• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

My new Aero Redskin B3 40-1721p

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
OK, I've popped up

Let's hope you apply the same "Level Field" disection of quality and detailling the next time one of the "New Kids On The Block" posts pics of a new jacket.
I've lost count of the number of badly made starter jackets that have had rave reviews on VLJ

Like those ACME labels 'way back when', until you opened up the AERO name to your competition... Good times.
 

Artie

Well-Known Member
It's a nice jacket. Fits you nice. For what it's worth.. my aero b-3 order will be in in Just a fee days
Seal with jerky hides just like the 40 you just sold on the quartermasters page. (Think the pics are still up)
Imho it pretty accurate as far as shearling fur size goes. You can kinda make out the stitching on the collar through the fur from the belts underneath. Also if you look at the redskin sz44 thurston bros. has the sherling seems to be trimmed to a correct length.


Hi Guys,
Just some pics to show you my new baby. It is absolutely gorgeous. The sheepskin is already curly. It weights like a stone. Hope you will like it. Bests from France
6019f3be4e146c20286cd8dda6d21f75.jpg
4b3ebb20e286d6053f073dccdfa1494e.jpg
9b891d9ab624ad941ef7d2688d5236c0.jpg
a1b73eb256090ecc914214fa38135942.jpg
93bf040f061b0728a4536b919f0c666b.jpg
1fd155bcbeec32a79b71463400deec6e.jpg
32586afb6c5d56b3b4d7b0da389751a1.jpg
ed2dc2e6518954b1e47daa14464ff71b.jpg
d4060b85c401e6ee5686884a27b42e1c.jpg
45163179429965810b533048805c2535.jpg
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
"My point was more about the historical inaccuracies of the jacket, the fake 1940 label and the 1942 style construction."

The "fake" label is an old "house" label therefor the jacket is not strictly a recreation of any one particular USAAF contract
Without wishing to sound pedantic (there's too much of that on VLJ already) how can there be any historical inaccuracies on a contract that didn't exist?
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
The "fake" label is an old "house" label therefor the jacket is not strictly a recreation of any one particular USAAF contract
Without wishing to sound pedantic (there's too much of that on VLJ already) how can there be any historical inaccuracies on a contract that didn't exist?

I did state it was a fictitious contract and quite frankly I was surprised that Area should be making the jacket in the first place. Why on earth put a fictitious 1940 label on a jacket when you could have reproduced one from a pre-War Aero contract instead and made a reproduction of a two panel redskin B-3? Getting all the details correct is important IMO.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
Andrew.....and any other interested party

In answer to "Why on earth put a fictitious 1940 label on a jacket when you could have reproduced one from a pre-War Aero contract instead"

When we began making the Type A-2 in 1981 and the Type B-3 in the late 1980s we were not copying any particular model, although our early A-2s were very close to the 1756 Contract, rather making the jackets to represent what we would have offered the USAAF if we were pitching for a USAAF contract back in the day (hence the silk lining)

We used “fictitious” contract numbers and no “Beacon NY” on the labels as the jackets we were making were “missing” contracts rather than copys. All my working life I’ve designed rather than copied, our civvy jackets represent the mood of the era and are rarely copies of actual models made back ithe day

This might illuminate our thinking………From Acme Depot 2000

Aero Leather Clothing Company, the A-2 jackets they produce are not specifically modelled directly after the A-2's originally manufactured by Aero Leather Clothing of Beacon, New York or of any other particular maker.

The philosophy of the new Aero is to produce an A-2 based generally upon historical originals, but incorporating design and construction details taken from the best of all historical A-2's as well as from their own considerations for quality and durability. These features and differences will be described in their respective sections below.

In the late 1990’s we started replicating specific USAAF contracts in both the A-2 and B-3, and began labelling the jackets, Beacon NY. The Acme depot jackets were discontinued some time before the review was published. (It took a long time after receiving the jackets for Acme Depot to publish their review, I believe politics may have intervened)

Back to the 21st Century. When Tony and Greg switched from civvy jackets to Sheepskin they were given the old labels for their earliest jackets, the same way anyone starting on Type A-2s at Aero starts with Aero Flight Inc labels.

As the 3 piece upper back is more economical that would be why they didn’t use the two piece back pattern, I’m pretty sure the 3 piece back was the one we made in the 80s and 90s for the 40 contract label, after all, it makes so much more sense to use that than the two piece back with gives more waste.

Hope this helps explain "why on Earth" we did what we did :>)
 

johnwayne

Well-Known Member
Pedantic we certainly are! If we weren't we'd buy Avirex and similar rubbish that currently take up far too much of ebay sales purporting to the real thing!! Once the bug bites like any serious hobby it does become quite infectious as well as costly and that's why we love the real thing or if not the nearest to it a la, your fine jackets Ken and those of your peers!!! As John said earlier, great to have your input.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
early b-3s did not have side panels, only an inverted taped "v". later contracts added the side panels. (snip).

Sorry SS I don't understand point of this correct information in the context of this jacket, it has side panels as do both our current B-3s

[QUOTE="Silver Surfer, post: 187530, member: 722" (snip) . the b-3 pictured is a real knock out. beautiful.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, IMO we have the two best shearling machinist currently making replica jackets anywhere in the world, these lads make impeccable jackets.
 

John Lever

Moderator
Thanks Ken, looks very nice. The fleece length on the cuffs and waist look perfect, I assume the windflap is the same ?
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Tbats is a great looking B-3!
The color is beautiful.
Looks like it just came out of the Quartmasters' Depot .
Nice work.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
Greg and Tony's stories reflect the sad state of the once World leading British clothing industry
Despite their Heriot Watt Clothing degrees and their obvious enthusiasm and talents neither had been able to find a job in their chosen industry before they came to Aero from, would you believe, Asda and MacDonalds respectively. It makes one want to weep. That was five years ago and they aren't the only Heriot Watt graduates at Aero, the place is teeming young blood these days!
 

WBOONE

Active Member
That B3 is defiantly the bee's knees. Im sure any bomber crew member in WW2 would have been glad to fly with it.
 
Top