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"G-1" made by Aviators Clothing Co. Inc., 1949 ish Contract info help please

Walt_Mauser

New Member
I have an Aviators Clothing Co. Inc., G-1 USN flight Jacket. I believe it was manufactured somewhere around 1949. My understanding is this particular company was only awarded one contract for G-1's, and they were awarded one of the smallest contracts in terms of the number of jackets ordered, manufactured and / or delivered to the military. I've heard from some knowledgeable collectors that it was somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 jackets, but I have never found any supporting documentation! Also, I know that the Aviators Clothing co. was a subsidiary of one of the main A-2 Military Jacket producers out of Beacon NY, but I can't remember which one. This particular jacket, size 36, is in pretty rough shape, but again, I've never heard of any that are not in rough shape. The leather is very thin and suffers from what some collectors call "red rot", a term referring to the color of the leather after the top layer has flaked, pealed or worn off. Is there any way to treat the "red rot" condition? If anyone can answer any of the above inquiries, I'd be grateful. The markings are as follows:
BAUER-U.S. NAVY
G-1 FLIGHT JACKET
SPEC. 55J14 (AER)
Contract NO. N-383S-22111
AVIATORS CLOTHING CO> INC.
36
Thank you all!
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Hey Walt!
Welcome to VLJ . I’m not an expert on your jacket but here’s what I can offer.
Your jacket was made between 1947-1950 .
AVC had one contract as you had mentioned.
FA9F12DB-D748-45E9-85D3-05910CC81A29.jpeg

The red rot you described is not good . It’s usually the beginning of an irreversible rot that will eventually weaken the hide and cause it to crack and tear. I’m sure others will be by who have more to tell you . If you’d like to post in the members bio section everyone will introduce themselves and say hi:)
Cheers
 
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