Warbird Information Exchange

US NAVY PHOTO


The Blue Angels return home to NAS Jacksonville after another show on June 17, 1947.

US NAVY PHOTO

Five U.S. Navy Grumman F8F-1 Bearcats.



A Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team Blue Angels in 1946.

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

Cool! I have a video of the Blues performing at Jax in 1947 in Bearcats, from an old 8mm film I think. Neat stuff.

Curious, in the top photo, what were those flight suits made of? Nylon?
Seem unusual in today's flight suit materials.
VL

I believe that for a period of time after WWII, both the USAF and the USN had issued Nylon flight suits. Sounds really strange, but they soon discovered that they were useless for any type of fire since they melted to the skin and continued to burn the skin. If there was a fire, pilots were worse off than if they were naked in the cockpit!

I was the Costume Curator at the New England Air Museum many years ago and we had several versions of nylon suits from both AF and Navy service.

I believe that some of the G-suits of the era lasted longer as a nylon product since they were outside of the flight suit.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."