Help buying flight pants, opinions, pricing, etc.?

[WWIIBuff]

Windbreaker

6

[hs132]

Hello John, here is the SM site and what they have for sale, http://www.smwholesale.com/0015.html looks similar. Here also are some pics of some form of twisted fake snaps I found on a rebuilt flight set a few years ago. If you are being offered that two piece set as origional and most likely asking big bucks, the seller sould be penalized physically in a big way. Best, Bill

[hs132]

1

[hs132]

2

[hs132]

3

[Jos L C]

Pants in question are fake..

The jacket looks familiar..

A load of this stuff was offered on German Ebay last years..
White zippers, black zippers etc..

Fake flare straps, fake electrical gloves, fake rubber goggles, fake N&G etc, they've it all..

Here're are 2 fake jackets..

Jos.

[Jos L C]

[RamJet]

Literature:

Mick J. Prodger: Luftwaffe vs. RAF, Flying Clothing Of The Air War, 1939-45.

John R. Angolia & Adolf Schlicht: Uniforms & Traditions Of The Luftwaffe, Volume 3.

[Andy F-P]

Interesting thread.........

I believe most of the flying gear fakes have been made in the Czech Republic over the last ten years but they are getting better at reproducing these all the time. They just don't look quite right yet and, thankfully, there are so many things that they still need to get right.

There are some fine experts on this site who know so much about this area.

I have never seen the white summer windbreaker (the holy grail) reproduced but I have never seen an original either! Does anyone have a photo of a reproduction or indeed an original?
Regards,
Andy

[Jos L C]

A attempt..

Jos.

[Scott A. Hess]

Interesting thread, Im amazed to see how far the jackets and especially flight pants have progressed, a few years ago they were still quite primitive, looks like they are advancing like everything else! I've seen several of the tropical weight/color flight jackets on ebay in the last five years, most out of Czech, of course offered as real, the blue ones too. I had a blue one, from the mid 80's sure wish I kept it, but have kept my tan tropical one with factory eagle!

[WWIIBuff]

Flight clothing

Thanks you all for the replies. I had a feeling originally that these might be fake but since I do not know the details I could not be sure.

Bill, those are fake snaps? Wow, I sure would have been fooled by those. Thanks for posting the pictures, I will file those for future reference if that is ok.

Jos I was sure you would know more details about these. Thanks also for the pictures of the fake jackets, again great references.

Steve I appreciate the referral to the books, I'll pick those up. I have the Davis books but they do not have enough details for the new collector.

[WWIIBuff]

Flight pants

So for those of you who have flight pants in your collection already, what style is your favorite?

1) The light blue cloth example like I originally posted (except a real pair)?
2) The tan tropical pair like Scott mentioned
3) Blue leather "channel" pants
4) Brown leather pants
5) A one piece combi
6) That all the types I know...

And what is a fair price I should expect to pay for a real pair when I find one?

[Scott A. Hess]

My favorite are the two piece, tan and the electrically heated ones, and the matching one pieces of each, salt/pepper tan and blue with velveteen collar. There are many more out there, but those are my preferences.

[juvatwad]

Here are a couple of good ones. These are some of the hardest pieces to find, and they are cost prohibitive if you're not a dedicated Luft collector. It would be like me dropping cash for a SS tunic just to have it around.

Ian