What was the prime objective of the A-2 Flight Jacket? Are there any other names for the leather jacket? There have been many questions about the A-2 Jacket, these are just a few examples. Our goal in writing this article is to answer these questions and maybe give you a little more information about this historic leather jacket.



The A-2 Flying Jacket was the replacement for the A-1 Jacket, which was adopted in 1927. The A-2 Jacket has become standard issue by the US Army Air Corps in May 1931. This jacket is a classic and is sometimes seen as a "Bomber jacket even though its use wasn limited to pilots or crews of bombers. The original jacket material was called "seal brown horsehide leather with knit wristlets and belt The A-2 Jacket was even available in sizes from 32 to 54.

The original design of the A-2 flight jacket could vary from different manufactures, but they all had the same basic characteristics. The snap-flap pockets on each side are not equipped with compartments hands warm, because it was considered unmilitary to put your hands in your pockets. The jacket also had a break down style shirt collar, shoulders and wrists knit belt. The return was one piece of leather so as not to focus on the excess jacket. The coating is usually made of a lightweight silk or cotton with the military label sewn just below the back of the neck.

Most A-2 leather jackets made before the war and during wartime have made horsehide although there were some built goat as was the Marine G-1 jacket . It could have also been made from some of the jackets cowhide or steerhide. Most of them were either tanned leather and chrome or vegetable tanned.

The color of the A-2 jackets varied, but there were two distinct colors. Seal, which is dark brown or almost black and Roux, which is a red light brown to medium brown.

Some providers zippers that we know are Talow, of the Crown, Cowmar and Kwik. The zippers for the A-2 were constructed of steel or brass and some have been nickel plated.

A-2 Flight Jacket has been designed to have a more suitable. This was to accommodate the lighter slim built men of the day and it helps to cope, it seemed too cold. This leather jacket was not designed to cope with more layers of clothing.

There were several different companies that manufactured the A-2 Jacket.A couple of producers are civilians David D Doniger & Co., which manufactures the line MacGregor outerwear and JA Dubow Mfg., Co. That produces basic ball mittens. The following companies also had contracts for the realization of A-2 Jacket during the war.