Maker: Flight Suits
Model: Historical A-2 (three different samples)
Sizes: 40 regular, 42 regular, 44 regular
Date of manufacture: April 2000
Date of evaluation: April 2000
Photos posted below.
Introductory Note
Flight Suits provided three different samples of their Historical A-2jacket for evaluation. Because of their basic similarity, all threejackets will be presented in one report and will be referred to bythe following abbreviations.- MvHH = mahogany vegetable tanned horsehide, size 40R
- RcHH = russet chrome tanned horsehide, size 42R, with collar stand
- RvGS = russet vegetable tanned goatskin, size 44R
Fit/cut/proportion
Flight Suits was very helpful in accepting a suggestion to sendthree consecutive sizes of jackets (40, 42, and 44). With sizing beinga prime concern for customers, having the measurements and fitcharacteristics over a typical range will be of great value. Measurements can be found on the measurements page.The Flight Suits Historical A-2 is cut to modern jacket patterns andproportions. This translates into the following observable differencescompared to a vintage A-2 cut.
- The shoulders tend to square up more naturally where the sleevesattach.
- The body is fuller and more roomy, especially across the chest atthe underarm level.
- The sleeves are fuller and more roomy, especially in the upperarms, and are less tapered toward the cuff.
- The collar has a greater circumference, that is to say that it islonger from one collar tip to the other.
For fit reference, I am 5'10", 180 lbs, wear a size 42 suit jacket offthe rack, and take a 34" shirt sleeve.
- Size 40 Regular
Of the three jackets, the size 40 is the best fit for me. Whenwearing an average weight shirt underneath, the shoulder seams squareup nicely at the edges without any tightness or restricted motion.There is ample room in the chest and torso for comfort, although notmuch room for layering underneath. The waistband knitting is stronglyelastic so it holds snugly across my 36 inch waist. With the additional fullness in the cut, this leaves a bit of blousing of the leather at the waist but it is not objectionable. The sleeve lengthis just as I prefer, with the knit cuffs extending to just beyond thebreak in my wrist as I stand with my arms at my side. There is verylittle if any compression of the cuff knitting up into the sleeve.The overall appearance of the jacket as worn is very attractive, whilethe nature of the modern pattern is apparent.
- Size 42 Regular
The size 42 jacket is roomier and would be a better choice for me if Ipreferred a looser fit or if I anticipated a heavy layering underneath. With an average weightshirt under the jacket, the shoulders square up at the edges with justa little extra room felt compared to the 40. The chest and torso arequite a bit fuller as expected. At the waist, the elasticity of theknitting maintains a snug fit and there is a bit more blousing of theleather due to the roomier cut compared to the 40. The sleeves on the42 are too long for my preference, with the leather coming down to justabove the break in my wrist as I stand with my arms at my side. Theknit cuffs are compressed about halfway up into the sleeve (manypeople refer to this as "tunneling"). The appearance of the size 42 asworn is still reasonable as a basic jacket, but it is too big for mypreference and for achieving a more trim vintage A-2 look on me.
- Size 44 Regular
The size 44 jacket is much too big for me by any consideration. Thebody and sleeves are quite a bit fuller and longer. With the rightsize person filling out this jacket, it will look fine, but I can'tpull it off.
In summary, having the range of sizes to try was very instructive.While Flight Suits says that you should order your actual size, mybest or preferred fit turned out to be one size down. If you geta jacket size that fits more closely, it should remind you enough oforiginals in appearance, while a jacket which fits more loosely willstart to express its more modern cut.
Hide
[NOTE: More so than any other component of an A-2, the hide may vary from jacket to jacket and so not all of the observations fromthese samples will necessarily be consistent with other individual examples, nor will they be representative of the effects of time and wear.]- Mahogany Veg Tanned Horsehide (MvHH)
The color of this jacket is a dark brown which would be representativeof some of the latter wartime production A-2's or re-issued jacketswhich had been re-dyed.
The hide weight and thickness is typical of originals. It ismoderately soft and pliable but will still accept some breaking in forcomfort. The surface is very uniform, having a fine grain structureover the jacket with only a small amount of variation. Though thegrain is apparent, the detail and clarity are somewhat softened by thefinish. While sharper detail and clarity are characteristic of originalA-2 leather, it is less common in modern day hides. There is only somesubtle wrinkling present over the jacket, although it may well develop more with wear. Compared to original hides, which typicallyhave more pronounced grain and wrinkling, this horsehide might beconsidered to be more refined. This difference could be perceived as one ofquality or authenticity, or even a combination, depending upon one'spreferences. Flight Suits stated that if a customer prefers a grainierhide, they can usually accommodate the request.
While this horsehide has been vegetable tanned, I cannot sense adifference between it and the russet chrome tanned horsehide jacket.Flight Suits accounted for this observation in that they tumbled thehide to soften the finish, and that also softened the jacket.Otherwise, the veg tanned jacket as new will be a bit stiffer than anew chrome tanned jacket.
- Russet Chrome Tanned Horsehide (RcHH)
This shade of russet brown is reasonably characteristic of the lightershade original jackets, although it really doesn't have the reddishtones often associated with WWII russet brown. Flight Suits said thatthey will also be offering the russet horsehide vegetable tanned.
The weight, thickness, and overall character of the horsehide inthis sample are very similar to the mahogany sample, though it may bejust a bit thicker overall. The grain is very uniform over the jacketand has a fine structure similar to the mahogany sample. There isvirtually no wrinkling apparent in this hide, possibly because it hasnot been tumbled like the mahogany jacket. As with the surface ofthe mahogany hide, the detail and clarity of the grain structure isalso somewhat softened by the finish. Again, this hide might be seen asbeing more refined than the typical wartime A-2.
- Russet Veg Tanned Goatskin (RvGS)
While goatskin was not the primary hide used for original A-2's, thatdistinction going to horsehide, it wasn't rare either. This particulargoatskin sample from Flight Suits is a very impressive and authenticmodern day counterpart to the originals. Having recently acquired anoriginal goatskin A-2 made by Doniger, I was able to make a convenientcomparison.
The russet brown color of this jacket is similar to that of thehorsehide above but might be slightly darker, although it may only appeardifferent due to the prominent graining.
The hide weight, thickness, and overall handling is similar to theDoniger while perhaps being a bit thicker in places. Compared to theFlight Suits horsehide, this goatskin hide is somewhat stiffer and willtake more breaking in. Another appealing aspect of this goatskin,which is also similar to that of the Doniger, is that it issues apleasant leathery creaking sound as it is flexed and handled.
The jacket has a very well-formed pebbled grain structure throughout,with a variation in depth and coarseness for some individualcharacter. The sharpness of the detail and definition in the pebblingis very close to that of the original Doniger, achieving a level ofgoatskin authenticity rarely seen in reproductions. Eastman is theonly other maker I know of which can say the same. When broken in,this jacket should look tremendous. (For a comparison of the fine andcoarse grain areas with the original Doniger A-2, see the Grain photobelow in the RvGS link.)
Lining
The cotton lining is medium brown in color with a weight and texturevery similar to original linings.Knits
The wool knits are a medium brown shade, similar to what can be foundon originals, with proper patterns in the knitting. The weight andthickness, though, are a bit greater than on originals, but FlightSuits says that the knits will thin out some with wear.Zipper
The zipper is a modern nickel Talon. Triangular reinforcement stitchingis present at the bottom of each side of the zipper tape.Snaps
The snaps are modern style, black colored, ball stud fasteners. The samesize stud is used for both the collar and the pockets. On original A-2's,the pocket stud is usually bigger than the collar stud. The back ofthe stud side of the collar snaps is through the lining and coveredwith lining material, as is typical of many originals.Throat hook
The throat hook is nickel, with correct size and shape. The rivetbase is the one-piece type.Stitching
The thread is medium brown, eight stitches per inch.The one construction error found on each of these jackets is on thebody side seams, where the top-stitching should be on the edge of theseam toward the back of the jacket, but instead it is found on the edgetoward the front. I notified Flight Suits of this error and theyimmediately incorporated the change.
Top stitching placement from seam
Top stitching is generally 3/16 inches from the seams.Collar
The collar is reasonably authentic in size and shape, though it is alittle larger than average.- The MvHH and RvGS each have a collar point whichmeasures 3-5/8 inches from the forward attachment and forms an angle ofabout 65 degrees.
- The RcHH collar point measures 3-1/2 inches from the forwardattachment and forms an angle of about 65 degrees. The collar stand onthe RcHH is about 3/4 inches in width.
Epaulets
The epaulets are box stitched at both ends with a modest rectangularshape to the box areas on the two russet jackets, but a wider rectangularshape on the mahogany jacket.- The MvHH and RvGS epaulets are 1-3/4 inches wide atthe shoulder and 1-7/16 inches wide at collar.
- The RcHH epaulets are 1-13/16 inches wide at the shoulderand 1-1/2 inches wide at collar.
The outside lengthwise stitch lines on the epaulets are 0.25 inches apart.
Wind flap
The wind flaps are wide, though still authentic, at 1-1/2 inches forthe MvHH, 1-3/8 inches for the RcHH, and 1-7/16 inchesfor the RvGS.Sleeves
The sleeves are in the common configuration with the top stitchedseam aligned with the back of the arm and running across the elbow,while the bare seam is aligned with the jacket side seam.As mentioned above in the discussion of fit and proportion, thesleeve lengths are in proportion to the jacket size. But consistentwith the modern cut of these jackets, the sleeves are roomy,especially in the upper arm, and the sleeves taper less to the cuffcompared to original A-2 jackets.
Pockets
The pocket flap shape is of a gentle curve with a slight sharpnessto the center point. The bottom corners of the pockets themselves areof a typical radius of curvature. The size, position, and stitching of the pockets are also consistent with originals.Hanger loop
The hanger loop is of the typical box-stitched type.Spec label
TYPE A-2 DRAWING NO 30-1415A.C. ORDER NO. 42-10008-P GIBSON & BARNES --------------- PROPERTY AIR FORCE, U.S. ARMYCompared to original labels, this one is a good rendition but shouldnot cause any confusion with originals. The lettering is of the oftenused yellow threads woven into a black panel. The order number seenin this label was the wartime order number for a Cable Raincoat Co.A-2 contract. Gibson & Barnes is the new name for the leatherdivision of Flight Suits.
A border exists around all outer edges of the label, and the size tabis a size and numeral style typical of originals.
Pocket label
Under the right pocket flaps of each jacket are two woven size tabsjust like those used under the main jacket label. One tab has thesize and the other has an R for regular. These size tabs are notfound in this manner on original A-2 jackets, but Flight Suits willbe transitioning to the linen lot/size label typical of originals.Inspector stamp
A correct style ink stamp with AN and A402 within circle is placed onthe lining next to the jacket label, as is often seen in originals.The outside diameter of circle is a typical 5/8 inches.Insignia stamp/transfer
A black ink AAF wing&star insignia stamp is placed on the lining just belowthe jacket label. The stamp is of the correct size and style. Thiswas a late war addition on original A-2's, but it creates noinconsistencies or inaccuracies in this reproduction.Summary and overall impression
With their expanding selection of configurations in their HistoricalA-2 product line, Flight Suits is demonstrating a commitment to appealto the range of product preferences and interests in the market. Attheir combined levels of quality, authenticity, and pricing, FlightSuits is establishing themselves as a solid contender if not the soleoccupant in the near-premium market segment.The three jacket samples evaluated here exhibit high quality inconstruction and materials. Authenticity to original A-2 jacketsis very good and, even with the updating in the pattern andsome other details, the jackets should appeal to educated buyers.Those looking for an original maker reproduction with a pattern cutto original proportions will necessarily have to look elsewhere andprepare to spend more money for that, but the Flight Suits productsbear consideration for that extra jacket on the rack.
Going forward, Flight Suits expresses an intent of continuousrefinement. And if that refinement is consistent with the goatskinseen here, then there should be plenty of good things to look forwardto from the folks in San Diego.
For more information
See the Flight Suits Web site at www.flightsuits.com| Click on a photo for an enlarged view (RcHH). Click on the links for the other two jackets. | |||
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Front MvHH RvGS | Back MvHH RvGS | Label | Neck MvHH RvGS |
Neck MvHH RvGS | Epaulet MvHH RvGS | MvHH RvGS | MvHH RvGS |
Zip | Color compare RcHH/MvHH/RvGS | Grain MvHH RvGS | AAF stamp |
Size 40 as worn | Size 42 as worn |
A time-worn example (8 May 2005)
This Flight Suits Historical A-2 in russet goatskin is a few years old now. Its first owner treated it to somemild aging which softened the surface shine and brought out some of the natural wrinkles and grain. Subsequentwear time by the first owner and then the second owner (me) has further brought out a nice and very authenticpatina in many areas where abrasion is common (see the sleeve and pocket flap photos below). The 8AF shouldersleeve patch was made and applied by Flight Suits. The 571st Bombardment Squadron patch was made by J.M. Charbin.| Click on a photo for an enlarged view. | ||
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