Recent content by Wright Field

I suspect most of us on this forum qualify as “vintage” ourselves!

I hate to break it to you guys, but we’re now as far the ‘80s as the ‘80s were from WWII. Damn, I feel old!

Here’s me and Jimmy and our jackets. I probably mentioned somewhere here that I’m the historian for Wright-Patt, which is why I wanted that patch. While the Museum isn’t part of my responsibility, I’m over there all the time for tours and such. About the two jackets discussed above: the one in...

Technically the body of the spearhead is supposed to be a shade of dark blue. Mine is actually blue but you’d be hard-pressed to tell because the paint looks black on the leather. If you look at the version on the airplanes X they’re all blue, though typically almost a royal blue rather than...

Yeah I know that guy. He didn’t do my patch, but he did sew the patch and name plate on my jacket. He does great work all around and the later leather ones look great. But just a little too nice/formal for the more utilitarian look I was going for.

Thanks. I got lucky with the leather shade. The guy who did it sent me two versions: that one and one on a lighter shade of leather. This one was pretty close to the Werber’s color, but enough different to provide a little contrast. I thought I’d like the lighter shade one better but it just...

Thanks, but I had a patch made by another member here a few years back. It looks great and has definitely been a conversation-starter. I’ve been asked by others about getting one so maybe next time I’ll point them your way. And maybe I’ll need another in the future! Incidentally, yes, Jimmy’s...

Maj Hugh Knerr, who later headed Air Technical Service Command is usually credited with it, but that’s one of those things that’s been repeated without a clear original source of attribution.

Better late than never: I’m the historian for Wright-Patterson AFB. The Wright Field spearhead emblem was designed in late 1930 and started appearing in use on jackets and on planes in early 1931. I got my own ELC Werber 1729 (the attached photo) specifically to match this period and had one of...

Same here. I had a very similar jacket in the early ‘90s. The retro bomber jacket was back I style for a while, with the map-print lining and a more blousey fit. I think mine lasted just a few years before the cheap suede leather started wearing out.

A couple of points about Homer that could help. He started flying for the USAAC in late ‘32 and graduated in ‘33. Could this have been his first jacket, a Werber 1729? I’d think it would’ve looked more worn. On the other hand, he was assigned to Wright Field in 1939, at which point he could’ve...

this is my version, an ELC Werber 1729 with a custom painted (from one of rye members here) Wright Field spearhead patch & nameplate. (This is a screenshot from a Facebook live event I did on Friday, giving a tour of the McCook Field site in Dayton, the predecessor for Wright Field

i came across this photo of then-Capt Homer Boushey wearing an A-2 that’s a dead ringer for what I modeled my jacket on. Can you tell from the photo what contract this likely was? The photo is dated January 1940.

The classic picture of Doolittle’s crew in their A-2s. Dick Cole is on Jimmy’s left.

Lol well maybe not EXACTLY like this one!