How Many A-2's Were Produced in Total?

[3onamatch]

Hey all. Title pretty much says it: I'm curious how many A-2's were made in total during WWII--all contracts combined. Who out there knows?

 

[Roughwear]

You can find an answer by adding up all the contract sizes give in Gary Eastman's Type A2 Flight jacket Identification Manual. I have extracted the relevant information in this sticky: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13491&start=20

However after you have added up the Wartime contract sizes (excluding pre-War contracts) this can only ever be an approximate answer for the following reasons:
1. We do not know how many A2s from contracts placed in the autumn of 1941 were produced early in the War
2. Gary calculates the size of each contract from the costs involved and there may well have been anomalies here.
3.We do not know for sure that all the jackets for a specific contract were made, although I strongly suspect in most cases they were.

 

[Silver Surfer]

plus civy a-2 jacs purchased by air men before, and during wwll

 

[Silver Surfer]

.....and the jacs made in oz.

 

[bseal]

The answer is seven.

 

[Phantomfixer]

squared

 

[damienweaver]

Thanks, Andrew, for that info. Rough estimation based on those figures puts it at close to a million jackets!

 

[johnwayne]

I've also often wondered how many the likes of ELC and Goodwear might have made too?
I bought my 'house' ELC back in 1991 before Gary even had a brochure and when he'd send out actual photo's (of the one kind he started making) plus off cuts of the hide for colours. Think I've still got the receipt and photo's somewhere but the pocket label in the jacket is so worn I can't see a number or recall if there was even one stamped on it!! I remember just how good that feeling was when it first arrived, likewise my GW Doniger.
Ultimately I'm just curious based on the fact that I rarely see an A2 'on the street' (unless at air shows) and living in a major city like London I find that a little odd but I think prefer it that way, sort of makes me feel a bit different/special!!!
cheers
Wayne

 

[Marv]

I've also often wondered how many the likes of ELC and Goodwear might have made too?
I bought my 'house' ELC back in 1991 before Gary even had a brochure and when he'd send out actual photo's (of the one kind he started making) plus off cuts of the hide for colours. Think I've still got the receipt and photo's somewhere but the pocket label in the jacket is so worn I can't see a number or recall if there was even one stamped on it!! I remember just how good that feeling was when it first arrived, likewise my GW Doniger.
Ultimately I'm just curious based on the fact that I rarely see an A2 'on the street' (unless at air shows) and living in a major city like London I find that a little odd but I think prefer it that way, sort of makes me feel a bit different/special!!!
cheers
Wayne

Yes an interesting thought, I also vary rarely see A2s, G1s or any other mil spec jackets worn on the street. My only one experience was a few years back, when I was wearing my Wested Raiders Indy jacket and noticed a chap across the street wearing the same, we both gave each other a surprised glance and an awkward nod and went on our separate ways but that was it.

As Wayne says, it kind of make you feel special and I can go out in either an A2, G1, N1, M41 or Tanker and pretty much nobody has a clue what type of jacket you are wearing but you look unique.

 

[Roughwear]

Thanks, Andrew, for that info. Rough estimation based on those figures puts it at close to a million jackets!

I think its about three quarters of a million in total. The only time I see an original worn these days is at air shows or my reflection in a shop window when I don an original A2! :lol: