Few/ McCoys B2 Werber Leather Coat Inc.

[HDRnR]

This is pretty amazing, Switlik, the company that made the B-1, is still in business. http://www.switlik.com/
I noticed "The Few" also make the B-1, which is pretty nice also.

 

[John Lever]

Here's the jacket mine was copied from -

Here it is next to the repro B2 and repro B1 -

Photos courtesy of Bevan Davidson

 

[HDRnR]

Wow, nice pics John, what an amazing company. I'd love to check their store out in Japan.

 

[kampkatz]

Where would one find historical photos of original B-2's? In all my years of historical pursuits, I can't really recall having seen any WW2 era airmen
wearing such flight-gear.

 

[Edward]

Those B2s are gorgeous jackets. One day, I'd like to have one myself, but I don't know when that is likely to happen.... I arrived at this place only really wanting one A2, now there's a whole long list of flight jackets I'm chasing. Eep.

The design of the B2 definitely appeals to me. Nice alternative to the sheepskin jackets, with, to my eye at least, more of a civilian look to it than a B3 or an Irvin.

 

[Fletch]

Where would one find historical photos of original B-2's? In all my years of historical pursuits, I can't really recall having seen any WW2 era airmen
wearing such flight-gear.

That's because the B-2 (and its sheepskin lined predecessor B-1) were long obsoleted by WW2, replaced by the more familiar B-3 and B-6 jackets and matching trousers.

Here's a picture from the VLJ forum showing 4 test pilots at Wright Field in 1932, all wearing the B-2 with its matching A-2 trouser. Together they were issued as the B-11 flightsuit.
L-R: Capts. Vic Strahm and Reuben Moffat, Lieuts. Pete Hill and Irvin Woodring.

The plane is a Curtiss A-8 Shrike attack bomber, a service test version of the later, radial-engined A-12.

The Coast Guard and (presumably) Navy used a similar or identical jacket in the 30s. Here is Lieut. Richard Burke, USCG, pioneer air-sea rescue pilot. In this 1935 photo he wears a B-1 (note the sheep lining) over his aviation green uniform blouse.

 

[HDRnR]

I sent an email to Switlik and they said they have not made the B-1 since WWII.

 

[Fletch]

They surely quit making it long before that, and just don't know any more.
To most military minded history buffs this era really "never happened." [huh]

Here's what looks like another B-1...this time a COLOR pic.
This is from the cover of a well known (if not necessarily well respected) flight jacket book, which I have retouched to take out the type.

Looks as tho the mouton collar has been shaved waaay down or even replaced with a thin pile - and if you look back at Lt. Burke's collar, this looks just like it.
Note also the stitch holes where a left breast pocket and nameplate were removed.

Now consider why a color picture exists at all. Before about the late '30s, you couldn't even take color this good.
My guess is it's from the early war or immediate prewar years, and that the airman shown was in training and wearing the B-1 because it was obsoleted gear.

 

[Aviakid]

B-1 Colour picture

Judging by the wear on the collar, character of the leather and the fact that the picture is in colour, I think its perfectly possible that the photograph was staged for the book cover using vintage clothing, a bit of tweaking in Photoshop would easily make the picture look like old stock film.

 

[BellyTank]

Collar just looks like it's had some wear.
I believe that to be an original image.

This is what a few years wear looks like- this photo could have been taken at any time in the '30s.


B
T

 

[Fletch]

I too vote original. I've seen a lot of originals and a lot of recreations.

 

[kampkatz]

Thanks Fletch. I do appreciate the info on the B-2, and especially the photos. It just goes to show that there is always something to learn on this forum.

 

[Edward]

I wonder why anyone would remove the pocket from a B2? Was there some practical reason (did it catch on any sort of harness or lifejacket worn in the cockpit?), or was it a stylistic choice, perhaps - i.e. was it done to older B2s that were still in service once the B3 came along, in an effort to make them look more like the then-current model?

 

[Fletch]

Parachute harnesses, IIRC. Seems like the sort of thing they'd have done for training use, as in the big color shot upthread.
I was told all surviving B-1s/B-2s have had the pocket removed, and indeed, practically none would have survived till today if they hadn't been kept around at least into the early war years.

Here's a blow-up of another VLJ pic (last in a grouping of four).
These B-10 crewmen at Rogers Dry Lake in 1935 appear not to have breast pockets, but there's a slot-like shape that might be a folded in flap.

That thing on the wing mount that looks like a bomb made out of concrete...is a bomb made out of concrete.

 

[John Lever]

I think those are flight suits not B-2 's. Nice pics BTW.

 

[BellyTank]

Perhaps it should be mentioned, that jackets apparently identical to "service issued" B-1 and B-2 flight jackets were commercially available during the time "they" were used in the military. Whether the commercial versions were made by the same suppliers as the military versions and if they were actually identical in details, I cannot verify. Same scenario, obviously, with A-1s.
I have several catalogues, including a Carl Ort pilot supply catalogue from 1937 which leads me to my beliefs.

B
T

 

[Edward]

Parachute harnesses, IIRC. Seems like the sort of thing they'd have done for training use, as in the big color shot upthread.

Ah! That makes sense. I presume, then, the very different pocket arrangement on the B3 reflected feedback based on this practice with the B2s in use...

 

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

I think those are flight suits not B-2 's. Nice pics BTW.

John:

I believe those are B-2s (or B-1s) being worn with the A-2 (or A-1) trousers, which are the components of the B-11 flight suit.

Noel

 

[Fletch]

Did the AAC have a one-piece leather flightsuit at the time?

Credit for pix to weasel_loader of VLJ and Edwards AFB.

 

[MudInYerEye]

I have a WWII USN one piece leather flight suit that looks very similar to those in the photos.