US Wings Cooper Original™ Flying Tigers Cape Buffalo A-2

US Wings Cooper Original™ Flying Tigers Cape Buffalo A-2

If you want the look of a jacket worn by a WWII fighter ace and constructed from one of the most unique leathers available, look no further! This jacket is one of the toughest & most durable jackets we manufacture, so we feel it’s a jacket worthy of the heroic pilots it honors. But as tough as these jacket are, they’re also very luxurious & refined. The antique brown cape buffalo leather, which looks like it came straight out of WWII, is wonderfully soft and rich looking, making these jackets equally suitable for wear in or out of the cockpit.

The jacket comes standard with a plain one-piece back, but you can opt to have “Flying Tigers Artwork” painted onto the back for an additional fee (in fact, our renowned artist Jim Harley, can paint any nose art, logo, or design on this or any other jacket for an additional fee; please visit our Hand-painted Jackets page for more details). All in all, this jacket is outstanding and a fitting tribute to this legendary group of aviators.

Why Cooper? Cooper Sportswear has been in business since 1930 and supplied jackets for the U.S. Army Air Force and began supplying many of the jackets for the Flying Tigers in late 1941.

The Cooper Original™ Flying Tigers Cape Buffalo A-2 features:

• 100% Cape Buffalo leather
• Snap-down collar
• Two front cargo pockets with side-entry hand-warmers
• Interior pocket
• Nylon lining
• Hand painted leather patches:
  • 14th Air Force Flying Tigers patch on left chest
  • USAAF patch on left sleeve
  • CBI patch on right sleeve
• Optional:
  • WWII-style leather name-strip – embossed with your name (no additional charge)
    • Lettering up to 14 characters in length
  • Add Flying Tiger hand painted artwork to the back of your jacket – $700
• Color: Brown
• FIt: Normal
• Custom Jacket – Final Sale

Protect your jacket with our new jacket care products.

These products are all natural and hand made in the USA. It will help preserve your new jacket or add years back to your old one. Exposure to the elements and regular wear will dry out and fade your jacket. Replenish your jacket now!

History of Cooper:

Founded in 1910, Cooper manufactured raincoats for the US Army in 1917-1918 as well as field jackets from 1941-1945. On January 5 1942, Cooper was awarded the contract to produce A-2 jackets for the USAAF during WWII. In 1988, they were awarded a contract to produce A-2s for the USAF; the jackets were created using patterns from an original A-2 but were made in a fuller cut to accommodate modern physiques. In 1996, they were awarded a contract from the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) to re-design the A-2 into what would become the current military-issue version. Fit & functionality upgrades were made to this venerable Air Force flight jacket, including side-entry hand-warmer pockets and an interior pocket (which had previously only been available on civilian A-2 versions, not on military-issue A-2s), underarm gussets, and a more roomy fit.

Their contribution to the civilian market was no less significant. Cooper produced a range of A-2s, G-1s, Indy jackets and more to customers around the world. US Wings partnered with Cooper in 1986 and ending when Cooper ceased production in the late 1990s. US Wings is the official home of the Cooper name and we’re proud to continue the tradition of excellence. This line consists of classic Cooper jackets as well as a number of “new classics” that are sure to appeal to any leather jacket enthusiast. Rest assured that we’ve retained Cooper’s commitment to quality, putting only the finest materials and the highest level of craftsmanship into the jackets that bear the Cooper Original name. This ensures that our jackets will be of the same high quality as the original Cooper Sportswear jackets worn by your father, grandfather or even great-grandfather.

The Modern A-2:

The A-2 leather flight jacket is an American military flight jacket. Originally invented and developed for the World War II U.S. Army Air Forces pilots. After a brief period of not issuing jackets to pilots, the modern A-2 was developed and issued. It was said that the popular film, “Top Gun” may have influenced the new A-2. The first Air Force A-2 contract was awarded to Avirex, but all subsequent contracts from 1988 to 1998 were awarded to Neil Cooper USA, now U.S. Wings of Ohio. The modern design differs from the original design in several ways. With a looser fit, made from goatskin in seal brown, side entry pockets, and an inside wallet pockets.