VIETNAM WAR 1965 USAF L-2B ALPHA INDUSTRIES LIGHT ZONE FLIGHT BOMBER JACKET (M)

Description: ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR 1965 USAF L-2B ALPHA INDUSTRIES 🦅 LIGHT ZONE FLIGHT BOMBER JACKET (M) MILITARY BRANCH: U.S. Air ForceCONFLICT: Vietnam WarJACKET TYPE: Light Zone Flight JacketMODEL: L-2BMANUFACTURER: Alpha Industries, Inc.SIZE: MediumCOLOR: Dark Sage Green Exterior / Orange LiningOUTTER SHELL MATERIAL: 2/2 Nylon TwillINNER SHELL MATERIAL: 36% Wool / 64% RayonZIPPERS: ConmarSPECIFICATION: MIL-J-7448F (USAF)STOCK NUMBER: 8415-817-0598ORDER NUMBER: DSA-1-8988 DATE OF MANUFACTURE: 22 April 1965COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: United StatesAPPROXIMATE MEASUREMENTS (in Inches): 19" Shoulders / 22" Chest / 23" Arms / 23" Overall LengthCONDITION: This 1965 Alpha Industries L-2b jacket is in a beautiful condition for its age. You should nevertheless expect some light general wear and tear from military use: mostly some light staining, a couple of sun spots, some small punctures where the original sewn-in insignias and patches were removed, and some very light wear on the knit collar, cuffs, and waist skirt. Overall, this jacket is a fantastic example of the USAF L-2B flight jackets with orange linings from the 1960s. NOTE: This jacket has not been cleaned and is sold as found. HISTORY: The USAF L-2B Flight Jacket was developed as a direct replacement for the blue L-2A Flight Jacket. L-2A Flight Jackets were produced in blue circa 1950 as part of an effort by the then-new USAF service branch to stand apart from the old USAAF and its association with the U. S. Army. This blue color proved unsatisfactory in combat conditions during the Korean War, where a downed airman needed a combat uniform color that would help conceal him from any nearby enemies and the new USAF blue, unfortunately, only made downed aviators better targets and more easily found. The result of this combat experience in the first two years of the Korean War resulted in the development of a new color that did better conceal downed airmen and, by mid-1952, the first of the combat flying clothing began to appear in this new color known as sage green. The early sage green tended to have a distinctly more silver-grey cast to it than the later sage green shade employed in the 1960s, which is one distinguishing characteristic of the earlier L-2B Flight Jackets. The L-2B Flight Jacket was intended for wear in climates between 42 degrees and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, thus ideally suited for spring, summer and fall. The essential differences between the L-2A Flight Jacket and L-2B Flight Jacket are: Color changed from blue to sage green, size on labels changed from numerical (38, 40, 42, etc.) to textual increments (small, medium, large, etc.), the cut was made more generous and the outer nylon shell was changed from 1/3 twill to the heavier 2/2 twill, while the lining was changed from a wool-and-nylon blend to a wool-and-rayon blend. The L-2B Flight Jacket had a long service life, with later versions that featured the orange linings that were first introduced in the 1960s still being found in service use into the late 1970s. The attached photographs are part of the description representing the condition of the item. All sales are final. International Buyers: Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.

Price: 399.99 USD

Location: Brooklyn, New York

End Time: 2025-01-14T14:21:32.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD