Vintage 1990s B-3 Sheepskin Flying Jacket, USAAF Pattern

Made in the 1990s to the pattern of the Type B-3, this sheepskin flying jacket closely follows one of the most recognisable pieces of Second World War flying clothing. The black woven label inside is laid out in the style of the wartime specification labels: Type B-3, DWG. No. 33H5595, A.C. Contract, AC-17755, U.S. Army Air Force.

The original B-3 was standardised by the United States Army Air Corps on 8 May 1934. It became the standard heavy-zone flying jacket for American bomber crews, most famously the men of the B-17 Flying Fortress. Heavy bombing raids over Europe were flown at 25,000 feet and above, in unpressurised, uninsulated aircraft where the air could fall to minus fifty degrees Celsius, and crews at open gun positions had little between them and the cold. The B-3 was built for exactly that: thick sheepskin worn with the wool inwards, and a broad collar that closed high around the face with two leather straps. Its pattern was simplified as the war went on, and from 1943 lighter jackets such as the B-10 began to take over.

The finish is what sets this jacket apart. The dark brown surface has broken up into a deep, crackled patina, lifting to tobacco and rust across the shoulders, sleeves and back, and wearing through to a soft, velvety nap in places. It darkens in the creases at the elbows and around the pockets, so no two panels are quite the same shade. Thirty years of wear have given it the look of a jacket that has spent its life in the cold.

The skin is heavyweight sheepskin throughout, with the leather outside and the wool inside, so the warmth runs through the body and down both sleeves. It has real substance, the kind of weight you feel the moment you lift it. The shearling is thick and cream, rolling out at the hem and turning back at the cuffs.

The construction follows the B-3 closely. The collar is generous. It turns up and fastens with two leather straps and buckles, or it lies open across the shoulders. The front closes with a full-length zip under a leather pull. There are two slanted hand pockets, a buckled strap on each side of the waist to draw in the hem, and black leather binding along the seams. The back is pieced in the traditional cross, as the originals were, and finished with a small leather tab below the collar. Inside, a chain hanging loop sits at the neck.

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Condition & Restoration

Very good vintage condition. The heavyweight sheepskin is strong and supple, with a rich, crackled finish and natural variation in tone across the panels, as you would expect from a jacket of this age. The shearling is dense and full throughout, and the leather seam binding is sound. The zip runs smoothly, and the double throat straps and waist buckles all fasten as they should.

Professionally cleaned and conditioned.

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Key Features

• Vintage 1990s sheepskin flying jacket, made to the Type B-3 pattern
• Black woven label in the wartime USAAF style
• Heavyweight sheepskin, wool inside and leather outside
• Distressed, crackled brown finish with natural tonal variation
• Black leather-bound seams
• Traditional cross-panel back with leather tab below the collar
• Large shearling collar with double buckled throat straps
• Full-length front zip with leather pull
• Slanted hand pockets
• Buckled waist adjusters at each side
• Chain hanging loop inside the collar
• Turned-out shearling cuffs and hem

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Size & Fit

Measurements, laid flat

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 21.5" / 54.6 cm
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 20.5" / 52.1 cm
• Sleeve, shoulder seam to cuff: 24" / 61 cm
• Underarm seam to cuff: 17.5" / 44.5 cm
• Back length, base of collar to hem: 24" / 61 cm

Best suited to: 38" chest, regular / Size Small

Fit: A classic B-3 cut, broad through the shoulders and short in the body, with the thick fleece taking up room inside. The buckled waist straps draw it in for a closer fit.