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B15b flight jacket


littlebuddy
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just wanted to know a little bit more about this particular jacket i have , dates , value , etc

thanks carl

post-106122-0-59695800-1357242235.jpg

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Post-war KW vintage being nylon with the leather tabs etc. They also made a blue nylon version which was relatively short-lived. Minus the shearling collar it evolved into the classic MA1. There's a similar one currently on ebay. # /140899706790

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reddevil1311

Hi Carl,

 

You don't want any of that post war crap in your collection - send it my way! :P

 

Seriously, a very nice example of a B-15B.

 

B-15 - OD cotton, WWII period

B-15A - OD cotton, WWII period (slight modifications from the B-15)

B-15B - OD synthetic

B-15C - Blue synthetic

B15D - Sage green synthetic (It was this model of B-15 that later had the mouton collar removed and replaced with a knit band, and redesignated MA1)

 

All had matching flight trousers, and all are very desirable.

 

A

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thanks guys !!! this was in the collection i inherited and is one of the only jackets that actually fits me !!!!! may possibly be for sale in the near future as im thinking of getting rid of some more gear along with what i have posted already ! there are a couple more jackets like this but in blue ! any good ????

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reddevil1311

Naw, blue is worst of them all - no-one would want those ;)

 

In all seriousness, all post-war flight jackets are sought after and provided they are advertised correctly will get a good price on ebay for example.

 

A

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This is a really nice example of a second-version B15-B flight jacket.

 

All the USAF nylon flight jackets were designed in late 1948.

 

This second version of the nylon B15-B is specification 3220C (on the label), and appears to have been only ever manufactured by The Gardner Corporation, manufactured late 1949 to early 1950.

 

The first version of the nylon B-15B is specification 3220B, and there are at least two manufacturers that I have traced - Great Lakes Manufacturing, and Reed Products. These were manufactured 1949. The only difference (at least that I can see) between these two specifications is the size of the leather O2 tab. Confusingly, these first-version nylon B15-Bs have the same specification number as the cotton-shell B15-A's of late WW2.

 

Certain Japanese fashion / replica manufacturers would have you believe that the B15-B dates from1945, and they market their replicas as such. However this is not the case - there does exist a USAAF drawing dated 1945 for a jacket with the designation 'B15-B', however that concept was in fact for a cotton-shell jacket, with a cotton or rayon internal lining covering the internal alpaca insulation, further improved with the zippered sleeve pocket. An example of that 1945-manufacture cotton shell jacket (which I doubt ever went beyond prototype stage) is shown p.166 of Maguire/Conway flight jacket book.

 

In late 1950 the Olive Drab nylon B15-B's were superseded by the design drawing for the blue B15-C jacket, specification MIL-J-6251.

 

As you may sense, I have been obsessed with USAF nylon flight gear for some years now.

 

Hope this info helps.

 

P.

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A rare jacket when in good shape and with a tape name. I don't believe that I even saw such one in my aviation collector's life.

 

Franck

 

so franck what are you saying ????? is this jacket of mine rare then ????

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I'm sorry for my bad english! :(

 

I was saying that a B-15B jacket is quite rare especially when the jacket is in good shape and personalized (with a tape nama as your or patches, ...).

 

Franck

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thank you franck !!! your english is very good !! it was my fault not reading it properly !!! regards carl

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  • 2 weeks later...
Johnny Signor

The BLUE jackets I have seen in old Manions catalogs in the $1000.00 + range, especially in good condition !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny

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The BLUE jackets I have seen in old Manions catalogs in the $1000.00 + range, especially in good condition !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny

 

Not sure the prices are still in line.Back in the day there was a huge secondary market created for these in Japan and flight jackets of all types were big business.Thousands of jackets went the way of the dragon.Not so sure the market is still there as the things they like change often.Couple years ago there was a huge intrest in the USN wool jumpers and sweetheart jewelry..One of the Japanese vintage clothing dealers flew into Minneapolis once a month and a fellow I know sold him bales of jumpers.I thnk now that market is soft as well.I know the khakis were going the same route at one time.

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An eastmanleather.com reproduction is worth $700 so since yours is real and a very nice example you should get a nice price for that one.

I have the CWU 45P current, another cold weather OD flying jacet thats current, one B-3 and four A2's (three of them Goodwears)

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