Jump to content

Collection from Italy: #6 F-104 Pilot, Italian Air Force


BlueBookGuy
 Share

Recommended Posts

BlueBookGuy

The upper pocket of right leg of Italian-made "Giusti" G-4B integral anti-G suit. Fabric seems to be somehow coarser than that of US-made G-4B:

 

post-151851-0-02775700-1394902903.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

G-4B tight-fitting on the abdomed.

Not much lacing for adjustment - just some zig-zagging lacing down on the back, main fitting was by choosing a specimen the most possible close to pilot body's measurements (12 sizes available).

 

post-151851-0-31606200-1394903230.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

Connection end of air hose, from left-side hip.

A different size from the cutaway G-3A's hose, although very similar in shape:

 

(continues..)post-151851-0-32183100-1394903399.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

Italian-made gloves, not properly flight gloves actually.

Yet, very often worn by pilots in medium-cold climates and preferred 'cause their fleece lining (shade of green may vary under artificial lighting):

 

post-151851-0-01998700-1394904390.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
BlueBookGuy

One correction just in order to be more precise in describing the items,

 

this Italian-made integral Flight Suit/Anti-G garment I called G-4B does read, actually, "G-4 bis" or sometimes "G-4 ter" on neck label. Both the two were Giusti-made variants of their D. Clark-made G-4B, US counterparts.

As long as I did researches, they only did exist in Blue color - the US garments, both in Blue and Sage Green.

 

Franco.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
BlueBookGuy

As a brief sub-topic to this discussion, not wishing to start another one (not enough photos available),

 

the following few shots are from a former mannequinn it, too, having been a US style-equipped Italian pilot of F-104. That time it was a more modern F-104S pilot, more or less 1975-82 timeframe.

Italian-made items were the versions of US-designed K-2B grey flight suit and CSU-3/P anti-G pants. Helmet was a dual-visors HGU-2A/P (US-made) and mask was a Scott-made MBU-3/P. Life Preserver was the European-designed "SECUMAR", produced in Germany.

 

post-151851-0-41280500-1396787893.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

US-made helmet carried as a stencil the official badge of AMI (Italian Air Force) at right-side, and a hand-painted "Diavoli Rossi" (Red Devils) insignia at left.

This was the nickname of "6° Stormo" (6th Wing), of tactical strike F-104S.

 

post-151851-0-91506700-1396787939.jpg

post-151851-0-56045400-1396787953.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

The large, unique-design collar of "Secumar" Life Vest is evident here. Issued (at least in this very variant) only to German and Italian Air Forces.

 

post-151851-0-55848000-1396788238.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

Detail of the lightweight, long-gauntlet style (Italian-made) Flight Gloves still made in high-quality leather. Of course, at that time the US-styled GS-FRP (Nomex fabric) gloves were available as well.

 

No other pics available :( .. Thanks for watching. Franco

 

post-151851-0-03228300-1396788369.jpg

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

This Italian-made "copy" of the US-made, classic K-2B seems to have been produced in only one type of grey (without any tendency toward certain shades of sage greenish, or some slight hues of aquablue).

It wasn't famous for its fire-proof features, but nonetheless was able to endure a long enough period in first-line use. About 1981-82 it began to be gradually replaced by a dark green new variation (it too, called K-2B) wich was somehow a worst garment in certain characteristics.

But not before 1988 was this finally replaced by a very good flight suit called "T-85", available only in one shade of lighter green.

 

If speaking just from my collector's own standpoint, the oldest one of the K-2Bs is decidedly better as for contrast against the other flight garments - and, does have a certain old "feeling" wich is missing in the anonimous, somehow ugly hue of green typical of the T-85 suits.

 

Franco.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

As for personal taste and preference, the older F-104 pilot clothed and equipped in virtually all-USAF style is fascinating for representing those late '50s, so much significant in collecting.

This later guy had been much less exacting in terms of difficulty and required time.

 

As a side note, the "Diavoli Rossi" pilot who in later periods had this HGU-2/AP helmet and MBU-3/P mask, was in 1964 among the very first F-84F "Thunderstreak" Italian pilots in doing an Exchange with USAF F-105D at Bitburg, West Germany.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

I was wrong in making my statement in the above post - actually, the Italian pilot who in the latest period of his career wore the HGU-2/AP and the MBU-3/P, had been in 1964 the first of the very few Italian F-84F pilots who did qualify in flying the F-105D (the I.A.F. didn't subsequently get that fighter-bomber anyway).

This happened at the US airbase of Bitburg, in West Germany.

 

Franco.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

ah- ah!!!! :D :D Just found those paper photos of many years ago, when the guy still was in collection.

 

Perhaps they will be of slight less quality, having made a photo at them with my current digital camera. Anyway, at least some more complete pics of that F-104S pilot.

As said before, K-2B grey flight suit and CSU-3/P "G"-pants are Italian-made variant of their identical named US counterparts. HGU-2A/P helmet, MBU-3/P mask, and CRU-60/P oxy. connector are instead, original US-made and actually had been used by a "Diavoli Rossi" pilot.

"Secumar" Life Vest is West Germany-made. Flight gloves and the hard plastic, grey-colored kneeboard are Italian-made.

 

Noteworthy are the four leg-restraint straps, original for the Martin-Baker ejection seat of the late variant F-104s. They are marked in pair, "Lower" and "Upper".

Remember when they were maybe the hardest item to have.

 

post-151851-0-08602600-1397252671.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

The unique size and shape of "Secumar" Life Vest are prominent here.

Two huge bladders for the collar, and a total of three large pockets. Decidedly more similar to R.A.F. or French Air Force life vests, than to any of the US ones.

 

post-151851-0-56971300-1397252731.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

This shot even if taken not in optimal lighting, should somehow explain my decision of putting on mannequin a grey K-2A suit instead of the subsequent very dark green (but short-lived) suit, it also called K-2B too.

Even this way not the better of color contrasts between the flight suit and Secumar life vest, but at least a clearly visible one. Not so, had I used the later green K-2B.

 

post-151851-0-00711000-1397253043.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

This, really the very last photo - not the best rendering as for quality.

 

As previously written, two different styles for two pilots of virtually the same airplane. The Blue-suited (against a Yellow life preserver) F-104G guy from the very early '60s is most fascinating for me, and his back-type BA-18 parachute is always one more piece of equipment making more "rich" the generic appearance of mannequin.

This later F-104S pilot is less colorful but still interesting.

 

Thanks for watching! Franco.

 

post-151851-0-31979000-1397253473.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
BlueBookGuy

The following (taken from the web, I never owned this item) are two slightly different specimens of the Survival Radio, once housed in the left-side pocket of the official model Secumar H-10/IAF Life vest of this pilot.

Made by the German firm "Becker FlugFunkWerk" and named MR-506, this radio beacon could be in black or yellow colors. German and Italian F-104 pilots (and currently, the German Tornado pilots) carried usually the black one.

 

This radio was issued in Germany about late 1971. At best of my searching, the subvariation of the Secumar Life Vest as worn here by this mannequinn came in service in Italian Air Force about 1974.

 

post-151851-0-46326600-1398017292.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

Radio set MR-506 can operate either as an emergency trans-ceiver radio, or a signalling automatic beacon wich switches on upon ejection.

As a beacon it sends twice a second a tone varying between 300 and 1,000 Hz, while as an emergency transceiver radio it operates on 243 MHz. frequency. Useful range is about 60 miles for an aircraft flying at 10,000 feet.

 

I didn't own this radio when this F-104 mannequinn was in the collection, while some other modern USAF or Navy pilots had their correct emergency radios in the survival vests, like the models called AN/URT-33 or the AN/PRC-90.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi there,

very nice vintage ItAF set ,congrats !

Only some note :

this Giusti P-4A-2 flt. helmet sports the red bolts of the 101st Gruppo of the 5th Stormo that flew the F/RF-104G for a very short period between 1964 and 1965. The P-4A-2 flt. helmets to be used in the F-104G, have been upgraded to to the USAF P-4B status by the ItAF in the early 60s.

This modification consisted in the removal of the previous comm system with a new H-143 AIC headset without rear comm cable. A straight comm cable was fitted to the MS-22001 oxy mask that became an hardshelled version of the USAF MBU-3.

Dagoflyboy

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post-152740-0-58083400-1398071246.jpgHello Franco,

we know each other very well....some other note about your 2nd F-104G pilot of 154th Gruppo of 6th Stormo "Diavoli Rossi" ( Red Devils ),Ghedi AB.

Very nice set indeed, but.... the 6th Stormo flew only the F-104G fighter-bomber; the HGU-2AP has been adopted by the ItAF in the very late 60s-early 70s ,produced under license by the Giusti factory.

In 1964 the modified Giusti P-4A-2 (H-143 AIC without rear cable and HARDMAN fittings) was the standard flt. helmet at Ghedi AB. There is an evidence of an early HGU-2P used by a 154th FBS pilot in mid 60s ,he got it as a trade from an American fella during a Sqn Exchg in Germany.

Attached a picture of a mannequin of a "Diavoli Rossi" F-84F pilot of the mid 50s wearing a USAF G-4A sage green integral anti-G suit, P-3 flt. helmet with MS-22001 "early" oxy mask and italian "summer" flt. boots.

I apologize for the low quality of the picture.

ciao,

Dagoflyboy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BlueBookGuy

Thanks so much Dago for your appreciation,

 

yes when writing F-104S I do mean (as far as pilot's equipment is concerned) also the more "modern" F-104G as well, when fitted with the newer Martin-Baker seat - after all, this latter is the only thing being really involved with possible changes in pilot's parachute/harness.

This HGU-2A/P was put on it because I was longtime searching for an identified set helmet/mask, at least for one of those two Italian pilots. It's a US-made specimen (Gentex for helmet, Scott Mfg. Co. for the MBU-3/P mask) so this is a comproved instance of a IAF pilot who flew with a US-made set, having been somehow personalized.

 

Such a display could stay in a timeframe about 1974 - 1980, or 1974 - 82(83?) - 1974 because of introduction of Secumar Life Vest in that year, early '80s because of the (overlapping) period when the grey K2-B suit was slowly replaced by the dark green variant.

Actually, one more fabolous artwork was painted on the HGU-2A/P - a devil's (or, somehow a monster's) hand with long talons, covering helmet's back. Unfortunately I do not have any surviving pics of it.

 

Thanks again!! Franco.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...