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Collection from Italy: #2 P-38 Pilot, Tropical Environment


BlueBookGuy
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In the end if you are pleased with the look, that is what really matters. Nothing wrong with striving to get it just right, but it seems to me with all the variety seen in equipment on WW2 fighter pilots, that unless you are trying to match a particular photo, there is always room for your own interpretation.

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  • 7 years later...
BlueBookGuy

hello all,

finally decided doing some rework among a couple pilots, and by using one pair spare AN-6530 with amber lenses I replaced the previous goggles. Also exploited the instance in order to get better photos of this guy, since the ones from earlier posts in 2014 were indeed less than desirable.

Flight suit is still the AN-S-31A;  additions/changes are the sunglasses, now the later variant AN-6531 - 2 with 'rose smoke' lenses, a pair of deep yellow B-3A summer gloves, and a AAF-type dye marker that normally should be cemented between Life Vest's bladders  -   in this instance it had been modified by gluing and sewing a reinforcing strip of thick fabric at the top, together with tie-tapes for attaching to life vest.

Seen in the past this AAF packet so configured in vintage photos, as occasionally worn by VMF-222 pilots in Apri-May 1944; I liked the idea and decided to do the same to this AAF guy, possibly an interesting variation rather than a true wrong thing. 

 

Parachute is a B-8 dated June 1944 and Life Raft is the C-2, here with its case dated November 1944.  Life Vest still the old B-3, but no intention of changing it as well. A later type, rayon-made Blood Chit, some survival items and a couple different knives are present.

Given some late datings like the November 1944 C-2 and the darker AN-6531 subvariation, I've chosen to put this pilot as member of a squadron from the 8th Fighter Group flying from Morotai Island in early January 1945.

 

Some pictures do follow.  Here some with the older goggles

 

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here after some changes,

 

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BlueBookGuy

A small correction, the 8th F.G. had moved from Morotai before Christmas 1944.  It was a portion of the 12th F.S (18th F.G.) that stayed at Wama Airfield through the first half of 1945.

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phantomfixer

I love it… the eyes are killer

 

gotta say I’ve always liked the headset used with a flight helmet…. Personally I’d install them into the earcups

 

 

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BlueBookGuy
10 minutes ago, pararaftanr2 said:

Nice upgrades to your pilot Franco. And beautiful photography too!

 

Thanx Paul,  yes result is somehow attractive (perhaps a bit more in the photos than the real thing?... )

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BlueBookGuy
4 hours ago, Persian Gulf Command said:

He does have that "Loaded for Bear" look on his face.

... I've had to look on the web to get the correct thing (just translating the literal way wasn't that meaningful to me) but, yes you're correct!

Eyes were originally just slightly colored, and all mannequin's surface was plain white. I' added skin color and more eye depth, and a touch of slight beard using airbrush.

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BlueBookGuy

some details

 

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found this some time ago from a militaria French dealer, looks like never worn operationally after being modified. AAF variation with double stitching over a reinforcing canvas strip, keeping together the tie-tape as well.

The middle hole, been punched perhaps having in mind putting the packet over Life Vest's inflation hoses?,  rememer seeing years ago a vintage photo on the web  -   a couple F4U pilots from VMF-222 in May 1944 (pictured together with Charles Lindbergh), both carrying this very AAF variation suspended from the front hose.  I liked the idea and supplied this P-38 guy with the packet secured to B-3 in Navy style, whatever this could or couldn't be totally correct.

 

 

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BlueBookGuy

The very last pictures, some details I wished to enhance but without using the camera flash   -   sometimes quite useful, yet it does flatten too much anything and also makes for too sharp shadows.

 

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The bandage is an original one with some 'blood' painted on. Seemed like regretting back then to open an original case in order to have the bandage displayed around the arm but, il looks good anyway.

 

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Yellow cream B-3As from late 1944 are a newer addition of some years ago, replacing a pair of dark brown from 1945.

 

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This AAF B-3 had been the very first Life Preserver of vintage period in my collection, many years ago,  it does show an early mfg. date by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.    -  December 3, 1941. Thinking many a time about replacing it with a later one, or even a B-4, after seeing some newer items were pushing the guy forward to the last year of war.  But in the end, never materialized.

 

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Thanx for watching!

 

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BlueBookGuy

...and last but not least, one of those very early items I purchased from Aviators' World of Mojave, California., maybe around 1994 or so.   What a memories from the old glorious times !!  💘

 

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BlueBookGuy
1 hour ago, pararaftanr2 said:

I always loved getting their little catalogs with the hand-drawn illustrations.

 

So true words Paul,

I still should have somewhere two-three A.W. issues I kept by fondness' sake   -  they came maybe four times a year if I recall correct, and some very nice pieces from them have been among my early items, almost 30 years ago.  If I'm not wrong a change of owners came around 1997, but by then I had virtually stopped purchasing from them.

Fond memories though! All was more difficult for many a reasons back then (unless of going personally a a couple militaria event, hoping for positive results) but satisfaction was more than guaranteed if one was lucky enough.

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pararaftanr2

As a young collector, I saw one of their ads in an aviation magazine. My first purchase was from their little shop at an airport in NJ, where I met Lee and Diane. Very nice folks and the kind of shop you didn't want to leave. Not long after that they moved out West to Mojave and shopping had to be done from their catalog via mail-order. Times certainly have changed, but good memories.

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BlueBookGuy

Same for me!  I first saw the ad in an aviation magazine I bought from England, or directly there while I was on a 10-day holiday (do not recall correct wich of the two), so I shortly asked for their next catalog issue  -   that one, having 'Welcome Aboard' written by pencil on the front page, is among the few I still keep.  First purchasing ever was a jet age helmet + mask since that character was my very first goal for a full-size, more or less modern aviator.

Yes times have changed but, what a 'thrill' having to wait for the incoming package!!

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  • 3 weeks later...
BlueBookGuy

Just recently learned, the complete and correct nomenclature for these sunglasses (I believed, AN-6531 - 2)  should rather be  AN-6531 - 4  Type II , they're late war item but couldn't tell more precisely when issuing started back then.  Made at least by American Optical and much likely by B&L as well, to replace the standard pale green ones.  

Also read somewhere that a green variant of the Type II was made and issued too, having decidedly darker lenses than the earlier green sunglasses, however no more infos found till now.

 

Here these Type II are original from A.O. but with a non-military replacement temples.

 

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/31/2022 at 11:04 PM, pararaftanr2 said:

The color of the lenses in your late-war glasses is "rose smoke". Interesting name for a military item I must say.

 

 

hello Paul,

just now on the Forum after a while.  Yes rose smoke and, yes I agree a somehow gentle and interesting name  👍

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13 minutes ago, P-59A said:

As Phantomfixer commented your flyers helmet should have the inset ear phones. You may also want to consider the push to talk comms.

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Except what you are calling "push-to-talk comms", as seen on your mannequin, were not used by fighter pilots. They had a button on the throttle, stick grip or control wheel, depending on the aircraft type, to key their microphone.

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Since Franco's mannequin specifically represents a P-38 pilot, the mic button would be found on the control wheel, as seen below in this image from the P-38 pilot's manual, shown as item #3.

thumbnail - 2022-09-20T110349.785.jpg

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