A-2 jacket

It describes the jacket's construction as "seal brown horsehide leather, knitted wristlets and waistband (skirt)".

The lack of AN-J-3 or updated AN-J-3A replacements may explain why three significant U.S. A-2 contracts were granted in Dec. 1943, or after the A-2 jacket was officially superseded.

There were many manufacturers of A-2 jackets during the 1930s and 1940s whose product showed a wide range of quality, workmanship, and fit characteristics.

[5] Manufacturers included civilian clothing producers such as David D. Doniger & Co., makers of the popular MacGregor brand outerwear, as well as leather-goods companies like J.A.

Since Mr Eastman's 2012 A-2 reference book[6] five more A-2 contracts have been found: The Rough Wear 42-1671P by John Chapman of Good Wear Leather Coat Co. fame,[7] the 1943 V505 by Vintage Leather Jacket (VLJ) member dinomartino1 noted above, and the Goldsmith 31-1897, Werber 32-6225, and 1942 V505 all by VLJ member 33-1729.

This meant that an entire generation of Air Force pilots and flight crews had missed out on an opportunity not lost to their Naval comrades.