B-3, B-6 End Date?

[Atticus]

We all know the story about Hap Arnold throwing an A-2 onto the floor and growling, "Find us something better." And we know it was supposed to have happened in 1942. And we know that not long afterward, the B-10 showed up.

But when did Air Force sheepskin bite the dust?

I presume the heavyweight jackets were dropped as soon as aircraft became enclosed and pressurized. And I'm guessing that the sheepskin "B" jackets were replaced by the nylon N-series jackets. And maybe that was sometime during the late 'forties?

But does anyone here know the dates of the last contracts for the B-3 and B-6?

AF

 

[Peter Graham]

Geoff, I'm sure Dave will provide exact daes but I think sheepskin jacket were phased out before the end of WW2 to be replaced by the B-9 and B-11 parkas.

 

[Weasel_Loader]

I was always under the impression that they dropped B-3s and B-6s when the B-10 and B-15 came along. Lots of crew photos out there showing entire crews wearing either B-10s and/or B-15s. I can't remember seeing a lot of sheepskins in photos after the start of 1945. I would imagine some sheepskin was still being issued in areas were they still had them in the supply system up until later parts of 1945 though.

 

[Peter Graham]

Danny, I think the B-10 was designed as a replacement for the A-2. The parkas were designed as high altitude jackets as a direct replacement for the B-3/AN-J4. I reckon the B-6 was a bit of a luxury, halfway between an A-2 and a B-3.

 

[Weasel_Loader]

Yes, I too agree the B-10 was more of a replacement to the A-2 than the sheepskins, but I believe they started outfitting entire crews with B-15s in spring of '45. I don't see too many photos of the B-9 and B-11 parkas in use by aircrew. I could be wrong though.

 

[Swing]

Last B-3 and B-6 contracts were from the 1943 fiscal year (contracts would have been 43-XXXXX-P), and production of them was probably over no later than spring '44, maybe as early as the end of '43. You see the B-3s replacement (AN-J-4) in photos by late winter/early spring '44.

The N-2 and N-3 replaced the B-3, B-7, AN-J-4, B-9 and B-11. The B-10 and B-15 replaced the B-6, and the L2 the A-2. The N and L jackets were standardized before the end of WWII (April or May of '45, IIRC), but weren't produced in time to see action.

Electric flight suits (F-2 and F-3), along with the B-10/B-15 and their corresponding trousers, for all intents and purposed replaced everything for the bomber crews by summer '44, and that would continue to be the case during the Korean War with B-29 and B-26 Invader crews. Occassionally you see bomber crews wearing the heavier jackets, but it seems they got a lot more use as on the ground gear.

~Swing

 

[Atticus]

Thanks, Swing. That answers my question. I knew that the N-2A saw much use in Korea, along with the B-15C, so I guessed that Air Force sheepskin was discontinued in WWII.

AF

 

[Geir]

I think electrically heated suits took over.