watchmanjimg
Well-Known Member
Well, thanks to our own Willy McCoy I'm now the proud owner of this rare jacket. As stated in Willy's post, it's in excellent condition with no significant damage or stains to the shell. The paper tag underneath the black-and-gold manufacturer's label reads Large Regular. The fabric on both sides appears to be the tightly woven cotton poplin used in the K-2B flightsuit. The main zipper is a plain brass Conmatic and the pocket zippers are typical blackened Conmars on the green side, orange-finished Conmars on the orange side. The knits are the regulation wool type and mothy as hell, but given the rarity and overall condition of this jacket I can't complain. Unlike the similar jacket worn by astronaut Fred Hause in this photo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fredhause.jpg mine has oxygen-mask tabs on both sides, but lacks the handwarmer pockets seen on Hause's jacket.
Fit is good albeit a bit trim for a Large, and the body length was clearly meant for wear with a one-piece flight coverall. Again, no complaints.
I'm aware of Fruhauf Southwest having produced N-3A parkas and M-1951 field jackets under government contract, but I'm not sure what other garments they made for Uncle Sam.
In any case I'm very grateful for the opportunity to add this extremely rare piece to my jacket collection. Enjoy the pics!
Fit is good albeit a bit trim for a Large, and the body length was clearly meant for wear with a one-piece flight coverall. Again, no complaints.
I'm aware of Fruhauf Southwest having produced N-3A parkas and M-1951 field jackets under government contract, but I'm not sure what other garments they made for Uncle Sam.
In any case I'm very grateful for the opportunity to add this extremely rare piece to my jacket collection. Enjoy the pics!