NAF 1168 AVIATOR AND GROUND CREW JACKET

NAF-1168
N156S 21741
Restoring the details of the NAF pattern in the 1930s
The lining is made entirely of Peruvian alpaca wool.
Using American-made SUPIMA long-staple cotton
High-density and heavy Junglecloth fabric
Re-engraved original all-wool seamless threaded cuffs
1940s style copper vintage zipper

In the late 1930s, the NAF1168 (Naval Air Force, referred to as NAF) was born, which can be said to be the successor of the 37J1. It is earlier than the classic DECKZIP. From a certain perspective, it should be the early deck jacket using junglecloth fabric. It was used by naval pilots and ship ground staff at that time.

The SB2C is a bomber used by the US Naval Aviation during World War II. It is the successor of the Douglas SBD bomber. The SB2C is designed and built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation. Development of the aircraft began in 1939 and was intended to replace the earlier SB2U Vindicator bomber. After many improvements and tests, the SB2C was put into service in 1942. It first participated in the Pacific War in 1943 during World War II. It became one of the main bombers of the US Naval Aviation.

The NAF1168 looks very similar to the classic DECKZIP deck suit, with junglecloth fabric, D-shaped pockets, and wool threaded collar and hem. But the difference is that the DECK ZIP uses a blended wool lining, while the NAF168 uses the same alpaca lining as the N1. The NAF168, as a flight jacket of Hainan Airlines, is used for flying aircraft and working on deck, while the N-1 deck suit is mostly used on aircraft carriers and maritime ships.

Historically, the most common zipper used by NAF1168 was TALON M42. We use original style retro zippers processed and produced by Japanese brands. The characteristic of the pure cotton webbing zipper is that the base is an asymmetrical rhombus. This kind of zipper is rarely used in the market today. As time goes by, it will develop into a brassy color.

We spent half a year researching and developing a genuine pure alpaca lining. As a high-end replica, we hope that the replica clothes can be as close as possible to the historical version, because in each specific era, the fabrics and zippers used in military uniforms are important factors in making them classics.

The number of NAF1168 distributed at that time was very small, so naturally there are few collectibles circulating in the market. It was born in the late 1930s. It uses thick alpaca wool as the lining and has better cold resistance than DECKZIP. It is even more difficult to find in the collection market, in terms of rarity and practical value.
It is a rare product.