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"Suits you sir !" USAAF flying suits


littlebuddy
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littlebuddy

I thought id start a thread regarding the types of flying suits used by the USAAF , I have 4 in total , not many I know , but its a start !!

 

with a little bit of research I have found many different examples of the same nomenclature suit ,that have slight differences to each other

 

Im no expert at all on this subject ,so if I give a wrong call or my information is incorrect please let me know !! im still learning the subject of USAAF

 

So , here we go with the first of my suits

 

The TYPE A4 SUIT, FLYING SUMMER

The cost of this suit was $10 in 1943

 

post-106122-0-57622500-1394386894.jpg

 

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littlebuddy

This is where it starts to become a little complicated , well for me it does anyway ! :lol:

 

The TYPE AN6550

 

This particular suit has the 2 way zip which was a later addition but also sports the single breast pocket which was the early pattern

 

post-106122-0-19832300-1394387661.jpg

 

post-106122-0-17423200-1394387859.jpg

 

 

 

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littlebuddy

Same suit showing the 2 way zip and plastic buckle on the attached belt

 

note also the light olive color of the material used

 

post-106122-0-36923100-1394388076.jpg

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littlebuddy

Right now the next suit , this one has had the nomenclature label removed at some point :wacko: but it does show traces of where it was stitched , after referencing this suit in the " flight gear book by Mathieu Bianchi" AKA BLUELEADER !

 

I have come to the conclusion that this is the type AN-S-31 , this is a 1944 production suit I think ???

 

post-106122-0-13597400-1394388619.jpg

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littlebuddy

pocket detail ,showing the "fly" pocket and the suit pocket , not evident on the AN6550 I have previously shown

 

post-106122-0-07145900-1394388929.jpg

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littlebuddy

Ok and now a later suit the K1

 

this suit ,to me , starts to show the way in which we probably all think a flight suit should look with zips and pockets etc !!

 

post-106122-0-80645400-1394389613.jpg

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Interesting to see your lightweight K-1 Carl. Makes an interesting comparison with my gabardine one. I've also got a short-lived early 50s one in blue gabardine which I'll try to dig out and photograph it tomorrow.

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littlebuddy

Interesting to see your lightweight K-1 Carl. Makes an interesting comparison with my gabardine one. I've also got a short-lived early 50s one in blue gabardine which I'll try to dig out and photograph it tomorrow.

 

I think you mean your L1 Ian ? The one I have shown is the K1

 

The L1 was gabardine and the K1 in a light cotton poplin style material

 

LB

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I think you mean your L1 Ian ? The one I have shown is the K1

 

The L1 was gabardine and the K1 in a light cotton poplin style material

 

LB

 

Doh...yeah...that's what I meant. :wacko: They are of identical design...apart from the fabric.

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The K-1 suit was obviously developed for comfort in jungle regions. It was more or less developed at the request of the 20th bomber command. It's original emphasis was to copy the British emergency jungle suit MK III in that it would carry emergency gear and in the case of the AAF the components of the C-1 vest respectively. This combination was not found suitable as a standard item but the additional pockets allowed for the means to do so at the preference of the user. Further development continued on compliments for the suit later adopting the K-1 Mosquito Gloves and the K-2 Jungle Cap as standard and housed in the pockets. Both articles were adopted at the close of the war.

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littlebuddy

Well that has sorted the K1 out Dustin !!!! thank you very much for that info !!! much appreciated :):)B)

 

LB

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Here are a couple more for you Carl. Not easy to photograph well because they are so darned long, hence the exaggerated perspective! First up a blue gabardine L-1A from that brief period in the early 50s when the USAF adopted blue flight gear, before reverting to sage green.

post-8022-0-16203500-1394447803.jpg

post-8022-0-04725600-1394447805.jpg

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Next up, a summer-weight AN-6550 / M44 similar to the one you showed earlier. This one is a USN example.

 

 

post-8022-0-23859500-1394447937.jpg

post-8022-0-52535100-1394447938.jpg

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