Philalethes said:
Forgive me if there is already a post on this subject.
I am trying to understand the G-1 design and what conditions the G-1 was made for.
1) Why doesn't the windflap go all the way to the top of the jacket? It would seem more windproof if it did. Would it interfere with a part of the uniform?
2) The G-1 would seem to be made for cold conditions because of the wool knit cuffs and mouton collar. However, the goat and thin lining is decidedly not warm. What is the reason for the discrepancy? Are the cuffs and collar merely to keep out drafts? (But then, why doesn't the A-2 have a mouton collar?)
I believe the windflap was designed to stop short of the neck so as to not rub the neck with the jacket partly zipped. The flap is there to prevent wind coming through the zipper, hence its name. There was a change to the early Nomex CWU-45's to cut down the collar or "wind shield" for similar comfort. I was a Navy pilot in the 60's and 70's and we never had the tight restrictions of the Air Force about how the jacket was to be worn (or decorated- jackets in my time were highly loaded with patches, both squadron and "been there" patches). There was no rule about wearing them partially zipped or open as in the Air Force and, as for a tie, the jacket was technically not a uniform item and, therefore, not to be worn with a uniform. That was a rule widely ignored, but you never wore your jacket with your uniform off station or, certainly anywhere near surface officers ("black shoe" Navy). I was stationed at NAS North Island (San Diego) and my squadron decided to send me TDY to the Naval Station for a class that was only given there. I received a strong warning before I departed not to be seen with my jacket at the Naval Station as not only would I hanged, burned and quartered but my skipper would be called on the carpet as a result of me appearing out of uniform. The jacket was to be worn with a flight suit only by the rules, but we always wore ours around squadron spaces.
As for the knit cuffs, the design of the G-1 was evolutionary, not revolutionary. It evolved out of predecessors that had similar design features. The knit cuffs were a part of early jackets as early aircraft were open cockpit and the knit cuffs and waist sealed the jacket and prevented drafts of cold air coming up your arms. Aircraft of WW II were flown often with open cockpits as well- all carrier landings were done with open canopies, for instance, to aid egress in the event the aircraft went into the water. Ejection seats have replaced the need for open cockpits today.
Another feature of the knit cuffs that I have never heard talked about but I think may have been a factor is that it makes the jacket more adaptable to different size people. I have trouble buying jackets as my arms are a little shorter than average for ready-made clothing and I always have to have cuffs shortened. The knit cuffs, however, are relatively tight around my wrists and I have never needed to shorten any of my military flight jackets for that reason. It makes them much more practical when trying to clothe a lot of people with the same equipment. I don't know if that was a factor in design but it certainly was a help for me.
The G-1 was designed as a summer-weight jacket (it has "Intermediate" stated in the cloth tag) similar to the Army's A-2. The Army designated the summer-weight jackets with "A" and winter-weight jackets with "B" at the time, hence the A-2 and B-3. The Navy had lighter cloth flight jackets as well which were more practical in the tropic climates that the Navy and Marine pilots flew in the Pacific. Pilots would be issued with heavier fleece jackets when flying in really cold climates.
I don't recall ever seeing anything heavier worn by anyone in my time but my flying was mostly West Coast, San Diego and Whidbey Island (Washington State), so I never got into really cold weather. If you were flying on a really cold day you would simply add more layers underneath your flight suit (it had to be under the flight suit as the suit was Nomex and you wanted its resistance to fire on top rather than flammable cotton or wool).
The mouton collar made the jacket more comfortable and practical. The G-1 was a more complex and, therefore, expensive jacket with the mouton collar, bi-swing back and goat skin leather. When the Army was considering replacing the A-2 it came up with the ANJ-3 which was very similar to the G-1, but was short lived and the Army went to cloth instead (the B-10 which had a mouton collar). Mouton was expensive, however, and was eventually replaced by synthetics by the Air Force in later jackets as well as the Navy jackets made after a certain date (as I recall it was the "E" series of G-1's appearing in the 70's- I was lucky to have been issued a "C" model).