Proper G-1 Jacket Fit?

[Drewdog2323]

@Drewdog, nice jacket, good fit!
BUT...

What's really interesting is that the 'Movie Hero' Top Gun jacket has the correct horizontal seam in the leather at the waistband, which the '100 mission' jacket does not (AFAIK, only 90's issue Cooper G-1s really omitted this seam amongst issue G-1s).
I checked the pictures on the Cockpit website;
The Top Gun jacket and the 100 mission jacket ARE NOT THE SAME 'except for the patches'. The Top Gun jacket has the horizontal seam that meets the waistband. If Cockpit are telling anyone the only difference is the patches, they are either telling lies, or ignorant of their own products.
And that would make me worry if both of these jackets have completely different patterns and fits.
The devil is always in the details.

Thanks, Big J! Interesting point you bring up that I did not notice... I just went by what Cockpit posted on their website: https://www.cockpitusa.com/top-gun/movie-heroes-top-gun-navy-g-1-jacket "If you would like this jacket without patches, please see our Classic Naval Aviator's 100 Mission Flight Jacket." Now it makes me wonder if the fit/pattern is the same between the two...

 

[nick123]

@nick123, yeah, excellent movie! When I call my wife on her cell, it plays Dangerzone!
I love patched G-1s! They look great!

Worst sex scene though; ever. I always thought they should have turned a light on.

 

[Drewdog2323]

Worst sex scene though; ever. I always thought they should have turned a light on.

Lmao. It was always a weird scene to me.

I normally would not spend money buying a jacket in two different sizes, but it's just too cool not to wear it on a motorcycle. If only a young Kelly McGillis came with it to put on the back, haha

 

[Big J]

@Drewdog, yeah, right! The Top Gun jacket looks well cut and patterned. I wouldn't mind one without patches to put my own patches on.

@Nick, y'know, I always just felt she was like 10-15 years to old for him! Wasn't she like 40 or something when they made that?

 

[Drewdog2323]

@Drewdog, yeah, right! The Top Gun jacket looks well cut and patterned. I wouldn't mind one without patches to put my own patches on.

@Nick, y'know, I always just felt she was like 10-15 years to old for him! Wasn't she like 40 or something when they made that?

You could always try getting the 100 Mission jacket and patching it up! I agree with you that the G-1 looks amazing with patches. A-2s are nice, but there is something about a G-1 that really speaks to me.

 

[thor]

When I was in my late teens and early 20’s, I used to obsess over finding the “perfect” A-2. However I joined the Navy and fell in love with the G-1 (and the associated historic legacy of Naval aviation).
Over the years I’ve accumulated lots of military-issue G-1 jackets along with an original M-422a WWII jacket and quite afew reproduction jackets.
I still admire the A-2 but for me the G-1 is the ultimate flight jacket.

 

[nick123]

@Drewdog, yeah, right! The Top Gun jacket looks well cut and patterned. I wouldn't mind one without patches to put my own patches on.

@Nick, y'know, I always just felt she was like 10-15 years to old for him! Wasn't she like 40 or something when they made that?

Yes. A cougar.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thanks, Big J! Interesting point you bring up that I did not notice... I just went by what Cockpit posted on their website: https://www.cockpitusa.com/top-gun/movie-heroes-top-gun-navy-g-1-jacket "If you would like this jacket without patches, please see our Classic Naval Aviator's 100 Mission Flight Jacket." Now it makes me wonder if the fit/pattern is the same between the two...

All the patterns are the same. I asked last week.

 

[Drewdog2323]

Yes. A cougar.

Hahaha

 

[Seb Lucas]

I still admire the A-2 but for me the G-1 is the penultimate flight jacket.

Sorry to be a pedant, thor but do you really mean 'penultimate' or is that a typo? Penultimate means the second last - as in the penultimate horse past the winning post (the second last horse). Sounds like you mean 'ultimate'.

 

[Big J]

Hi Seb,
Yeah, I totally get that they are telling customers these are the same jackets, but clearly they are not the same. Materials maybe the same. The dimensions may be the same, but these jackets are not made from the same pattern.
Drewdog's Top Gun jacket pics here, and the official pics on the website both show the accurate waistband level seam in the from of the leather.
Deacon's 100 mission jacket pics he posted before, and the official pics of this jacket do not have this seam.
Therefore, these are two separate jackets made from separate patterns. If the company insists that this is not the case, I can only conclude that they are ignorant of this issue, or attempting to conceal it.
N.B. The 'sizing' of both the Top Gun and the 100 mission may be the same, but the patterns are not.

When manufacturers don't even know these things about their own products, it really destroys my faith in them. I can find it in their website pics in five mins, why can't they?

 

[thor]

Sorry to be a pedant, thor but do you really mean 'penultimate' or is that a typo? Penultimate means the second last - as in the penultimate horse past the winning post (the second last horse). Sounds like you mean 'ultimate'.

Thanks for pointing out the typo; I edited the word to “ultimate”. I was walking and using an iPhone to type one-handed (with an iced coffee in the other) and you hit one wrong letter and that dreaded autocorrect kicks in.

 

[Flightengineer]

You could always try getting the 100 Mission jacket and patching it up! I agree with you that the G-1 looks amazing with patches. A-2s are nice, but there is something about a G-1 that really speaks to me.

If only it's original patches (IMO), not from the movie, where they collected everything and placed on one IMO

Top Gun movie I certainly looked when I was 20, a good movie despite all the inaccuracies ... romance

 

[thor]

In “Top Gun” they originally offered the role of “Maverick” to Matthew Modine but he turned it down and the part went to Tom Cruise.

 

[Flightengineer]

In “Top Gun” they originally offered the role of “Maverick” to Matthew Modine but he turned it down and the part went to Tom Cruise.

and this role made him famous

 

[Big J]

Since we're talking about Top Gun...
The movie was inspired by Randy Cunningham's Vietnam exploits. Years ago someone sent me a copy of Cunningham's book signed by Cunningham and Cruise. I'm surprised that it was kind of ghost written by Ethel, who co-wrote the awesome 'One Day in a Long War' account of the air battle on that day.
Robin Old's won't even name Cunningham in his own bio, merely referring to him as 'a swim coach', and there are endless stories of USN era Cunningham being shunned by former squadron and shipmates, not invited to reunions, and being repeatedly 'shot down' by students when he was a Topgun instructor. And that was before he went into politics and got himself into prison.
There seems to be a concensus that by 10th May 1972, the US needed a Vietnam Ace even if it had to be fabricated. It's 'convenient' that Showtime 100 is on the ocean floor with its 'gun' camera footage.
I've watched 3 different interviews with Cunningham and his backseater on that day, filmed years apart, and the later the interview, the longer the story, with more details and adjectives.

 

[nick123]

Thanks for pointing out the typo; I edited the word to “ultimate”. I was walking and using an iPhone to type one-handed (with an iced coffee in the other) and you hit one wrong letter and that dreaded autocorrect kicks in.

You seem to understand that iced coffee is the only caffeinated drink which adequately wakes a person up! Even if the weather’s cold, it’s crucial! Stopping my off topic posting.

 

[El Marro]

I still admire the A-2 but for me the G-1 is the ultimate flight jacket.

I’m with you on this one Thor. Like you I wear my jackets to work, I’m a self-employed electrical contractor so I can pretty much wear whatever jacket I want at work, within reason of course. Of all the jacket styles I own the G-1 is absolutely the most comfortable to wear while bending down, reaching up, carrying materials, climbing a ladder, etc.
The A-2 is a beautiful jacket but I find the G-1 to be far superior when it comes to comfort and utility.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Hi Seb,
Yeah, I totally get that they are telling customers these are the same jackets, but clearly they are not the same. Materials maybe the same. The dimensions may be the same, but these jackets are not made from the same pattern.
Drewdog's Top Gun jacket pics here, and the official pics on the website both show the accurate waistband level seam in the from of the leather.
Deacon's 100 mission jacket pics he posted before, and the official pics of this jacket do not have this seam.
Therefore, these are two separate jackets made from separate patterns. If the company insists that this is not the case, I can only conclude that they are ignorant of this issue, or attempting to conceal it.
N.B. The 'sizing' of both the Top Gun and the 100 mission may be the same, but the patterns are not.

When manufacturers don't even know these things about their own products, it really destroys my faith in them. I can find it in their website pics in five mins, why can't they?

Yes, I guess the guy meant they share the same measurements which is a different thing. My mistake.

 

[Drewdog2323]

I took measurements of the Size 44 and 42 Top Gun jackets before I mail them back to Cockpit tomorrow for the proper exchanges. I am replacing the 44 with a non-defective one and the 42 with a 46. Hopefully this helps anyone considering getting one in the future. I will report back when I receive the 46.

Size 42

Length: 25.5" - Collar seam to bottom of waist knit down the back
Pit to pit across back: 22"-22.5" (a bit tough to get a true measurement with the bi-swing back)
Sleeve length: 28" - Shoulder seam to end of wrist knit cuff
Shoulder width: 19" - seam to seam on backside of jacket

Size 44

Length: 25.5" - Collar seam to bottom of waist knit down the back
Pit to pit across back: 22.5"-23" (a bit tough to get a true measurement with the bi-swing back)
Sleeve length: 28" - Shoulder seam to end of wrist knit cuff
Shoulder width: 19.5" - seam to seam on backside of jacket