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Collection from Italy, last one: UH-1 Army pilot, S.E.A. 1966-67


BlueBookGuy
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BlueBookGuy

Hello all,

this the very last of the series, made at the time in order to ideally have a trio of US aviators in Vietnam (the US Army aviation, added to USN/USMC and USAF).

A very common aviator's K-2B one piece flight suit having Co. number of year 1966 is here worn as alternative to a two-piece Army fatigues, or even to the (then) new CS/FRP-1 one-piece suits (made in the very early fire-resistant Polyammide fabric).

 

Jungle boots dated 1968 and a APH-5 helmet in very good conditions were foud out at a Militaria event here in Italy, many years ago.

Flight gloves are the HAU-7/P, maybe not widely known today? they do appear in a number of period pics, as a choice to those much more used B-3A leather gloves.

 

Thanks for watching - Franco.

 

post-151851-0-88056300-1406972615.jpg

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BlueBookGuy

1st Air Cavalry yellow patch is confirmed to be period-original. of course not guaranteed to have been there. Much possibly added subsequently.

Neither was this stuff coming from any vet's grouping.

 

post-151851-0-29490800-1406972746.jpg

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BlueBookGuy

Visor cover of APH-5 has name "Bell" and some arrows (?) in reflective tape, they shine when under camera flash.

Nametag with "Kittredge" is sewn on right-side breast of K-2B.

 

post-151851-0-06896000-1406972937.jpg

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BlueBookGuy

The HAU-7/P flight gloves, somehow a transition between the all-leather B-3A pattern and the subsequent fireproof GS-FRP?

 

post-151851-0-53265900-1406973320.jpg

post-151851-0-33905800-1406973339.jpg

 

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BlueBookGuy

Not too dissimilar from the mentioned GS/FRP-1, these too, do have the soft leather palm and sort of fabric for the balance.

Much possibly, not fireproof yet - but was unable in finding out more infos about this pattern.

 

post-151851-0-98988100-1406973383.jpg

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BlueBookGuy

post-151851-0-55996100-1406973626.jpg

 

 

A standard kneeboard, metal-made, like some other very similar patterns from that period. Most of them were made by "Felsenthal & Sons".

post-151851-0-30220600-1406973644.jpg

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BlueBookGuy

post-151851-0-84098800-1406973879.jpg

 

 

Leather holster and belt are in still fair state, somehow weak in a number of loops. These are for the .38 or .357 cal. rounds - inert cartridges go into them OK.

post-151851-0-54277300-1406973895.jpg

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BlueBookGuy

Still regarding the gloves - label is here from a 1968 contract, actually I saw them in pics dated late 1966.

 

post-151851-0-71561800-1406974267.jpg

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BlueBookGuy

BTW, the pair jungle boots were at first on another mannequinn - that also a Vietnam War aviator, the RF-101 pilot.

 

They went subsequently to this Army pilot and the other guy had a more common pair of flight boots, all-black leather.

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Giovanni R.

Ciao Franco,
I really like the display even if I think there are a couple of notes to be done, first maybe two different hand guns on the same mannequin may be "too much" and I'm not sure about how much comfortable would be wearing the canteen on the belt for a pilot. Other than that the coverall is badged with 1st Cav patch on the right shoulder (combat patch) and with a the Army Aviation Center and School SSI on the left. This means that the uniform was used by the pilot serving at the Aviation School, located in Alabama, AFTER his Vietnam service; also concerning patches Warrant officer BOS and Army tape are missing (I guess you already know that).
I would also change the boots with some leather ones, jungle boots were known to be dangerous due their flammability and also the Panama sole was introduced only at the end of the war (circa '69).

Hope this helps, saluti da Firenze! ;)

 

 

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BlueBookGuy

Hi Giovanni,

 

thanks so much for the interest. Yes I thought first about removing that patch on left shoulder, but I somehow regretted doing it due an (always) possible future disassembling of the pilot - K-2B flight suit would again be more complete and interesting if having its two patches sewn on as I found it originally.

As for the two handguns, it was just for a "choreographic" matter, even if I recall having actually seen such a display (one revolver and one M-1911) in a photo, as worn by a F-100D pilot based at Bien-Hoa in 1967.

 

In the end, jungle boots were otherwise non-utilized on any other mannequinns and I wasn't willing to do further expenses - possibly this pilot was assembled with a small less care than I did with my other ones, when a great lot of researches and the most of the care for their look was almost obsessive for me at the time...

 

Wishes again !! Franco.

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