missions in an electric suit turning it on and off and on and off all the way out and back. Arthur Kramer 344th BG 494th BS England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany Visit my WW II B-26 website at: http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer |
#8
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