MA-1 Flight jacket

[Big J]

Just some random thoughts...

With respect to intermediate weight jackets, nylon technically didn't replace leather. The B-10 replaced the A-2 and it was made from cotton twill and alpaca. I'm guessing (without being sure) that these materials were at least marginally more fire resistant than nylon.

I have always believed that the A-2 was discontinued..not because it was expensive...but because it really wasn't a very functional flight jacket...even by 1942 standards. One thing's for sure. My father never liked his. He said it was cold and stiff and sweaty and he had to wear a wool sweater under it to stay warm. He much preferred the "green, cloth jacket", as he called it.

As to nylon...what amazes me is that it remained the primary material used in flight gear for so long. For thirty-something years, from the introduction of the B-15 until nomex was introduced in the middle seventies, nylon reigned supreme. Even early on, evidence must have existed that nylon clothing and cockpit fires were a deadly combination.

AF

Attucus, I'd say that cotton and alpaca are very good in a fire, compared to nylon. Alpaca especially doesn't like to burn, but will shrivel up when exposed to flame, like wool. But either way, both are much more resistant to flash burning than nylon.

I agree, that nylon sounds like an extremely bad way to keep your investment in a fighter pilot warm, and static electricity generated must have been a blast when stepping down from the cockpit.

 

[Doctor Damage]

To echo what has been said already, synthetics aren't good with fire/heat, except nomex and aramid of course. This brings back a vivid memory from my childhood. My parent's first house had a big fireplace and they used to have a fire going on cold winter nights (which I miss). One night my mother, who used to do a lot of quilting and sewing, pulled out a bunch of fabric cuttings and showed my sister and I how they react to fire. Cotton and wool burn, of course, but take their time to get going. Polyester and nylon melt instantly, and even worse than melting they adhere onto whatever they're covering, in this case a log in the fire but in a cockpit the pilot himself. "Always wear cotton or wool pyjamas" my mother said, in case a fire starts in the middle of the night.

 

[Monsoon]

Cotton is ok in a fire (well, as "OK" can be while you're burning). Cotton will char instead of melt like nylon will.

When I was flying, we had to have cotton underwear. Nothing else was approved for flight. Women were in the same boat, too.

Leather was good to go, at least for boots. We weren't authorized to wear anything like a jungle boot while flying.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Totally forgot about the B-15.

As for that other Material, Leather. The A-2 Was De-comissioned right, I did see pics of Vets Wearing their Time worn A-2s over in Korea with Jet Helmets on, but by Then The G-1 Seemed to Survive and live on as well as nylon, any clues..nope

Cotton Underwear...check...annd Roger.

 

[Big J]

Cotton is ok in a fire (well, as "OK" can be while you're burning). Cotton will char instead of melt like nylon will.

When I was flying, we had to have cotton underwear. Nothing else was approved for flight. Women were in the same boat, too.

Leather was good to go, at least for boots. We weren't authorized to wear anything like a jungle boot while flying.

Ah, yes, but was leather underwear good to go? Or should I switch to cotton?

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Just do what I do and go with no.

Duno if This is postable here, but this underwear convo reminded me of this;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=469KLGY6WCQ

 

[bn1966]

Commando is best if a little chilly at present & then you have to pray your pants don't ever split :-D

 

[Monsoon]

Ah, yes, but was leather underwear good to go? Or should I switch to cotton?

Leather underwear is good to go, but I heard it chafes a bit.

 

[Monsoon]

Let me pimp my jackets for a quick second.

Anyone looking for a Skyline MA-1 in Large, I have one for sale. The add should be somewhere in the Classifieds, but if you're interested shoot me a PM and I'll get picks to you.

Thanks, and back to our regularly scheduled MA-1 chat. And leather underwear.

 

[Big J]

Commando is best if a little chilly at present & then you have to pray your pants don't ever split :-D

I had a pair of At The Front khaki pants that suddenly let go at the crotch stitching. That was a tricky get home.

 

[Big J]

Does anyone have a link to the original contract specs?

I'm thinking about the Greenbrier stitching on the windflap. My Greenbrier N-3b's also have vertical, not zig-zag stitching, so I just wondered if stitching was specified on the contract.

 

[bn1966]

My Greenbrier CWU 45 also has this stitching pattern on the windflap.

 

[bn1966]

As does the MA1

 

[Atticus Finch]

Vertical stitched wind flaps might just be a middle-to-late-seventies thang. My 1975 Alpha N-2B has such a flap. As I recall, so does my F-series, Alpha MA-1.





AF

 

[Jwag]

wow, it's been a long time since I've been on here...40 pages later!! I really started something lol. Anyway my Spiewak MA-1 has been serving me well. It's my go-to jacket. Don't have any pictures of it. But it has pocket flaps, and uses a Scovil zipper as the main zip, and an Ideal for the small pocket. Also has a small tag in the internal pocket. I wear a size 34, and this is a 38. I have room for layering, but the length is just right. About 24" down the back. The knit cuffs look slightly longer than most others I've seen, but there's no tunneling whatsoever.

 

[Big J]

Nice flaps gentlemen.

 

[Atticus Finch]

When I was young...and was playing guitar and chasing women...you could have never convinced me that I would, one day, be writing publicly about jacket wind flaps...and enjoying it.

AF

 

[bn1966]

If someone had told me at eighteen I'd still be wearing them at 48...I wouldn't have believed them...and why so many

 

[TXFlyGuy]

Nice flaps gentlemen.

In my line of work..."All flap and no throttle" is not a good thing.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Ridley Scott wearing MA-1 with vertical stitching on windflap.