IRVIN NUTS?...the ULTIMATE thread for those who love 'em!

[ethanedwards]

under Irvin

Sorry irvinsuit! Good excuse to post the photo though..... E.E.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Were Irvins ever produced with a 1-piece back panel?

bk

 

[PADDY]

Showing too much flesh!!

If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times gentlemen, there's too much flesh and not enough sheepskin!! ).

You're quite right, those photos of the Russian girls is right on the borderline of decency!! And all wrapped up like bugs in a rug of Irvin pelts!! Pure vintage jacket heaven!!!! :eusa_clap You got any more??

 

[Smithy]

Were Irvins ever produced with a 1-piece back panel?

bk

I've never seen one. Take a bit of sheepskin.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Hi, you can make out Jack's BD under his Irvin. Len Bretell (his rear gunner) has the full Irvin suit. George Protheroe (M/U gunner) is he wearing a Sidcot?
Is a Sidcot related to the Taylor suit? Always more questions than answers!
E.E.

That's either a 1930 Pattern Flying Suit (originally 22C/54, later 22C/310-316) or a 1940 pattern (22C/360-366). The difference is the thickness of material, not apparent in photographs. There was also a 1941 Pattern electrically heated suit. They were often called Sidcot suits, although the Sidcot or Cottingley suit suit was really the item from which they were developed. So, 'Sidcot' was used as a generic term, like 'Hoover', or 'Irvin' for that matter.

A Taylor suit was a bouyancy suit and was a different animal.

Alan

 

[ethanedwards]

flying kit

Thanks Alan, this is definitely a case of the more I know, the less I know!
Now what's this about bouyancy suits.......

 

[Aviakid]

Early Flying Suits

fftopic:
[warning: this story comes close to the pain caused by Micawber's story of losing a box full of Tailor and Cutter magazines]

It will horrify you to know that in a vintage store in London - while i was not working and so could not afford its £40 asking price - there was a very early twill cotton one piece suit with all the lightning zippers in place. Perfect condition as near as i could tell. 'Twas certainly military - had the white linen tag, though faded - and pre WWII. I went back when i could afford it but it was gone, having sat in the store for many many months.

I decided that i needed booze more than i needed a flying suit that was wayyyy too big for me.

Does anyone have pics of early flying suits? Maybe i'd be able to identify the beast from someone's archive pictures . . . Maybe a new thread?

bk

Start a new thread & we'll start posting!

 

[Windsock]

Here's an interesting Sidcot I have. It's an RAAF type and doesn't have the zips just the buttons, and it's got the maternity type flap. I'll have to dig it out and see what the label says and get some more shots.

The jacket's for keeping this post legal!

 

[Spitfire]

fftopic: Like the boots too:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[aswatland]

Yes the 1936 pattern boots really set the pre-war Irvin off well. Great pic too!

 

[jamespibworth@n]

Aero 'Real Deal' Irvin

Whoto,

Just received my Aero Irvin.

Very pleased.

It’s the pre-war pattern in ‘real deal’ sheepskin, with my slightly smaller collar as ordered.

Aero have been mighty impressive to deal with.

Here it is, just back from a run on my 1944 RAF WD Norton 16H.


Just off for a short break now so will drop by the lounge when I’m back.

Cheerio for now.

James

 

[Windsock]

Whoto,

Just received my Aero Irvin.

Very pleased.

It’s the pre-war pattern in ‘real deal’ sheepskin, with my slightly smaller collar as ordered.

Aero have been mighty impressive to deal with.

Here it is, just back from a run on my 1944 RAF WD Norton 16H.


Just off for a short break now so will drop by the lounge when I’m back.

Cheerio for now.

James

Now that is a full scale toy. The only times i've ever riden a bike (powered) i've crashed them, but I do love bikes of the 40's and 50's.

Really nice jacket too- looks like the real thing.

 

[ethanedwards]

Photo

Here's an interesting Sidcot I have. It's an RAAF type and doesn't have the zips just the buttons, and it's got the maternity type flap. I'll have to dig it out and see what the label says and get some more shots.

The jacket's for keeping this post legal!

You certainly know what you're doing with that camera Andrew, great sepia
effect too..............Ethan.

 

[Windsock]

You certainly know what you're doing with that camera Andrew, great sepia
effect too..............Ethan.

Thanks guys, feeling like a bit of a goose I don't normally put this stuff on but in that case I wanted to see the effect of putting it all together and I was the only dummy I had. The boots are a rarer larger size with AM stamped tabs and owners name inside. Tried researching them once but no luck.

I used Picasa to do the picutre adjustments. Great and simple tool.

 

[Smithy]

It's a wonder you didn't pass out from heat exhaustion wearing all of that in Queensland!!!!

PM me the name of the chap Andrew if you like. I can't promise anything but if by some chance he fought in Fighter Command in the first two years of the war I should have something. If he's Battle of Britain, I'll have a short biography and service details.

And James, congrats on a beauty of an Irvin! Looks the go with the Norton

 

[Spitfire]

Questions on wardrobe in Piece of Cake

I have just been re-watching first parts of the great TV serie Piece of Cake.
The Irvins used there are pretty different. SL Rex is carrying one with almost white fleece - most of the others have the more usual type. They seem pretty accurate though. Anybody knows who made the Irvins for the production?

Another question is a small detail I noticed on the 1936 pattern flyingboots most of the actors are using. They all have a stange "closing fold" on the top of the back of the boots. Hard to descibe - but it looks very strange. Or maybe I have just never seen an original 1936 pattern boot from that angel before.

Is it real or just "Hollywood in UK"

 

[Smithy]

It's awhile since I saw it Spitty (only got it on VHS and don't have a player anymore, reminds me I have to invest in a DVD copy). I remember Rex's jarringly white jacket, can't remember what it was though. IIRC there were some early ALCs in there weren't there? Or am I getting senile?

 

[Spitfire]

Just had a chat with ALC - they did not make the Irvins for PoC.

About the flyingboots in the same series - anybody have a picture of a pair of original 1936 Pattern Flyingboots - seen from behind!:eusa_doh:
I have tried - in vain - to do a screendump from the movie...just to show what I mean by "a stange "closing fold" on the top of the back of the boots."

 

[boyorastroboy]

I have tried - in vain - to do a screendump from the movie...just to show what I mean by "a stange "closing fold" on the top of the back of the boots."

Spitfire, if you're using windows, a good trick for screen capturing is to right click on your desktop, select properties, go to the 'settings' tab, click on 'advanced' in lower right, click on the 'troubleshoot' tab, and temporarily drop your hardware acceleration down 3 or 4 notches. Windows will have better luck 'reading' the screen when you hit print screen that way. Once you get the image, just move hardware acceleration back up (moving it down won't affect much, just some menu transitions, preview options and the like--you probably won't notice a thing).

 

[Mike1973]

Late War Irvin, named to a 'Don Gunn'

Well, about time I posted some pics of the best Irvin I own. Bought off ebay at the end of 2006 from our own aswatland. 'Don Gunn' nametag sewn inside sleeve zip. A bit of a change from a the 'BSA' beater Irvin I usually wear...

It's a stonking jacket, but in the 15 or so months I've owned it this is only the second time I've worn it outside...[huh]
Every time it looks like Irvin weather, I end up picking up the 'BSA', because I don't have to worry about damaging an already beat up and patched jacket...
I'm not a collector, I like to be able to wear my jackets. I'm all too aware I'm just a custodean a bit of history, and it makes me uncomfortable wearing it, as I don't want to be the first one to put a rip or tear in it...
This one is just too good for me I guess
So I'm going to put it up for sale in the near future, hence getting my photographer mate to take a few snaps outside work a couple of days ago, to try and show the jacket off as well as possible. I still need to work out my ebay tactics, whether I adopt the 'who dares wins' approach and have a low start, no reserve, and hope I'm lucky, or put a fair reserve on, even though this often puts a lot of bidders off... And I also need to work out postage options for a jacket that's over the 2kg...

So, any one here feel uncomfortable wearing nice original jackets? Or is it just me? It's not that I'm not careful... I don't go crawling under my bus in them to fix something, or have to negotiate any barbwire fences on my travels. It's just nearly all the old jackets I wear are brought back from the dead, so I don't feel guilty wearing them!