Ens. Jesse L. Brown, USN...

Yeah, Tom Wolfe was quite a dandy. If I could afford tailoring like his I'd go for it.

Aviators like Jesse Brown and the Tuskegee Airmen have been heroes of mine for a very long time. I first discovered the Tuskegee Airmen when I read the novel The Homestead Grays many years ago. The novel was a fictionalized account of their exploits but a very capitvating story. After reading the novel, I was prompted to learn more about the Tuskegee Airmen but I could never find more information. At Stallion 51's second Gathering of Mustangs and Legends in September 2007, I had the honor of meeting a few of them. I was very humbled to be in their presence. True American heroes. I have a DVD of the Lawrence Fishburn made-for-TV movie Tuskegee Airmen and I have the Red Tails DVD as well.

I first became aware of Ensign Jesse Brown watching a program on the Military History channel about black aviators. It began with Bessie Coleman, America's first black aviator. She lived for a time here in Orlando. Part of Robinson Street near the Orlando Executive Airport is named for her. Jesse Brown's and Tom Hudner's story is told in that program. I've seen that program maybe three times. I cried each time I watched the program. I almost cried when I bought the book Their story is heart wrenching. I know reading Devotion won't be easy and it may take a while, but I will read the book.

The realization that I could build a model of Ens. Brown's Corsair was too important to pass up. I'll start a W.I.P. thread in the Aircraft forum very soon.

I did read the book as I was a Tom Wolfe fan. Pity he passed away recently. Probably should read it again.

Funny story about him. A girlfriend of mine was a journalism major at a southern school, want to say UNC, could have been USC. Before I met her. She interviewed Wolfe for the school pub. Afterwards he suggested they go out to the beach because it'd been a while since he was on the coast. Nothing scammy, just a southern man enjoying the landscape.

So they get out there and he's wearing a panama hat, beautiful seersucker suit, shirt and tie. Close my eyes and I can imagine what Lou was wearing, something cute.

They walk down and find a place to sit. He takes off his shoes, drops his pants to sit on the sand and he had on pressed pink boxers.

GMorrison

 

 

fotofrank

When I was at Moody, an instructor I knew gave me one of those flight suits. We were about the same size. It never occurred to me that those guys flew everywhere on oxygen so they didn't have to smell anything in the cockpit or its contents. I probably washed that flight suit a half dozen times before i could get some of the rank body odor out of the fabric.

 

 

 

So what you're saying is he didn't wear it to pick up women in bars? Yeah, I could imagine it'd get pretty rank. I was thinking they were nylon, but not, looks like a polished poplin maybe.  

 

come on now, I’m sure that you’ve read The Right Stuff...

flying and drinking, and drinking and driving...

fotofrank

When I was at Moody, an instructor I knew gave me one of those flight suits. We were about the same size. It never occurred to me that those guys flew everywhere on oxygen so they didn't have to smell anything in the cockpit or its contents. I probably washed that flight suit a half dozen times before i could get some of the rank body odor out of the fabric.

BTW Frank, nice subject. I haven't read the book and will pick it up. I grew up with a family friends of ours, the dad flew Corsairs in Korea. He passed quite a while back. Our old forum buddy Hans von Hammer had what, two uncles and a dad who flew in that conflict. AF.

GMorrison

It was a K-2B. There's a great photo of Robin Olds walking in one, from Scat 23.

 

When I was at Moody, an instructor I knew gave me one of those flight suits. We were about the same size. It never occurred to me that those guys flew everywhere on oxygen so they didn't have to smell anything in the cockpit or its contents. I probably washed that flight suit a half dozen times before i could get some of the rank body odor out of the fabric.

stikpusher

I knew that it started with a “K”. Thanks GM

And here is the Air Force themed site

”Jet Pilot Overseas”

https://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com

 

”Who’s the best pilot you ever saw?” 

 

Gordon Cooper, the last man to fly into space solo.

https://youtu.be/edEVmGOR03E

Bob Hoover. He should have had a part in the movie.

I knew that it started with a “K”. Thanks GM

And here is the Air Force themed site

”Jet Pilot Overseas”

https://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com

”Who’s the best pilot you ever saw?”

It was a K-2B. There's a great photo of Robin Olds walking in one, from Scat 23.

fotofrank

 

As for orange flight suits, I was in the Air Force from 1966 to 1970. Some of the instructors at Moody had orange flight suits and, of course, if the flight jacket was turned inside-out, the jacket would be orange. The logic of orange flight suits escaped me though. What happens when that pilot received orders for SE Asia? Was a new dull green flight suit issued?

I did bookmark your link. Thanks, Stik.

 

Youre quite welcome for the link. There is another site call “Jet Pilot Overseas” that covers the Air Force in a similar manner. Again, some super photos for reference to be found there.

As far as the orange flight suits go, I believe that it was for search and rescue purposes of downed aircrew during the Cold War period. Flight crews going to active combat theaters were usually issued a more “tactical” colored flight suit. I know the ones sent to SEA were issued a lightweight cotton coverall type flight suit in sage green whose nomenclature escapes me at the moment.  

I'm going to move this to the Aircraft forum so we can talk about the builds...

I also have the Monogram F9F kit in my stash. That pilot figure would be more accurate than the F-84 figure that I used for Jesse Beown's Corsair. I didn't have the kit in time to use that figure in Ens. Brown's Corsair, meaning no flying goggles on the helmet. As for the other Corsair, I used the kit figure which is a WWII pilot figure with a soft flying helmet. I know that's incorrect for the period but that figure is all I had available. The Monogram kit has no cockpit detail other than the armor plate behind the pilot so I put the figure in to fill up the space. I really like the scheme for VMA-332 so I think I'll stick with that scheme even though the pilot figure is essentially wrong for the period.

As for orange flight suits, I was in the Air Force from 1966 to 1970. Some of the instructors at Moody had orange flight suits and, of course, if the flight jacket was turned inside-out, the jacket would be orange. The logic of orange flight suits escaped me though. What happens when that pilot received orders for SE Asia? Was a new dull green flight suit issued?

I did bookmark your link. Thanks, Stik.

Ok, I was just making sure it wasn’t orange. That flight jacket looks to be on the lighter & brighter end of the leather brown spectrum on my phone. Yes Navy and Marine aviators usually wore Khaki toned flight uniforms, but often underneath a green rubber “poopy suit” in case of a water forced landing.

Were they still using cloth or leather flight helmets in Korea for you second project? Most photos show the then new hard flight helmets.

check out this site for great reference photos

https://navypilotoverseas.wordpress.com

Hey, Stik. I did a lot of research into what flying gear Navy pilots wore at that time. I have one photograph of Ens. Brown wearing a one piece flight suit with a parachute and May West and a white helmet. Another picture shows him apparently wearing a khaki one-piece flying suit and a cloth helmet. The picture might have been taken during training. Other pictures I saw, like Ted Williams, showed pilots wearing khaki trousers and a leather flying jacket with the white helmet. That is what I chose. My representation of Ens. Brown is wearing the khaki trousers and the leather jacket with black gloves. I know the jacket should be a darker leather but after I finished painting the figure, I didn't want to attempt to change the color and risk messing up the figure.

I am also doing a Marine F4U of VMA-332. That pilot figure is similarly attired but with a cloth helmet instead if the white hard helmet. The second Corsair is the old Monogram kit.

What color do you have his flight suit? Looks rather bright for a Korean War type.

Thanks, Pat.

Hi,

Looking forward to seeing more of your build.

Pat