This World War II USAAF A-2 flight jacket was manufactured by Bronco Mfg. Corp., is a size 42, and has a Crown zipper. The maker’s label has the contract number “W535ac29191.” The left shoulder has USAAF insignia. Adopted as standard issue in early May 1931, the Type A-2 leather flight jacket quickly gained fame as the signature jacket worn by USAAF pilots and aircrews during World War II on every front, but wartime use was not limited to airmen alone. Despite massive popularity, the A-2 jacket was canceled in 1943 in favor of the nylon style jackets like the B-10 and B-15. Nevertheless, later wartime aircrews never seemed to fail in getting their hands on the more popular A-2s. It was impossible to stop airmen from wearing the jacket. The popularity of these jackets remained high well into the Korean War as most notably F-82 and F-86 fighter pilots continued to wear the World War II issued A-2 jacket despite it from being officially canceled a decade earlier. In 1988, the Air Force officially reissued the A-2 jacket, a decision likely heavily influenced by the popularity surrounding the 1986 film “Top Gun” where the main character Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell wore the U.S. Navy’s iconic leather flight jacket: the G-1. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection

Fine displaying scattered authentic wear and use with some heavier wear on the cuffs and at the collar. The USAAF shoulder insignia retains much of the paint. A well above average condition example of an iconic World War II A-2 flight jacket.