New Eastman Leather Clothing "Escape" A-2

[Stand By]

Ah. My era of the Eagle was the 83 relaunch; we had Dan Dare, grandson of the original (and later, reprints of the original stories), but I don't recall Biggles making the jump. The Biggles I encountered was the one from the books - and the time-travel film that came out around 1985, which I remember as quite entertaining, but I've not seen it since the eighties...

The jackets in the 1986 Biggles movie were totally fantastic!!! (I once started a thread asking if anyone knew who made them, but seemingly nobody did) And besides the dreadful music, I enjoyed the movie too. A good romp.

 

[aswatland]

The evidence is in the details of the film jacket: Many years ago, Gary was introduced to Chad McQueen by friends we shared from attending The Great Western Show and Rough Wear was made widely known as the maker at that time. The specific contract can be pinpointed by a study of the pocket flaps, collar, etc., and it all points to 16159. The current owner of this famous A-2 is not known by me, though Gary may be aware of this individual and may have seen the jacket.

Thanks for this Charles. I have never questioned it being a RW. It is most likely a 16159 re-dye, but it would be nice to have absolute proof. Decent pictures of the Hilts jacket side by side with an original 16159 should nail it.

 

[Edward]

The jackets in the 1986 Biggles movie were totally fantastic!!! (I once started a thread asking if anyone knew who made them, but seemingly nobody did) And besides the dreadful music, I enjoyed the movie too. A good romp.

Ken would still have been in Battersea then, I think? Could have been him. Wested, of course, were active in those days too, though I'm sured if they'd made jackets ofr that film, it would be mentioned somewhere on the website? I suspect Aero have done a lot more film work than we're often aware of, given that Ken's never been all that keen to push that angle in marketing. The other possibility is ELC. The longer, barnstormer types that ELC do were in that direction.... I'll have to see it again sometime.

It'd be interesting if somebody went back and made a tv series out of the original books. Netflix could do something great with it...

 

[bn1966]

Great thread, love that over-dyed vibe

 

[Capesofwrath]

Ken would still have been in Battersea then, I think? Could have been him. Wested, of course, were active in those days too, though I'm sured if they'd made jackets ofr that film, it would be mentioned somewhere on the website? I suspect Aero have done a lot more film work than we're often aware of, given that Ken's never been all that keen to push that angle in marketing. The other possibility is ELC. The longer, barnstormer types that ELC do were in that direction.... I'll have to see it again sometime.

It'd be interesting if somebody went back and made a tv series out of the original books. Netflix could do something great with it...

There was a TV series on children’s TV back in the days when the world was black and white. I can’t remember the face of the eponymous lead but Ginger was played by little John Leyton. He was still playing the part when he recorded Johnny Remember Me with Joe Meek. It made him a pop star for a while.

I just remembered a neat tie in with the thread because John Leyton was in the Great Escape. I read the other day that he is the only main actor on the picture who is still alive...

 

[Ralph_Phillips]

Where is the evidence that it was a 16159 RW as opposed to a RW 27752?

I do have concerns about the re-dye process. Gary Eastman is very critical of the process in his A2 Flight Jacket book as it often leads to skinning the surface of the leather. I hope this does not happen with the new ELC Hilts A2.

Are re-dyed items normally a bad choice? What is "skinning"?

 

[aswatland]

The re-dye process which involved painting the leather shell a dark seal brown colour using poly-acrylate dye often resulted in the surface of the leather cracking and pealing off. In effect the top of the leather was skinned.

 

[Seb Lucas]

How were they painted? Spray gun? Did they remove the knits or protect the liner? i'm assuming they used a leather dye/paint.

 

[rocketeer]

He got around, that Biggles. I liked his Barnstormer. Was he on loan to the USAAF in those days? By the time the A2 was being issued, he'd have been quite the veteran!

As a young reader I only really found the WWI stories really exciting, Biggles of the Camel Squadron, Biggles of 266 etc.(and I didn't have to look that up )

Well it was Biggles in the Eagle strip for me. He used to fly around the Pacific islands in a Sunderland flying boat wearing an A2 in one story. God knows what he was doing. Ginger was never into leather though...

Oh yes I am

Is there any historical record of the jacket McQueen wore before McQueen? I.e. it sounds as if it was the Genuine Article rather than a costume repro (even more likely, given when the film was made, that it was the real thing if it looked right.... especially given the inaccuracies elsewhere in his costume).

Now THAT would be really interesting, probably more so than which contract the jacket was/is.

I would actually buy one of these without the 'Hilts' patch if I thought I still looked good in an A2, of which I am honestly a bit sceptical about the moment

 

[AdeeC]

Psoriasis of leather?

 

[aswatland]

How were they painted? Spray gun? Did they remove the knits or protect the liner? i'm assuming they used a leather dye/paint.

They were painted with brush and sometimes sprayed with a gun. The knits were not removed and that is why paint is often found on them.

 

[Carlos840]

Thanks for this Charles. I have never questioned it being a RW. It is most likely a 16159 re-dye, but it would be nice to have absolute proof. Decent pictures of the Hilts jacket side by side with an original 16159 should nail it.

After seeing the picture in the original post i couldn't help but think something was wrong with the pockets...
I just did a bit of detective work and to me they are definitely wrong. The Eastman pockets are very VERY pointy and very scalloped , the ones in the movie are definitely more rounded and smooth.

To me the RMC pockets look closer to the original...

Also, the Captain rank although a little faded and dusty can clearly be seen on the film jacket:

(if you right click and copy image location you can see them directly in photobucket in much larger size.)

 

[kojax]

i bought the real mccoy hilts a2 2 years ago. i really like the jacket and the fit is great size 38

 

[a2jacketpatches]

i bought the real mccoy hilts a2 2 years ago. i really like the jacket and the fit is great size 38 View attachment 43053

Great jacket, but considering everyone is splittin hairs on the jackets and I'm an insignia buff, that decal is sittin way low.

 

[Stand By]

Great jacket, but considering everyone is splittin hairs on the jackets and I'm an insignia buff, that decal is sittin way low.

Oh, you're right! Good eye!
And ELC got that right.

 

[kojax]

i see that on my jacket it does sit lo i still like the jacket

 

[pilot error]

I "built" this one about a year ago.....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[a2jacketpatches]

i see that on my jacket it does sit lo i still like the jacket

I like it as well. Just a little surprised that they overlooked that.

 

[rocketeer]

Anyone know who owns the original? And is it the original? I doubt there was that much interest in film props as collectors items like this. Unless Debbie Reynolds has in her stash

 

[AdeeC]

Anyone know who owns the original? And is it the original? I doubt there was that much interest in film props as collectors items like this. Unless Debbie Reynolds has in her stash

Another question; in most big budget films, clothing props for the main star like this jacket which may be worn for many scenes are usually made in multiples. Could there have been more than one?