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Collection from Italy: #3 F-86E Pilot, Korea 1952-53


BlueBookGuy
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BlueBookGuy

A glimpse in the USAF of early 50s.

 

This Sabre pilot is from the 4th Fighter Wing, Korea 1953. At least 5 years to put together this display, from the first item ( K-1 summer flight suit) to last item (G-3A anti-G pants).

B-15 back parachute and C-2A Raft Pack found out with great difficult in years of non-Internet.

 

More decent pics will follow. Thanks for watching!

 

 

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BlueBookGuy

Berger Bros. is the maker of this G-3A, almost brand-new G-pants.

Standardized in March 1945, they actually never reached the operational Squadrons in WW2. Flight suit is a K-1 from WW2 leftovers.

 

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BlueBookGuy

Details of B-3A summer gloves and C-2A Raft Pack, hanging from the B-15 back 'chute.

 

Some pilots wore the M-3 shoulder holster for the .45 Colt Auto as a "hip" holster, as I did here.

(continued..)

 

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BlueBookGuy

Detail of 334th Fighter Squadron patch, and upper part of B-15 (fully manual-operating only) back 'chute.

 

(continued..)

 

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BlueBookGuy

Frontal view. That damned E-1 Radio Carrier Vest in this fantastic color took me 3 years here in Italy to find out.

Once found, owner wanted exclusively hid HGU-26/p full tiger-striped by me with airbrush, in colors of the Utalian 21st Gruppo (F-104S). This was a 22-hours work made only by night (!!).

 

post-151851-0-90919200-1394050178.jpg

 

 

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Nice to see such a fantastic 50s USAF pilot. Congrats.

 

Are you sure of the parachute model? I don't think that it's a B-15. The 5024C-15 or BA-15 was not used in Korea. He had a Class IV harness with only one Capewell realease on the left shoulder and the canopy bag was different. Your might be an earliest 5024C-8 or -9 which see action in Korea.

 

The patch as this one sewn on this K-1 suit seems to be a bit "modern". I believe that a flightsuit without any patch would be better for display a pilot in complete flightgears in Korea.

 

My little remarks don't in any way detract from your display.

 

Franck

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BlueBookGuy

Some more pics subsequently - again, issues in re-sizing them.

 

B-5 Life Vest is made by Willis & Geiger - knife is a Great Western. The MC-3 (first sub-pattern) connector from MS-220001 mask is attached to the H-2 Emergency Bottle - precursor of the later MD-1 Bottle, is virtually almost the same I believe? Maybe, MD-1 has a longer hose.

 

(continued..)

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BlueBookGuy

Thanks Franck !! Glad to have finally a clearer idea about parachute. Many years spent in research and must admit, I was never certain it is actually a B-15 - I so read on some Japanese magazines, but at the time I was doing these things without having Internet - who knows how many precious details went unnoticed, I only had exchanges here in italy with a few enthusiasts and some writings to the U.S.

 

As for the K-1, found out in this state and never touched more. Actually, some doubts about the patch I already had since the moment of getting it... but, didn't have any ways of ascertaining this. Almost totally Zero in patches topic :blush: :blush: .

 

Thanks for appreciation!! (continued).

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BlueBookGuy

As a very QUICK O.T. I post one of the collector's modern helmets, by airbrushing wich I sometimes was able to obtain some difficult items instead of paying with money.

 

This one airbrushed in about 2001 was exchanged with the G-3A anti-G pants. A similar one was for the E-1 Radio Carrier Vest. Long working hours almost always by night (!!).

 

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