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Cockpit USA’s B15 jacket review

FreddyF9

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone.
As some of you may know, almost a month ago I ordered a Cockpit B15 Jacket (AF blue colo; as promised here’s my review of it.
Since this is the first time I’m reviewing something and English isn’t even my first language, I apologize for any eventual mistake or bad English.
Here’s the jacket:
5669FC10-2D0A-497A-B2E8-BF032E7D208E.jpeg

The item looks great and very well made, the nylon feels very smooth but at the same time robust; also the collar looks and feels good and it seems made of quality synthetic fur.
The jacket is a size S (36), a very big one as I usually wear 38-40 jackets (I have a 39 inches/100 cm chest).

Here’s some measurements in cm
Shoulder width: 48 cm
Pit to pit: 53 cm
Sleeve length: 65 cm
Back length (without collar): 64 cm
Total length: 68 cm
Down here there’s a pic of the B15 compared side by side with my beloved Buzz Rickson B10:
27C046A1-FFB7-41CA-8D7D-B5E05164F263.jpeg


The color of the nylon and the collar is a bit difficult to understand from a picture, as it seems to change as the light changes; I took a few pics to help you to figure it out:
3EB2C025-1866-40F8-8127-26D77F81DDFA.jpeg

8BCBEE35-6059-4B9D-9B09-2419454BAC66.jpeg

5BB46F42-B7CF-435E-8355-B685970ED22C.jpeg


The jacket feels good and warm when you wear it and it leaves enough room to add some extra layers if it is too cold. I don’t know yet how warm it is, because now here in Italy it’s still too hot to wear it; even at night the temperature doesn’t drop under 15 degrees C. But my guess is that it is at least warm as a B10 jacket (probably even better). I’ll let you know next week when I’ll come back from my weekend in the mountains (where the temperature is around 5 degrees C).
This beautiful jacket, however, has some faults, anything too relevant for me, but some may matter for someone else:
The cuffs are tight, not too tight to be uncomfortable but enough to make impossible wearing a watch, as it would be pushed really hard on the beginning of your hand.
The collar, when you pull it up and close it with the topical furred strap of B15 series jackets leaves an uncovered spot between the beginning of the collar and the end of the zip, not a small little gap, but a gap big enough to put your finger in it.
Last (about this I’m not entirely sure) I don’t think this jacket follows all the parameters of a real B15D jacket as it should be, because the sizing is off, it hasn’t a zipped shoulder pocket and it it has those triangular oxygen tabs typical of B15s and B15As Jackets; as far as I know a B15D should have only a rectangular oxygen tab, like in this pic from internet:
9A1A9257-1F09-4288-B1A7-042E6038F4BB.jpeg

That said here’s some fit pics:
094078F8-1A07-40E5-A648-82E2CD22DB89.jpeg

9E744278-EBD0-4F7B-8C7A-54D054D06A22.jpeg

9BE7C41B-E504-47B6-80C9-610049473DCA.jpeg

AD7EC8CE-044E-4DD4-BAFD-9ABC498269C9.jpeg

I hope you enjoyed mi little review, I’m ready to answer to any questions and have a good day.
 

stanier

Well-Known Member
Great review FreddyF9, very detailed and believe me your English is more than fine.

I don't know much about Cockpit jackets but that one looks very good on you. Personally I'm a Buzz Rickson fan when it comes to nylon jackets and one of theirs might fill the gaps you've found on the Cockpit. Enjoy your jacket and thanks again.
 

ButteMT61

Well-Known Member
Good job! Cockpit makes nice jackets, just not perfect repops, which is fine for the market they service.
Blue has got to be the worst color to try to photograph - as you see, every pic is different and I've given up trying to show proper blues in photos online :)
Honestly, for the price, it's a great jacket, and I'd wager that the knits will in time loosed up for you!

Thanks for taking the time to post up!
 

FreddyF9

Well-Known Member
I'm with "ButteMT61" - Cockpit does not produce 100% accurate reproductions of jackets but more like "lookalikes" with some tweaks here and there to make their garment more attractive for the average market

Other than that the jacket looks really "spot on" on you
Yes, you’re both right, I knew from the beginning (from the photos on their website) that I wasn’t buying a perfect replica of a B15D, I just pointed it out to don’t make people think this is an entirely faithful replica :)
 

FreddyF9

Well-Known Member
Small update, I wore the jacket during my weekend in the mountains and it did an excellent job; it kept me warm and dry at 5-6 degrees celsius with just a t-shirt and a cotton shirt.
 

NumberOne007

New Member
Dear FreddyF9. I'm considering buying this jacket from Cockpit. May I ask you for a favor, i.e. your opinion, whether this jacket would fit me. My measurements are:
-186.50 cm
-70.00 kg
-chest size 96.00 cm
-upper waist (over the bellybutton): 80.00 cm

Therefore I am a rather tall and slim guy and not a regular fit. I'm afraid of buying one that would fit my chest - that would be an XS - because it might look or be too short, with too short sleeves. On the other hand, if I buy larger sizes, the jacket might be comfortable in the shoulders, good in the sleeves and back, but be too baggy.

What is your personal opinion for me? Do you think, if you compere it with yourself, the S size would fit me well, or should I choose a size down/up?

Thank you.

I will surely make a video review after I get one.

Have a good day.
Peter
 

FreddyF9

Well-Known Member
Dear FreddyF9. I'm considering buying this jacket from Cockpit. May I ask you for a favor, i.e. your opinion, whether this jacket would fit me. My measurements are:
-186.50 cm
-70.00 kg
-chest size 96.00 cm
-upper waist (over the bellybutton): 80.00 cm

Therefore I am a rather tall and slim guy and not a regular fit. I'm afraid of buying one that would fit my chest - that would be an XS - because it might look or be too short, with too short sleeves. On the other hand, if I buy larger sizes, the jacket might be comfortable in the shoulders, good in the sleeves and back, but be too baggy.

What is your personal opinion for me? Do you think, if you compere it with yourself, the S size would fit me well, or should I choose a size down/up?

Thank you.

I will surely make a video review after I get one.

Have a good day.
Peter
Hello Peter, welcome to VLJ!

I hope you’ll like this forum and decide to stay with us for a bit. If you’re interested, maybe you could learn a thing or two about jackets (especially the military ones) hanging around here.

The Cockpit B-15 mentioned in this thread, was a fine jacket but, in the end, I decided to upgrade and replaced it with a Bronson B-15C (see the link down here, even if they’re currently sold out).

https://bronsonshop.com/products/19...psq=b-15c&_ss=e&_v=1.0&variant=43472926507224

I my opinion, Bronson’s B-15 is better in every way that Cockpit’s. It has a better nylon fabric, better fit, better padding and it even costs almost half the price!

But, if you are still interested in Cockpit’s jacket, I’ll answer to your questions down here.

Size wise, we share similar weight and chest size but you’re much taller than me (I’m 175 cm). The size S I picked, would definitely fit you it the chest area but it would be definitely too short. You’re more than 10 cm taller than I am and unless you have a very short torso for your height, with this size the jacket would probably sit over your belt.

My suggestion is to size up but, as you mentioned, it’s possible that the jacket could look a bit baggy on you. It all depends on what kind of fit you like. If you’re more into a slimmer fit, I’m afraid that this jacket is not for you (and maybe B-15s in general).

I’d like to point out, however, that this B-15 fits slimmer compared to other manufacturers. So, perhaps, a size M or L would still fit ok for you.

Still, if I were you, I’d take the Bronson B-15 in consideration ;)

I hope that I’ve answered to your questions well and to see you around in the forum!

Have a nice day
 

NumberOne007

New Member
Hello Peter, welcome to VLJ!

I hope you’ll like this forum and decide to stay with us for a bit. If you’re interested, maybe you could learn a thing or two about jackets (especially the military ones) hanging around here.

The Cockpit B-15 mentioned in this thread, was a fine jacket but, in the end, I decided to upgrade and replaced it with a Bronson B-15C (see the link down here, even if they’re currently sold out).

https://bronsonshop.com/products/19...psq=b-15c&_ss=e&_v=1.0&variant=43472926507224

I my opinion, Bronson’s B-15 is better in every way that Cockpit’s. It has a better nylon fabric, better fit, better padding and it even costs almost half the price!

But, if you are still interested in Cockpit’s jacket, I’ll answer to your questions down here.

Size wise, we share similar weight and chest size but you’re much taller than me (I’m 175 cm). The size S I picked, would definitely fit you it the chest area but it would be definitely too short. You’re more than 10 cm taller than I am and unless you have a very short torso for your height, with this size the jacket would probably sit over your belt.

My suggestion is to size up but, as you mentioned, it’s possible that the jacket could look a bit baggy on you. It all depends on what kind of fit you like. If you’re more into a slimmer fit, I’m afraid that this jacket is not for you (and maybe B-15s in general).

I’d like to point out, however, that this B-15 fits slimmer compared to other manufacturers. So, perhaps, a size M or L would still fit ok for you.

Still, if I were you, I’d take the Bronson B-15 in consideration ;)

I hope that I’ve answered to your questions well and to see you around in the forum!

Have a nice day
Freddy, thank you so much!

I was recommended size XS by Cockpit. The worker concluded so based entirely on my chest size, as they generally recommend 5-7 inch extra room for comfortable fit, and that would mean an XS for me. But looking about thousand times at your pictures and thinking I am - if I'm not wrong - about 11 cm taller than you, I cannot imagine wearing an even smaller jacket and had great doubts even about the S size for me. Yes, now I'm even more convinced an M would be the right one. Even more so since I went to a local cloth store today an tried a similar jacket by Alpha Industries and took the measurements. Size XL was entirely ok. It had 67 cm chest, 52 cm shoulders, 67 cm back size without the collar. Cockpit M has similar measurements and this is the one I just ordered. Hope it will be alright. As promised video review will come on YT when the jacket will be delivered, in about 2 months, because it's out of stock at the moment.

Thank you again for your help. I see your posts on VLJ are always very in-depth.

Greetings.
 

NumberOne007

New Member
Iwas
Freddy, thank you so much!

I was recommended size XS by Cockpit. The worker concluded so based entirely on my chest size, as they generally recommend 5-7 inch extra room for comfortable fit, and that would mean an XS for me. But looking about thousand times at your pictures and thinking I am - if I'm not wrong - about 11 cm taller than you, I cannot imagine wearing an even smaller jacket and had great doubts even about the S size for me. Yes, now I'm even more convinced an M would be the right one. Even more so since I went to a local cloth store today an tried a similar jacket by Alpha Industries and took the measurements. Size XL was entirely ok. It had 67 cm chest, 52 cm shoulders, 67 cm back size without the collar. Cockpit M has similar measurements and this is the one I just ordered. Hope it will be alright. As promised video review will come on YT when the jacket will be delivered, in about 2 months, because it's out of stock at the moment.

Thank you again for your help. I see your posts on VLJ are always very in-depth.

Greetings.
I was something like the first guy on the photo in the XXL Alpha Ind. Seems perfectly fine to me. But would be horrible if it was a leather jacket or even an A-2 any jacket that should slim around the body.
 

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Dany McDonald

Well-Known Member
Lovely image of what looks like a mix type of B-15 line-up.

I think I see Type B-C and maybe a Type B-15 (WW2).

Thank you for sharing.
 
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