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The First Eastman B-3 with Russet Horsehide trim in the US

Juanito

Well-Known Member
I moved about 6 months ago and I am still going through stuff. I picked up the Fighter Aces of the U.S.A book by Toliver and Constable, opened it up and found this from 1990 and 1991:



Receipts from Charles DiSipio's Nose Art Unlimited now known as History Preservation Associates for two wasman jackets in 1990 and 1991.

The first receipt is for my first Eastman jacket, a B-3 with Russet Horsehide trim. I had to wait almost 4 months for the horsehide since it hadn't been previously an option. The second is for my Russet Horsehide A-2 in 1991. I think this might have been the first horsehide Eastman A-2 sold in the US as there was a very long lead time on this--thr original order was in March of 1991 along with the 65th Fighter Squadron disk, and the jacket was delivered in Late August or September 1991 if I recall correctly. If not the first, one of the early ones.

I no longer have either jacket, although I wish I still had the A-2 due to the exquisite squadron disk that had no equal. I nearly pulled the trigger on a Luftwaffe jacket as you can see in the notes, and wish I had since I had the physique back then, but not now!

Maybe I'll run across some photos of the jackets as I know I took numerous.
 
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Falcon_52

Active Member
That's a nice bit of history there. Those prices, wow! Did Nose Art Unlimited have a catalog back then or how did you find out about them?

Noel
 

Juanito

Well-Known Member
That's a nice bit of history there. Those prices, wow! Did Nose Art Unlimited have a catalog back then or how did you find out about them?

Noel
Charles did not have his own catalog. Rather it was the Eastman catalog, which at that time was a Pee-Chee type folder with individual sheets for each jacket type. There was the Irvin, the B-3, the A-2, and the Luftwaffe jacket. Each sheet had actual samples of the leather and cloth materials that made up the jacket. They also offered RAF boots and a sheepskin USAAF cap if I recall correctly.

I muse have looked at that stuff a million times waiting for my jackets. I am not sure if I have that stuff anymore, but then again, I didn't know I still had these receipts!
 

MikeyB-17

Well-Known Member
Yeah I’ve still got the folder with the samples. Then there was a thin colour catalogue which was the first one with the Roughwear jackets. Then the Golden Book.
 
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