As WW2 drew to a close, the US Army Air Force started looking at alternative designs and materials to replace the cumbersome shearling jackets worn at the time by bomber crews. The first few jackets, the B-10 and B-15 were much liked by crews, and the Air Force would continue to develop these patterns in nylon, a lightweight new material developed by Dupont in the early 40s.
The first result in 1947/48 was the stunning B-15B jacket, incorporating the B-15 design with an olive drab nylon shell. This was a very short-lived design as the Air Force would incorporate in 1947 and from then on produce all uniforms in blue to differentiate themselves from the army. This particular example is the rarer first pattern (Spec No. 3220-B), distinguishable from the later models (Spec No. 3220-C) by the thinner leather oxygen clip on the front of the jacket.
Condition:
This is honestly flawless, almost deadstock. The fur is perfect, incredibly rare original Talon zippers and completely perfect knits. This is as good condition as you can get, and the best I've ever seen. Straight from an estate pick, this hasn't seen the light of day in 50 years.
Sizing:
Tagged Size 42
Pit to pit 61cm
Shoulder to shoulder 50cm
Shoulder to cuff 66cm
Collar to hem 63cm