Code: S20893
'Suits, Flying, Buoyant'. Stores reference 22c/739. Size medium (Ht. 5'7 - 5'10", Ch. 37 - 39", Wt. 33 - 35", St. 39 - 41"). Yellow one-piece double breasted safety suit designed to give maximum comfort, buoyancy in water and a certain amount of fire protection - supposedly without causing too much restriction of movement of the wearer or the essential rapid removal in an emergency. Produced in a heavy 'aerocord' material and designed to be worn with a flame-proof kapok liner along with flotation pads in knee and breast pockets and in the collar. Internal braces relieved pressure on the wearer's shoulders from the weight of the suit. Press studs and quick-release zip fasteners promoted rapid removal. The material is in excellent condition and remarkably clean with very little marking at all. Certainly one of the cleanest suits we've ever had. Yellow was chosen to aid visibility in the sea but was not the most practical colour for use within oily airframes. The extensive/long zips and other metalwork on these suits are prone to verdigris and corrosion but this one is unusually good. Aside from minor verdigris on the belt eyelets all zips, press studs and buckles are free of corrosion. All zips are original Air Ministry marked 'W' brand and in excellent working condition bar the right sleeve that lacks a slider (actual zip tape is excellent) and the left sleeve slider lacks a puller tag (zip still functions perfectly). The lining appears to be in good order and the braces are present. There is minor damage where one of the braces retainer rivets is missing. Good clear Air Ministry label. This example is the earlier variant of the suit without a flotation lamp pocket at the waist. An exceptionally good example of what are now quite rare suits. Quite simply, they do not turn up this good! Difficult to upgrade on this one. Bulky and very heavy. Stock code S20893.
