A B-10 flying jacket copy. When I stopped flying, I had a sheepskin jacket that was just too bulky and way too warm for anything I tend to do, so it went on ebay years ago, but it was a very sad moment and I ever since wanted to have something similar but not as bulky/warm.
I recently took up learning to sew of all things, in an effort to recreate some stuff that I wanted but you either can't find or they are too old and precious to wear, as well as for making cool outdoor kit for the gang. It went well and I improved, so I decided I will make that jacket, and used a pattern I found online for the B-10, the first fabric flying jacket the Americans issued in WW2.
Used Ventile Twill on the outside, so it is pretty waterproof. Skipped the epaulettes. Real sheepskin collar, which I made removable so the jacket can be washed without wrecking the collar. Hem and sleeve ends in wool ribbed tubing, and lining like the original in Alpaca wool pile.
It looks really great and I am very happy with it, though I think I will make another one in a more civvie colour too, probably skipped the alpaca and instead going for a couple of layers of loden (as the alpaca added £130 to the materials )
I recently took up learning to sew of all things, in an effort to recreate some stuff that I wanted but you either can't find or they are too old and precious to wear, as well as for making cool outdoor kit for the gang. It went well and I improved, so I decided I will make that jacket, and used a pattern I found online for the B-10, the first fabric flying jacket the Americans issued in WW2.
Used Ventile Twill on the outside, so it is pretty waterproof. Skipped the epaulettes. Real sheepskin collar, which I made removable so the jacket can be washed without wrecking the collar. Hem and sleeve ends in wool ribbed tubing, and lining like the original in Alpaca wool pile.
It looks really great and I am very happy with it, though I think I will make another one in a more civvie colour too, probably skipped the alpaca and instead going for a couple of layers of loden (as the alpaca added £130 to the materials )
