B-Beautiful in a B-10..! (The ultimate American Beauty cloth flight wear)

Eyemo · Sep 11, 2008

Love this Jacket.....Here's my original, with some field repairs. Wish it was larger...

Burnsie · Sep 12, 2008

Thanks to PADDY for the bump!

I hadn't seen this thread before - I always wanted a B-10 after I had gotten several A-2's and ended up getting the BR Oldin-Dennis repro when HPA bought up all the remaining stock of size 42s (mentioned in an earlier post). I wore it all last winter and it got way more attention and compliments than any of my A-2's - truly a timeless classic style.
QUESTION for the B-10 experts here - my BR has unusually long sleeves and they tunnel like crazy...is this normal for the style? I'm normally a size 42 and the fit is great apart from the long sleeves...a good inch to inch & a half longer than any of my A-2's!!!!

rumblefish · Sep 12, 2008

Burnsie said:
I hadn't seen this thread before - I always wanted a B-10 after I had gotten several A-2's and ended up getting the BR Oldin-Dennis repro when HPA bought up all the remaining stock of size 42s (mentioned in an earlier post). I wore it all last winter and it got way more attention and compliments than any of my A-2's - truly a timeless classic style.
QUESTION for the B-10 experts here - my BR has unusually long sleeves and they tunnel like crazy...is this normal for the style? I'm normally a size 42 and the fit is great apart from the long sleeves...a good inch to inch & a half longer than any of my A-2's!!!!

After a while of considering buying one of these I called Gina at HPA to ask about it and she said they just sold out. Would you mind posting a photo?

Glad you like it.

Burnsie · Sep 14, 2008

rumblefish said:
After a while of considering buying one of these I called Gina at HPA to ask about it and she said they just sold out. Would you mind posting a photo?

Glad you like it.

Here you go -

Epaulette and collar detail:

Inside pocket is a nice feature:

Close up of the shoulder decal:

And here it is when worn - overall all it runs a little large for a 42 which is nice for layering a sweatshirt or sweater in winter (I bet I could even layer a size 42 A-2 under it if I wanted to!) - but then 42 was all they had. I had looked at these for a couple weeks and ordered this one on 1/9/08 and at that time Charles said there were only 2 left. It was removed from the HPA site shortly thereafter.

rumblefish · Sep 14, 2008

Nice!
Thanks for the photos Burnsie.

Hawk_Eye · Sep 18, 2008

I talked to Gina yesterday and they are in stock, at least in sizes 42-44.

Burnsie · Sep 18, 2008

Hawk_Eye said:
I talked to Gina yesterday and they are in stock, at least in sizes 42-44.

The Oldin-Dennis or the Rough Wear? The Oldin-Dennis models were a 2001 run made with "end zone twill" that HPA acquired remaining stock of after the Mustangs and Legends show last year, and then only in size 42, they never had any other size.
The BR Rough Wear is still available and shows on the site.

Hawk_Eye · Sep 18, 2008

Sorry, the Roughwear was still in stock. Was Olden-Dennis another maker? What are the differences between an olden-dennis B-10 and a roughwear?

Burnsie · Sep 22, 2008

Hawk_Eye said:
Sorry, the Roughwear was still in stock. Was Olden-Dennis another maker? What are the differences between an olden-dennis B-10 and a roughwear?

Oldin-Dennis were another maker, there's quite a few examples in "Suit Up!"
The BR version is a late war model with a zinc alloy Crown zip and the cotton/rayon fabric used on the B-15 - supposedly Oldin-Dennis used it on limited numbers of their B-10s late in the run. The pockets are different and the cut all over is on the roomy side.

Hawk_Eye · Sep 22, 2008

Well, I ended up buying a barely worn Buzz roughwear B-10 off of a VLJ member, and it showed up today. I love it, it fits great, its warm and it looks the part. Its an inch shorter than my A-2 but when worn it feels longer than the A-2, maybe because leather tends to ride up a bit, while the cloth doesnt.

fishmeok · Sep 30, 2008

Picked this up this weekend at a militaria show- It's a replica from the late '90's made by S.M. Coat Company Inc. Sized a 42, but it fits like a 44. It has several inaccuracies and the fit is a bit too puffy, but overall this was a great find. I also have an Aero B-10 test jacket and the new B-10 compares well. The Aero is more authentic in the lining and some other details, but the SM is a better fit on me and the material is closer to a real B-10. The Aero outershell almost has a flannel feel to it, and it has the typical overlong shoulders that just give it a wonky look. The SM is plenty warm, was just wearing it outside while throwing the frisbee for the dog...
Cheers
Mark

fishmeok · Sep 30, 2008

Aero VS S.M. Coat Company

Here's some comparison shots of the two jackets:

Aero on top:

Material differences- the Aero almost has a flannel feel to it, the S.M. has a more realistic outershell. Aero on top again:

Liner- Aero has the S.M. beat. The Aero liner has the right weight and feel, while the S.M. is a little too long and puffy.

Zip- about even, advantage goes to Aero though. I like the knits on the S.M. better, but I just like the contrasting color. Aero always on top:

And fit: Aero drapes properly, but has the overlong shoulders and oversize fit. The S.M. is a better fit, but has a little too much bulk. I'm going with the S.M. here, it just plain fits me better.
Aero:

S.M.

fishmeok · Sep 30, 2008

Hawk_Eye said:

That looks terrific! Perfect example of what the correct cut will do for a jacket. Between the B-10's Irvins, and Goodwears you are pretty well set...
Cheers
Mark

Hawk_Eye · Sep 30, 2008

Thanks for the kind words Fishmeok. The S.M. B-10 looks really nice, in fact I would much rather wear that than the Aero, if just for the fact that (IMO) it has a MUCH nicer looking collar. Great find! I wonder if this company is still producing jackets?

BellyTank · Sep 30, 2008

And "SM Coat Co." would be a label-appropriate name for "SM Wholesale",
I presume..?

B
T

fishmeok · Sep 30, 2008

Probably- I'd never heard of them before but looking at the current website http://www.smwholesale.com/ they don't offer a B-10 anymore. Nice looking tanker jacket though. Going to be a tough decision this winter: B-10 or B-3? I supect the B-10 will probably win out most days...
Cheers
Mark

Captain Krunch · Oct 12, 2008

The B-10 is a great jacket. I bought one from Aero a couple of years ago, and I love it. Much warmer than an A-2, and much more comfortable to wear. In fact, it's such a great jacket, I wish some of the manufacturers would consider offering alternatives, such as a version with a cloth collar instead of the fur, or a version in black cloth instead of green (Yes, I realize these comments will probably horrify the purists, but the way I see it, as long as the repros are still available, it doesn't hurt to offer up some options as well).

Nighthawk · Oct 13, 2008

^ I would imagine Buzz Ricksons will offer one in black in the future.

There current offerings in black can be found at:
http://www.buzzricksons.jp/product/william_gibson.html

It makes sense for them to not do everything black at once, but each season roll out another jacket in black.

If you want a jacket w/o the mouton collar, Buzz Ricksons sells the MA-1 and the modified B-15C.

NH

Captain Krunch · Oct 15, 2008

Thanks for the tips; I'll keep an eye on their website.

Burnsie · Oct 15, 2008

Black B-10

Buzz Rickson has a black B-10:

B-Beautiful in a B-10..! (The ultimate American Beauty cloth flight wear)

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