Fanch, TX, I think that it's a great gesture to make a repro jacket that a family member wore for them our for yourself. If for yourself, I'm sure that nobody would have any problem with it once they knew the story. The familial connection makes a difference I think, to guys like me that wear patched jackets out of respect and admiration, but only have our geeky knowledge as an excuse.
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Patch placement on MA-1 jackets?
- Thread starter Big J
- Start date
Fanch, TX, I think that it's a great gesture to make a repro jacket that a family member wore for them our for yourself. If for yourself, I'm sure that nobody would have any problem with it once they knew the story. The familial connection makes a difference I think, to guys like me that wear patched jackets out of respect and admiration, but only have our geeky knowledge as an excuse.
Deacon, I'm glad you like the patches!
Wings. Yes, like medals, they are earned, so wearing them as decoration is a no-no for me. That's an easy fix with A-2's (period name tags have no wings).
For G-1's, yeah, I think they look odd without the leather name patch. I've been getting to work on mine with some super fine sandpaper and vaseline trying to wear them out so that you can only really read my name. I'll post pics maybe when I've finished. I think that this is one reason why I really like having tribute art-work on the backs of a couple of my G-1's- it makes it much clearer that I'm an enthusiastic nerd, I think.
With MA-1's, I don't think it's a problem if I can use the white tape name tags, but if period accuracy dictates a name tag with wings, I'll have to think that over for a fix.
If I was wearing these jackets in bars trying to pick up girls, then I could see it causing offense to veterans easily.
Maybe nobody minds if I wear these jackets when I drop my kids off at school, or potter around the supermarket with a trolley. As always, I'm totally happy to bore the hind legs off anyone who wants to ask me about my jackets!
You know, it's a kind of shame that there isn't a special patch for geeks like me that I could add that to my jacket that lets everyone know I'm just a patriot with an interest in history.
Wings. Yes, like medals, they are earned, so wearing them as decoration is a no-no for me. That's an easy fix with A-2's (period name tags have no wings).
For G-1's, yeah, I think they look odd without the leather name patch. I've been getting to work on mine with some super fine sandpaper and vaseline trying to wear them out so that you can only really read my name. I'll post pics maybe when I've finished. I think that this is one reason why I really like having tribute art-work on the backs of a couple of my G-1's- it makes it much clearer that I'm an enthusiastic nerd, I think.
With MA-1's, I don't think it's a problem if I can use the white tape name tags, but if period accuracy dictates a name tag with wings, I'll have to think that over for a fix.
If I was wearing these jackets in bars trying to pick up girls, then I could see it causing offense to veterans easily.
Maybe nobody minds if I wear these jackets when I drop my kids off at school, or potter around the supermarket with a trolley. As always, I'm totally happy to bore the hind legs off anyone who wants to ask me about my jackets!
You know, it's a kind of shame that there isn't a special patch for geeks like me that I could add that to my jacket that lets everyone know I'm just a patriot with an interest in history.
nick123
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If you get creative, I'm sure you could have a fully custom patch made. I'd do something like naming my unit "The Flying Fedoras" or something silly like that.
Hey, you've got a point. Maybe I could add a custom patch that just says something like 'remembering veterans', or something?
nick123
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If you get creative, you'll come up with something. It's beyond me how amazing and creative those patches were in WWII.
Someone here came up with a nice idea here, which is putting another name than yours on your name tag. Would look a lot less much like bragging if it's not even your name on it ;-)
If I'd have to patch a flight jacket with a name tag, I think I'll go with the display name I've used for more than 10 years in IL-2, the video game.
I just had to laugh, everything's kinda gone full circle. My first thought was to get an MA-1 patched as Maj. Kong from Strangelove, but then I was lucky enough to find the Vietnam patches and thought that was a better idea.
Maybe I could patch one of them up with DeBellevue's name?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_B._DeBellevue
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What kind of a name is that?
But yeah, as on the Buzz Rickson's jackets, a fictional name would work great, I think. You'd still have the neat name tag, while not look like you pretend to be a real fighter pilot, or to impersonate a war hero.
You're welcome! I just finished the second book in the serie yesterday, and it was pretty great. I much prefered the first one, but the second is still good.
Yep, I've read "On Yankee Station", that was a great read too. Learned a couple things about the tactics used by the Navy back then, especially the use of the Electric Skyraiders. Lots of great details about the operations, a pretty vivid book. Plus, it was written by a Crusader jock. Couldn't get any better!
Funny you should mention Crusader pilots, I was thinking about the VF-111 & CV-34 patches I posted a pic of earlier in this thread and thinking I might put them on a G-1 and do some Dick Schaffert tribute art on the back. ''Brown Bear!''
Yeah, I'm thinking F-8 going vertical on the back panel in the scissors with a MiG-17, gotta have the date at the bottom, and Brown Bear across the top in some kind of cursive, in white, outlined in red.
I'm also thinking VF-111 squadron motto in gold under the collar.
But this got me thinking about the other USN grouping in the photo- I think I should do a Showtime 100 tribute jacket. F-4 inverted, MiG in flames? I have to check the history again.
I'm also thinking VF-111 squadron motto in gold under the collar.
But this got me thinking about the other USN grouping in the photo- I think I should do a Showtime 100 tribute jacket. F-4 inverted, MiG in flames? I have to check the history again.
Who are you getting to do the paint J?
I remember some incredible artists in Osan. There was one place with an A-2 that had an A-10 on the back with a pin up girl superimposed on it. There was a picture posted next to the jacket with the pilot's wife or girlfriend. Her face had been expertly painted on the pinup. It was pretty amazing.
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I remember some incredible artists in Osan. There was one place with an A-2 that had an A-10 on the back with a pin up girl superimposed on it. There was a picture posted next to the jacket with the pilot's wife or girlfriend. Her face had been expertly painted on the pinup. It was pretty amazing.
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I'm thinking of the guy who did the art on two of my other G-1's, John Canfjin. He does photo-realistic aircraft, super fine details like panel lines and dirt (Deacon, I'm sure you know that real jets are dirty, and covered in boot marks and streaks, and stuff, but most people never see that because museum aircraft are all nicely polished).
The only problem with that though, is that he has a really long waiting list. I'd have to dangle some $$$ in front of him to queue jump.
Check out this F-8 jacket art he did for someone else;
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/8528932
That's really nice work there. I love the Crusader too and I'm glad you don't seem to have been persuaded against the idea of patching up your jacket.
You spoke of a nice cursive font, Big J - there are many on-line to choose from. Type "1940s font" into a search engine and you'll see lots of nice sites where you can type in your chosen words and they appear in that font in the size you choose - you don't need to buy the font - just hit Print.
Speaking of cursive fonts, I did this on Saturday - it's the final prep work for my Aero ANJ-3 and will form part of my upcoming thread on How To Paint On A Leather Jacket 101".
You spoke of a nice cursive font, Big J - there are many on-line to choose from. Type "1940s font" into a search engine and you'll see lots of nice sites where you can type in your chosen words and they appear in that font in the size you choose - you don't need to buy the font - just hit Print.
Speaking of cursive fonts, I did this on Saturday - it's the final prep work for my Aero ANJ-3 and will form part of my upcoming thread on How To Paint On A Leather Jacket 101".
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Looks great!! And as Stand By said, it's good that you weren't discouraged to patch your jackets! I'll be glad to see how these end up.
As for Schaeffert not having a wiki page, well, we all know actors and football players are more important than war heroes, right...? Cannot even start to comprehend this... Speaking about the fire on the Oriskany and so on, there' a book I've been recommended, dealing with the operations aboard this boat in 65/66, IIRC. The book is "Over the Beach", by Zalin Grant.
As for Schaeffert not having a wiki page, well, we all know actors and football players are more important than war heroes, right...? Cannot even start to comprehend this... Speaking about the fire on the Oriskany and so on, there' a book I've been recommended, dealing with the operations aboard this boat in 65/66, IIRC. The book is "Over the Beach", by Zalin Grant.
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