Buzz Rickson USAF 1958 L-2B Flying Jacket, Skyline Clothing, Corp.
The L-2B Flight Jacket was an all-time favorite, renowned for comfort, light weight, and amazing warmth-to-weight ratio, and all of this remains true with this masterpiece copy.
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 1964 still being found in service use into the late 1970s. This Buzz Rickson’s L-2B Flight Jacket is manufactured in the earlier silver-grey sage green and is a precise copy of an original example produced by the esteemed government contractor Skyline Clothing, Corp., circa 1958, being the 4th L-2B Flight Jacket variant (Spec. 7448C) in the evolution of the L-2B Flight Jacket series.
Buzz Rickson has reproduced the L-2B Flight Jacket (Spec. 7448C) in exacting detail. Buzz Rickson’s heavy-weight nylon twill fabric is never to be confused with the cheap, flimsy flight satin used by lesser manufacturers to produce so-called vintage reproduction USAF flight jackets. In fact, the only other flight jackets in the world today made from this nylon are those vintage examples of the USAF! Please take note of these authentic features:
• Exact copy of the original maker’s label produced on a vintage shuttle loom
• Custom manufacturing of the correct 2/2 weave and weight in silver-grey color USAF Sage Green nylon twill outer shell to precisely match 1950's USAF specs., and treated to repel water
• Custom manufacturing of the correct 65% rayon 35% wool double-faced inner lining in silver-grey sage green, reflecting early L-2B manufacture
• Exact copy of the super-desirable, spring-loaded 1950's Crown zippers on sleeve pocket and jacket front, with zip tape made of all-cotton HBT fabric in a beautifully contrasting tannish color, not incorrect poly-cotton. The leather zip pulls have been sewn in a circular pattern, exactly matching the stitch style found on L-2B Flying Jackets once produced by Skyline Clothing, Corp.
• Correct USAF-spec. leather pull tabs on zippers
• Custom manufacturing of the correct two-ply 100% worsted-wool knit collar, cuffs and waist skirt in the USAF Sage Green
• Heavy, parachute harness nylon in USAF Sage Green correctly sewn to left front chest for attaching oxygen mask retainer clip
• Snap-down pocket flaps and shoulder straps crafted to match the style found on L-2B Flying Jackets made by Skyline Clothing, Corp.
• USAF insignia transfer on left sleeve and under maker label in lining
• Zippered pocket on left sleeve outfitted with four pen/pencil slots and two anti-puncture pencil caps made of USAF-spec. brass
Sizes: XS – XXXL. The fit is generous. Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.
Crown is a registered trademark in the USA of History Preservation Associates.
Buzz Rickson’s goods are imported from Japan
Buzz Rickson USAF 1958 L-2B Flying Jacket, Skyline Clothing, Corp.
SIZING TIPS
About this Style: This is an extremely easy-wearing jacket style. It is important to keep in mind that this jacket style is very light in weight and not at all rigid or restrictive, thus the easy-wearing design does lend itself well to being worn more snugly than heavier jackets style such as the MA-1 or B-15C jackets.
About 80% of our customers prefer to wear this jacket style one size smaller than their chest measures, thus an individual with a chest circumference of 40” is inclined to prefer the size 38/Medium. By sizing the jacket down one full size from the wearer’s chest measure, the desired amount of room between the wearer’s chest measure and the jacket’s external chest measure is approximately 6” – 7”.
A small minority of individuals can comfortably wear this jacket style with as little as 4” of room in the jacket. This tiny minority is typically made up of individuals who desperately want to own this jacket style and who have chest measurements larger than our size range covers, such as those with 48” chest measures. Only the most tolerant and/or absolute leanest-of-lean individuals can be comfortably outfitted in this jacket style if there is less than 6” of room between the wearer’s chest measure and jacket’s exterior chest measure.
When comparing the sizes in this jacket style to other Buzz Rickson jacket styles sized numerically, the size per the jacket labels (not necessarily the suggested size/fit) would approximately equate as follows:
Small/36 Medium/38 Large/40 XL/42 XXL/44
Tip 1: Follow the instructions entitled “How to Use Product Measures to Obtain a Good Fit” listed under the PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS tab for this product. After finding no substantive conflicts with your body measures obtained from the tab entitled BODY MEASURING, order this garment with no less than 6” of room in excess of your chest measure if you prefer a trim fit in the chest and shoulders. If a roomier or longer fit is desired, then order the next available size after reviewing all relative measures that pertain to that size. The best trim-yet-comfortable fit is achieved for most customers by ordering a size that is one size smaller than their chest measure: Chest measures 40”, order size MEDIUM. Those whose chest measure falls on an odd number, such as 41” or 43”, will have to determine if they want less room or more room when selecting a jacket size.
Tip 2: Please note that your chest circumference measure is not necessarily the labeled size you wear in another jacket you may own from a different maker or even the same maker, so please take the time to obtain your true chest circumference measure so as to compare to our chart of jacket measures; this will enable us to perform a better job getting you the right size and minimize your chances in having to deal with the hassle and cost of exchanges.
Please ask us for fitting advice if in doubt.
Tip 3: Individuals who prefer looser fits and/or those with a waist measure that is nearly equal to or greater than their chest circumference measure may jump up one size in this jacket for comfort and desired fit (when we refer to waist measure we do not mean your trouser size; we mean the actual circumference measure of your waistline at its widest point). If you are unsure of the size to order we will assist you; please contact us with the following information: Height, waist circumference measure, chest circumference measure, body weight, and type of clothing to be worn beneath the jacket most of the time, as well as the type of fit you prefer: Trim, roomy or oversized.
Buzz Rickson USAF 1958 L-2B Flying Jacket, Skyline Clothing, Corp.
PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS
The following table provides actual product measures. These measures are provided as an aid because, in conjunction with the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab for each product, they can sometimes be very useful when comparing the measurements from this garment to the measures of your body; however, acting as an armchair tailor should be done with caution, as well as with knowledge of other important areas of fit that are not displayed here. Armchair tailors frequently fail to take into account other significant elements that impact fit; following the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab for each garment on this web site is strongly suggested, which can be very useful in supplanting or supplementing the listed measures below.
Our measures were derived from averaging measurements taken from many garments of the same size from each specific size in the range of any given product, thus the measures provided are representative for each size but they may not be exactly what you will receive. Some fluctuation in size is normal and to be expected, especially in these garments that have been manufactured on the bench by hand. Size fluctuations are rarely encountered in the width measures and more typically encountered in length measures, and particularly with respect to leather jackets and jackets with knit cuffs and waistbands. Fluctuations in width measures are very rare, and when they are encountered they are typically insignificant: 1/8” – ¼”. Normal fluctuations in sleeve and/or body length + /- a ½” is more common but still rare, and such fluctuations in that increment range are within spec. for jackets of the same size and style.
| Size | M | L | XL | XXL | XXXL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest width | 23" | 24" | 25" | 26" | 27.5" |
| Shoulder width | 19" | 20" | 21" | 22" | 22" |
| Arm length | 25" | 25" | 26" | 27" | 27" |
| Back length | 24" | 25" | 25" | 26" | 27" |
How to Use the Product Measures to Obtain a Good Fit:
1) Using the measurements listed for this product and information found under the tab entitled MEASURING GARMENTS to understand our measuring technique, please double the chest measure to obtain the total external chest circumference of this garment. For example: If the chest measure listed for size LARGE is 24.5”, doubling this measure yields a 49” external chest circumference.
2) Measure your chest circumference as per the tab on this web site specifically addressing BODY MEASURING, then compare your chest measure to the chest measure of this product.
3) Many jackets are cut in such a way that the wearer requires no less than 4” of room in the jacket for a sleek fit that is also comfortable, while other jacket styles require the wearer to have more than 8” of room. If your chest circumference is 40”, a product with a 24.5” chest width has a 49” external chest circumference and would provide 9” of external room in this scenario (chest measures 40”, external chest measure of jacket is 49”, thus 9” of external room would be realized).
4) Again, using the measurements listed for this product and information under the MEASURING GARMENTS tab to understand our measuring technique, add half of the shoulder width to the arm length. For example: If the shoulder width is 20” and the arm length is 26”, adding 10” (half the shoulder width) to 26” (the arm length) will yield an overall sleeve length of 36” in this product.
5) Measure your overall sleeve length following the instructions on this web site under the tab specifically addressing BODY MEASURING, then compare your overall sleeve length to this product.
6) If desired, repeat the measuring comparisons for back length.
7) Compare your body measures to the listed garment measures and follow the advice found under the SIZING TIPS tab to obtain a good fit.
IMPORTANT: Because you need room in a garment for comfort, garments with a 44” chest circumference are NOT a size 44, nor are they intended for anyone with a 44” chest circumference. Tee shirts and thermal shirts tend to have the most body-hugging fits of our product offerings because these were originally intended to be undergarments, thus these can be ordered to stretch to fit if that is how you wish to wear such garments. Other shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, jackets, etc. will all have some amount of room incorporated in their designs, thus these will all measure larger than your actual chest measure by varying degrees.
Sometimes-Problematic Way to Determine a Good Fit:
Due to differences in how even near-identical garments are cut by different manufacturers, it is not necessarily a good idea to compare the listed measures of this product to the measures of an existing, similar product in your wardrobe to determine the correct size to order in this product. Though such comparisons can indeed work some of the time, and maybe even most of the time, vast experience with and knowledge of the products we market has proven such practices will sometimes fail. This inaccurate measuring methodology doesn't factor in other key variables of fit relative to you and the garment that includes: Armhole opening, shoulder slope, high-point shoulder, high chest, width of sleeves at all points including the all-important elbow, waist measure, and the thickness, plumpness, and rigidity of the material the garment is made from, naming just some variables influencing fit that do not appear on any list of measurements for a garment or that a customer is likely to account for.
It is best to compare your actual body measures to the listed measures of this product AND follow our advice listed under the SIZING TIPS tab specific to this product to obtain a good fit in this style.
A Good Fit:
This is highly subjective - what one person may think is too big, another may think fits perfectly. Some garments are cut quite generously and others are cut quite trimly. If comparing measurements of one of our products to another you may own, some individuals will surely find that none or maybe only one area of measure is commonly shared or remotely close to being the same. Ultimately, chest measure is the most important area to properly fit, then all other areas of measure will have to fall into place. And some individuals who are extremely tall may find that body and/or sleeve length are more important to accommodate than even chest measure.
It is best to compare your actual body measures to the listed measures of this product AND follow our advice listed under the SIZING TIPS tab specific to this product to obtain a good fit in this style.
We strive to create a crisp fit between our products and the customer, and not a loose, sloppy look. If you prefer your clothing to fit more loosely, then we will do our best to work with you to that end, though, by the very nature of our product designs and fits it may not be possible to duplicate the slack looks found in many mainstream clothing brands even if you go up one or two sizes in our products.
