About the origin of this flying jacket

1950, the U.S. Air Force adopted nylon, which is more durable, comfortable, economical and service-oriented instead of traditional leather, and became the fabric of the U.S. Air Force flight jacket. It is this change that led to the birth of the new classic of clothing. This is the MA 1 flying jacket of the United States Air Force.

1955, the US Air Force designed a new generation of flying jackets based on nylon fabric, which was completely different from the flying jackets during World War II. The code name given to it by the US military is MA 1 Flying Jacket. MA 1 flight jacket is a medium-sized flight suit of the US Air Force, which is suitable for wearing in humid and cold climate from 10℃ to-10℃. The nylon fabric it uses is not the nylon fabric used for ordinary clothes. MA 1 adopts 66 flying nylon developed by DuPont Company, which is a material specially used for flight and aviation. The density is higher than that of ordinary nylon, and the fabric can emit satin-like luster in the sun. It feels smooth, too. Because of its high density, it is windproof and waterproof. When rain drops on the surface of clothes, it will not penetrate immediately, but form small drops to slide down. This performance is the requirement of the development of modern jet technology. Because suppose the pilot got caught in the rain before boarding the plane and got into the cabin covered in rain. When flying at high altitude and high speed, water droplets will freeze on the pilot in the engine room without environmental control system. This is one of the reasons why nylon jackets replace leather jackets.

During World War II, although the Air Force had realized the significance of nylon jacket, nylon was a new type of material in wartime, with little output and high price (it is estimated that friends who are familiar with the history of World War II should still remember women's faces when they saw nylon stockings in movies describing World War II). ) and all the production is used to make parachutes. So after World War II, nylon jackets began to replace leather jackets (A series, B series, G series). MA- 1 was formerly known as B- 15. Compared with B- 15, MA 1 has two major improvements. One is to cancel the shearing collar, and the other is to use an orange lining with high visibility.

Pilots found that although the sheared collar keeps warm, it sometimes prevents pilots from carrying and using umbrellas (which is fatal). Moreover, after World War II, a new type of hard flying helmet completely different from the leather flying hat during World War II began to be widely equipped with troops. The pilot found that the shearing collar didn't match the new helmet. Therefore, the shearing collar is not allowed for flying jackets in the future. This requirement is written into the military specification of the US Department of Defense. MA- 1 Knitted collar. The collar made of wool can be close to the neck to keep warm and will not prevent the pilot from wearing a helmet and umbrella. The cuffs and hem of the clothes are also knitted. Because they are reinforced by elastic fibers, they are very elastic and durable. Knitted cuffs can be tightened on the wrist to prevent wind from pouring in from the cuffs.

MA- 1 is actually a coat in spring, summer, autumn and winter. When you lie prone on the ground, unzip the zipper, and the excess heat in your body can be quickly discharged. Immediately after taking off, unzip to keep warm.

In 1960, MA 1 has a remarkable improvement, that is, the lining of clothes has been changed into an orange lining with high visibility, and pockets and double-sided zippers have been added. In this way, when the plane makes a forced landing and the pilot escapes, he only needs to turn his MA 1 jacket upside down, and he will get an emergency life jacket immediately. In good weather and visibility, it is easy for rescuers in the air to find pilots in distress far away. This is very practical and meaningful for pilots, and it has been preserved until now.

The left arm of the clothes has a combined pocket, which consists of a zipper pocket and a pen bag. This pocket was originally designed for the pilot to pack a pack of cigarettes. There can be more than two pens in the pencil box, because the pilot has to use pens of different colors to indicate different positions on the drawing. Facts have proved that this is a very practical design. Until now, the United States Air Force's one-piece flight suit still retains this design, but now it is not used to hold cigarettes, but to hold small pieces. Many other military uniforms and even casual clothes borrowed this kind of pocket. MA 1 has two pockets, which can be used to warm hands and hold other things. (But I didn't expect that pilots like to put their hands in these two pockets when they are free. In order to defend the image of soldiers, in the later design of CWU45/P, the clothes pockets were opened very high, which avoided this bad phenomenon. MA 1 designed a jacket with a high waist to prevent pilots from hanging on various switches in a narrow cabin. And its design is very suitable for sitting posture. When the pilot sits down, the hem of the jacket is just at the belt and will not shrink into a pile and sit under the hips. Moreover, when the pilot flies the plane, he has to tie a map to his thigh. The design of the short jacket will never prevent the pilot from viewing the map. Moreover, the US military is used to hanging its weapons and equipment on the S-belt, and the design of high waist will not hinder the acquisition of equipment hanging at the waist. This is also one of the habits of the US military. The original MA 1 also has a hanging ring for hanging an oxygen mask and an earphone cord on the chest. This design can only be seen in some replicas of B- 15 and MA- 1. The thermal insulation filler in the original flying jacket was 58% wool and 42% cotton. Under the armpit of the clothes, a part of the space is deliberately left unfilled to facilitate heat dissipation. Later, the US Air Force used man-made fibers as thermal insulation fillers, which reduced the weight of clothes (you know, on modern jet planes, the weight of items can be ignored). There is also a pocket cover on the pocket of the clothes to prevent the things in the pocket from slipping out of the pocket.

MA- 1 As a new generation of flying jacket, it was widely praised by the US Air Force as soon as it was put into service. It is the product of jet fighter technology, but it has become a classic in the clothing industry because of its super compact, sufficient cold resistance, washed appearance and durability. Many pilots wear it anytime and anywhere, and some ground crew also like to wear it to work. The military also realized the universality of this kind of clothing, and soon it became the working jacket of the American ground forces. The only difference between ground handling MA 1 and air handling MA 1 is that the ground handling model has no orange lining (ground handling has no emergency landing). Even the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States has designated MA 1 as one of the standard clothes for astronauts in its space program. Although MA- 1 has long been replaced by CWU45/P, many American allies have been using MA 1 jackets. Because some countries wear different military emblems from the United States, they have MA 1 jackets with shoulder straps. Such as MA 1 of the Israeli air force. In American movies, Pakistani pilots also wore a MA 1 with shoulder straps. American soldiers brought their love for MA 1 into their lives. MA 1 was quickly accepted by ordinary people because of its generous and practical style, and there was no strict gender difference. It is a common dress for men, women and children. It quickly became popular all over the world. In 1970s and 1980s, MA 1 was one of the most popular clothes, and people wearing MA 1 could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys of the United States. Soon, wearing jeans and MA 1 became a classic American style. In Japan in Asia, many young people are proud of owning an authentic Alfa MA 1 flying jacket. Even hundreds of people have lined up to buy. Okubo, the hottest Japanese actress in Asia, wrote her autobiographical novel Platonic Sex (Don't get me wrong! ! ! MA 1 was specifically mentioned in Nothing Bad: "At that time, everyone was proud of owning an American-made MA 1 jacket, but after all, we were still students and had no money to buy it. I will steal with boys older than me. I remember that night I climbed into the house from the back door of that shop with them, but it wasn't long before I was found. We fled in all directions. Later, some people had that kind of jacket, but it was an imitation of Japan, because their jackets used YKK brand zippers made in Japan, not made in the United States ... "In fact, many film and television stars wore MA 1 in their works, and the most recent one was the blue-gray MA 1 style of Kimura Takuya, a young idol of Japanese in Love Century series, which made many young girls curious. Not only movie heroes love to wear MA 1, but also some people wear MA 1 in virtual video games. I remember that the two protagonists in a shooting game of NAMCO company in Japan seem to be called < Close call > and they are also wearing two coats of MA 1, one red and one blue. MA 1 has a history of several decades since its birth. But it has not disappeared in the fashion trend, and it is still a hot item in military products until now. MA 1 is no longer a simple military uniform. It has become a classic and a part of many people's lives. Go to the street if you don't believe me. Many men's jackets have their shadows in their designs. If you have a MA 1, you will definitely not think that this is an ordinary fashion, because MA 1 represents an era and MA 1 is an out-and-out classic.

At present, many places and companies in the world produce MA 1, but it is recognized that the best MA 1 is from American ALPHA Company. In addition to producing the standard version of MA 1, they also produce the duplicated version of MA 1. The replica of MA 1 completely adopts the technology and material selection standards of the 1960s, and the inside is made of wool and cotton to keep warm. There is no pocket cover in the pocket of the clothes, and there is an armband printed with the logo of the US Air Force on the left arm. When everyone is wearing the standard MA 1, if you have a replica, you will definitely have a unique sense of retro and pride.