From my collection: Pilots in Vietnam War

[gldani]

Hello Gentlemen,

from my collection http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=593961&page=5 , I would wish share my American pilot in Vietnam war.

Comments, suggestions and criticism are welcome.

My English is not good, sorry for mistakes

Ciao from Italy, Daniele.

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First pilot:

F-4 Phantom. US Marine Corps.
Da Nang (South-Vietnam) and USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34), 1967-68.

The interface of the oxygen "high pressure" system hanging from the chest and will be connected to the system via the aircraft ejection seat; radio telephony cables are "drowned" in the wall of the corrugated tube of the mask, and they use the same connector.

From left hip hangs a tube of '"anti-G" pneumatic suit (green on beige background) who brutally presses on the stomach, thighs and calves to compress the large blood vessels during the sudden acceleration of maneuvered combat.

The oval ring tucked into the belt of the harness will be used to hook the winch that will lower when the rescue helicopter will draw rescued the downed pilot.
The leather gloves pale yellow, marked U.S.N. had a habit typical of the Navy-Marines.

Over the right shoulder is specially ensured the orange and waterproof "strobe-light", which sends a powerful electronic flash intermittently to the rescue; door glued to a piece of velcro in order to determine the lamp on the helmet velcro consideration if the pilot is in water and it leans her head.

Heavily armed: two semi-automatic Colt '911 are in the underarm holsters; more to the left there is the R.E.DAR. gearbox oxygen which receives the upper tube of the mask, and connects with the lower portion of the high pressure, which via the big attack multi-pin connects to the system on-board present on hunting.

The cartridge belt with the .357 Magnum is for the third weapon, a Smith & Wesson revolver in the holster on the right hip.

The "survival vest" is complete with all the accessories: first aid kit (bottles, eye drops, ointments, plasters, bandages, gauze, pads, various powders to disinfect wounds), windproof and waterproof matches, water purifiers, fishing items, mosquito net, portable radio (small but heavy), spare batteries for the strobe light, cigarettes, Brooklyn chewing gum now as hard as stones, pencil and biro marked USN.

Document holder on the leg loops (with night light and sharpener) are a small calendar Playboy original one and papers flying south-east Asia.

Outside of the tibia is a dagger USMC (on the bottom of the handle is unscrewed present a compass) with a small sharpening stone.

Time spent for this pilot: six years.

[Beezman]

Nice effort, but...

- the helmets with abstract reflective tape designs were worn for training, not combat operations. Helmets with squadron markings made of reflective tape were worn in combat though. The velcro square on the visor cover appears circa 1972.

- the Army camo ascot should not be here, it is a major fire hazard

- in 1967-68, the tan suits would be replaced by fire resistant OG suits (CS/FRP-1 and the earlier heavy cotton suits). Moreover, the 2000 hours patch was never worn on suits, only on flight jackets. The velcro piece on the shoulder seems a bit off for this kind of suit, but you never know.

- I am not sure the SV-2 had entered USMC service by 1967-8. An SV-1 would be more appropriate. The mount for a flashlight is typical of post-war or very late-war rigs. Is your vest dated? Anyway it would not be worn upside down unless you want to lose it upon ejection.

- the "horse collar" LPA was not seen in the Corps before 1971. An Mk3C would be better.

- the additional D-ring on the harness was a 1972 practice, I have not seen it before. The mini-Koch fittings on bottom are from the early 70s.

- gloves: by 1967, they would have been replaced by grey B-3As

- firearms: three guns? really? One is largely enough. It has to be a .38 , either Model 10 or Victory Model. 1911s were seen, but very rarely. Your pistol belt is post-war, and I even wonder if it is US issue

- the G-pants are cool. They seem to have rigger-made straps to attach to the ejection seat safety wires that would retract the legs before ejection. I am not sure this was used in the F4 in this form (it looks like a setup for an A-7, but I might be wrong).

- the REDAR regulator is nice

That's it! Welcome to the most difficult of all collecting areas, Vietnam flight gear!

[Beezman]

Oh, and were are the brown flight boots this pilot should be wearing?

[relics2007]

WOW, impressive!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Lonnie

[gldani]

Hello Beezman, thanks for your observations.

In my partial defense, to be precise, this pilot is dated early months 1969 (not 1967-68 as I wrote today). In the rush to write in English from Italian, I mixed up the dates with other mannequins. I'm sorry and I apologize.

In this sense, everything is OK on my pilot (and, on the other two from Vietnam - a RF-101C pilot in 1969, and a Huey pilot in 1968-69).
Museum-quality, even much better than this.

For reply to your observations:

* APH-6C helmet is dated 1967 and the square velcro patch is original since the start. Reflective "abstract" tapes were worn in combat (documented).

* Photos exist of Light Tan suits in combat as of springtime 1969. Few perhaps, but they were. Velcro patch on shoulder is OK (documented).

* SV-2 is dated 1969.

* LPA-1 is dated 1969: "700-69-C-?431"

* My mistake: there are two handguns, not three. More than one was possible, I think (anyway, documented).

* Extra D-ring is OK. The four Koch fittings were standard by early 1969 (documented).

* Cream-colored gloves were worn without problems as late as early '70s, if preferred.

* MK-2A G-suit is original from a Skyhawk pilot of "Oriskany". Leg restraint come from a F-4J.

* Black leather boots, of course, were worn by Navy and USMC through the whole war (documented). Also brown boots if desired, but not for a mandatory rule.

I am very proud to collect Vietnam flight gear, the most difficult of all collecting areas!

Regards, Daniele.

[gldani]

WOW, impressive!!!
Thanks for sharing. Regards,
Lonnie

Hi Lonnie, I'm glad you liked it.

Ciao from Italy, Daniele.

[kammo man]

That's A lot of hard work there !!
Keep it up mate

Owen

[Scott Joseph]

Pretty cool looking set up. A lot of that unsecured stuff would be ripped off if that mannequin ever had to eject from a stricken plane... As for all the weapons, a buddie of mine was a tail gunner in a B-52 and he didn't carry a firearm because of the lack of room, he figured he was dead anyway if they went down. I know a tail gunner is a different ball game but, Thats just what he did.
Oh yeah he did go down in the pacific from a malfunction with the plane, had to spend something like 3 days bailing water in a storm till they were picked up by a submarine. Popular Science magazine did a write up on it because of the sub extraction.

[nguoi tien su]

I do second Beezman's comment. Whereas the general impression of the pilot from the Vietnam war is good, it is certainly not what would wear a Marine pilot in DNG in 1967/1968. Ok you changed the date after his comment and that also makes a difference. BTW, what was the unit both at DNG and on the Oriskany at the dates you suggest? USS Oriskany deployed from 26 June 1967 to 23 Januray 1968, then from 5 May to 10 Nov 1969. I am under the impression that on both cruises there were no F-4 and no Marine squadron onboard? Yet, I may have missed something.

As for the USAF, and even more with USN and USMC units, equipments and uniforms are very specific. We are talking about a handfull of men (no more than 20 - it is not an infantry division). No fancy, strict rules, and maybe the most important point, modifications within the unit itself, in the rigger shop. And on top of that, the evolution of the flight gear makes the equipment completely different from one cruise to the other, just within a few months, with what had been previously worn discarded for another deployment. It is a question of maintainance. And in fighter squadrons, the helmets are painted to the color of the unit. Esprit de corps ruled. A pain for the collectors, making it really difficult to find and costly to purchase.

In the field of collecting flight gear, it is not just adding bits and pieces to make a good overall impression. A real nightmare, but a rewarding topic if you reach your aim.

[gldani]

Thanks for your comments, Sirs.

I was actually meaning that the MK-2AG-pants are from a Skyhawk pilot from the Oriskany (not important when), and the leg restraints are from a F-4J aircraft. Thus, it has become a F-4 pilot of USMC I had theorically placed at Da Nang in early to mid-1969.

This it was. I know for absolutely sure that (even if for a small timeframe) nothing on it is wrong.

The yellow B-3 gloves, the two handguns, the MA-2 harness with four "Koch" fittings, the very early SV-2 vest and the obsolete Tan suit, all could very well be together in equipping a USMC aviator in springtime 1969.
This is comproved 1,000% CORRECT by some color photos I do own. Maybe even just two or three men went into combat this way, but if they went this is enough for the historically correct. This is just what I search and obtain.

I do own currently three full size US aviators from Vietnam and seven more from other periods, and they come complete with the absolute best of results after a lot of years of struggling. In photos they necessarily cannot appear worthy of all my efforts, but who directly saw them (including some highly competent guys like American and Italian military pilots) truly stood impressed and stated "You simply couldn't do more. Your maniacal care in the smallest details adds to the items themselves".

In particular, when I see at my P-38 pilot from 318th F.G. at Saipan (about 35 items on it, plus the well-tanned "skin" airbrushed by me) I think "you MUST walk ...absolutely".
Yet the whole way is not easy. It took five years from its first item (the A- 14 mask) to the last three (B-8 parachute, C-2 raft pack, and DEB-2 Blood Chit).

Ciao, Daniele.

[gldani]

USAF pilot of RF-101 "Voodoo"

USAF pilot of RF-101 "Voodoo", R.T.A.B. Udorn, Thailand, about 1969.

A photographic reconnaissance "intelligence" pilot, which provide photographs of the results of the attacks on North Vietnam. A role overshadowed by pilots become more famous or even legendary, but that required people to prepare and bravery at the highest level, having to necessarily end up in the middle of the most hellish reaction of artillery and anti-aircraft missile in the world.

The helmet visor is of the reflective mirror in gold foil, absolutely original USAF, and thought initially to pilots' nuclear tactical strike.

The parachute is complete. The holster is marked USAF (1966).

Here too, the "survival vest" is complete with all the accessorie.
Knife sharpening stone, packages "shark chaser" and other yellow dye from spreading in water to facilitate teams relief.

The B-3A Leather gloves are gray-sky instead of yellow. The navigation chart thigh is the type illuminated for night flying, with red light-dark not to bother.
Over there is the month of February 1968 Playboy calendar original "pocket".

Well armed with "full" of ammunition and fitted suit "anti-G".

Though not a fighter pilot, this character complete with everything (several dozens of different items) is our favorite.

Counting from the purchase of boots, until the day that I put on the parachute suitable model - swapped with another parachute + a helmet, otherwise it was impossible, in any way - have passed 10 years.

[Lloyd I.]

This took time.

Irregardless of those little details that aren't quite right or not on specific dates of issue or wear, conus oconus by unit SOP.....I'm speechless.

Superb.

[kammo man]

Agreed
Impressive !

Owen

[nguoi tien su]

Yet again...

The last RF-101 left Udorn RTAFB on 30 October 1967 (20th TRS) to be replaced by the 14th TRS. The 14th was flying RF-4Cs.

Even if you don't show it, it looks like the flight suit bears the 431st TFS or FIS patch. A unit never deployed to SEA. So the suit has never been worn in SEA. The 100 missions patch looks suspicious from the photo, but it is difficult to be sure without a close up.

The early SRU-21/P has been enhanced with the addition of loops, but post Vietnam. The right modification has NO velcro, and is directly sewn on the vest itself and the material is very specific.

To identify the helmet from its paint is an other crusade. Good luck. It looks great but virtually impossible to know about the original unit or the owner (maybe you have a name inside?). Yet the nuke visor is a total nonsense in Vietnam.

The orange light is USN and appears in the 80's according to Breuninger.

The grey gloves are the right ones. Yellow gloves are USN/USMC to me.

The parachute looks cool. What is the date of manufacture?

[kammo man]

Jesus NTS
Let the guy have some fun !!!

No wonder no one posts here

Owen