Original Item: Only One Available. The first jacket widely distributed to the pilots of the jet age was the L-2 and despite its place in the history of military aviation, surprisingly little has been written about it. The experts at Buzz Rickson declare that it is “the most rare of all the U.S. Air Force nylon flying jackets.” The jacket came into being near the end of the war in 1945 and was produced until around 1949.

The reason for the L-2s scarcity is that it was superseded by an Air Force vanity project in the form of the L-2A. The L-2A was exactly the same as the L-2 in almost every regard except it was produced in a color suitably titled “Air Force Blue” in order to further distinguish the USAF from the Army. As rare as the L-2 may be today, its blue brother, the L-2A had an even shorter production run.

The L-2A arrived in 1950 just as American pilots were engaging in the first jet-on-jet combat in the skies above Korea, but it quickly became clear that a pilot stranded in enemy territory had a much better chance of making it home uncaptured if he was camouflaged in olive drab.

The jacket is made from nylon with wool knit collars, cuffs, and waist. The shoulders feature snap down epaulets and the left sleeve has a zip pocket and pen-holders. The last detail is a small triangular snap at the waist. The jacket is in very good condition, however it does show signs of service use and wear. The most noticeable issue is that the slider for the front zipper closure is missing, and there is also a tear in the right zipper track. The left arm pocket zipper is intact, but very stiff.

Accompanying the L2A is the rare E-1 USAF marked radio vest. The vest was originally developed in the late 1940s and it was designed to enable pilots to carry a survival radio in emergency situations. Normally worn over coveralls and flight jackets, the water-repellent E-1 features two pockets to carry a radio and battery. Originally there was a belt that was worn around the vest, but unfortunately it is missing on this example. Additional features on the vest is a front zipper closure as well as a faded USAF insignia on the left side. The “US” in “US Air Force” has “UN” written over it in red ink, which was a common sight during the Korean War.

Both items are in very good condition, reflecting signs of service wear, adding to the beauty of them! Comes more than ready for display!

Approx. Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10”
Shoulder to sleeve: 17.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 23”
Chest width: 17”
Waist width: 19”
Hip width: 17”
Front length: 24.5"