Jacket fit.

[Brettafett]

Didn't Aero receive 'accurate' patterns for the 18775 from John (GW) in exchange for use of the Aeroleather label?

 

[ZuZu]

BTW- I’ve been told you think I’m someone named Julius from the more recent past. I am not he. I am a ghost from 2009 or so. The way past...

 

[Silver Surfer]

the droopy shoulder issue is no longer an issue. as expected, the 1711 contract was made with slightly narrower shoulders then subsequent aero contracts. i believe that the one i got was a size 40 long, so the length is basicly correct, but with that written, a 40 regular could quite possibly be on the short side. the spec label is not perfect, but acceptable. the zipper is a repro riveted "hookless-waldes type. dunno about the thread, though i will test it.

 

[Silver Surfer]

as perry white would have it, "great [julius] caesars ghost"

 

[Smithy]

Alea iacta est!

 

[ZuZu]

My name is Jeff. I live in the United States. Born in Minneapolis- live in California. An "expert" from the early VLJ days but not your Julius- sorry

 

[SuinBruin]

Just a hunch.

 

[DiamondDave]

Anyone who ever visited The Thrift Shop would confirm we rarely had less than 100 A-2 in stock at any time and had thousands through our hands, many needed relining, those old linings were the basis for our A-2 patterns, mainly the 1756 (my personal favourite) and the Aero 15142. As anyone who has ever made an A-2 will confirm, the leather panels and lining panels are identical
I don't appreciate being called a bullshitter

Ken,

The statement that the lining and leather are identical is completely false. Anyone with any experience with sewing knows that to make a jacket fit comfortably, the lining needs to be just a tick larger in several key points, while the neck hole and front length may be identical, the width and shoulder depth is not.

I don’t know that I would call you a bullshitter, per se, but I will say that you may be believing your own hype a bit too much.

DD

 

[Smithy]

An "expert" from the early VLJ days

Modest too eh, or should that be Et tu Brute...

 

[2BM2K]

the droopy shoulder issue is no longer an issue. as expected, the 1711 contract was made with slightly narrower shoulders then subsequent aero contracts. i believe that the one i got was a size 40 long, so the length is basicly correct, but with that written, a 40 regular could quite possibly be on the short side. the spec label is not perfect, but acceptable. the zipper is a repro riveted "hookless-waldes type. dunno about the thread, though i will test it.

The Aero repro 1711 label is probably the least accurate

Original

Repro

Spot the difference, no magnifying glass needed.

 

[Smithy]

Yeah that really should be rectified as it's a sloppy mistake when you're paying for what wants to purport to be an accurate reproduction.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Ken,

The statement that the lining and leather are identical is completely false. Anyone with any experience with sewing knows that to make a jacket fit comfortably, the lining needs to be just a tick larger in several key points, while the neck hole and front length may be identical, the width and shoulder depth is not.

I don’t know that I would call you a bullshitter, per se, but I will say that you may be believing your own hype a bit too much.

DD

Fairy Tales indeed!
Alice isn't about to take advice from the Mad Hatter
If either the lining or shell was to be larger than the other, obviously the shell would need to be the larger of the two as it "wraps" around the lining
It's not rocket science
For the non tailors amongst us.
Measure a human chest, wrap it in a garment, measure that chest again, you'll find the second measurement slightly larger than the first. The external dimemesions increase
Same with a garment. Take a lining, wrap a shell around it, the shell will need to be the same as or fractionally larger than the lining otherwise the lining would droop out/fold up into creases inside
With such a simple garment as an A-2 the shell and lining remain the same
Not sure about a hat?

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

PS
In a garment such as a tailored suit, the external shell needs to be quite a bit bigger than the lining to accomodate the chest wadding, shoulder pads etc between the two
Never yet heard of a lining being bigger than the shell other than ones that have pleats in centre back (30s Half Belts) or in the centre front shoulder (some tailored suits)

 

[Micawber]

My name is Jeff. I live in the United States. Born in Minneapolis- live in California. An "expert" from the early VLJ days but not your Julius- sorry

Well, self proclaimed expert Jeff, so far you seem to have woken from hibernation primarily in order to knock certain manufacturers and promote others. Interesting.

 

[Griffon_301]

Definitely within parameters but no mistaking that it's an Eastman. It's 85% of the way there...

Well, as I am not getting shot at on my way to work, at work or on my way home, I am living in a nice warm comfortable flat and not in a cold stove pipe heated hut and I do not have to queue up in a chow line but get dinner served by my lovely lady, my life is 00% comparable to what Joe Average Airmen endured during WW2...the only parallels are my wake up time when I have early shifts and my work schedule that has to do with aircraft...so a 85% accurate jacket is fully ok for me...plus it really looks sharp...something several people plus my significant other have attested to already

 

[Smithy]

It's also well worth keeping in mind that whilst there are varying degrees of accuracy with all repro flight jackets from the very, very good to the utter shit, they are all still repros and NOT the real thing.

If you really want ultimate accuracy buy an original because even the very, very best will never be, and can never be, totally right. And it's worth keeping that in perspective because getting all snotty and highfalutin with others about repros always comes across as the old "My fake Rolex is better than your fake Rolex" argument.

That's not to say makers shouldn't strive to make a better and more accurate product, just that punters shouldn't try and be snobs or dicks about it.

 

[Grant]

Good to have you back, Jeff!
I think it's cool to point out inaccuracies in repro A-2's with the hope the makers pay attention and make corrections. When you're paying upwards of a grand for a jacket, that's the least to expect.

 

[petermack09]

It's also well worth keeping in mind that whilst there are varying degrees of accuracy with all repro flight jackets from the very, very good to the utter shit, they are all still repros and NOT the real thing.

If you really want ultimate accuracy buy an original because even the very, very best will never be, and can never be, totally right. And it's worth keeping that in perspective because getting all snotty and highfalutin with others about repros always comes across as the old "My fake Rolex is better than your fake Rolex" argument.

That's not to say makers shouldn't strive to make a better and more accurate product, just that punters shouldn't try and be snobs or dicks about it.

Actually my fake Rolex Daytona keeps better time than my fully serviced genuine Rolex,,,now that really pisses me off

 

[Silver Surfer]

unless its an avirex, lw, cooper, or the asian repros, i can live with some inaccuracies in a repro. after all, a repro is a repro, is a repro, is a repro. as most of ya know, i have plenty of originals, and i can say that regarding stitching, pocket flaps, epaulets, hides, etc, that they are all over the place. does this mean that one original is more accurate then another?

 

[Grant]

Yeah, I too have plenty of originals, but when I'm forking over alotta dough for a repro (like an idiot) I expect them to at least try and get it right. Geez, if Platon can get it mostly right, why can't Aero??