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USAAF S-1 parachute assembly, 1941

SOLD

Code: S24243



By the Irvin Air Chute Co. Inc., Buffalo, New York, USA.  Consists of the full S-1 harness, backpad, seat pack and canopy.  The harness is in very good used condition bar light soiling.  It has a large printed linen 'Irvin' label on the right front webbing strap and some faint inspection marks elsewhere. This is the earlier type of harness with 'push/twist' clips rather than the later 'dog-lead' clips and later still single point quick-release box.  It is complete with the metal ripcord housing tube and pocket for the release grab handle but the actual cord/handle are absent.  These shouldn't be too hard to source. The backpad is in very good condition and stencilled with the owner's name 'Ruth A. Norton'.  The pack, marked as an 'S-S-1A' was also manufactured by the Irvin Air Chute Co. Inc., Buffalo, N.Y. and is in excellent used condition with clear 'SEPT. 27 1941' date mark and serial number '87886'.  It is also stencilled with the same woman's name at both sides.  The canopy rigging lines are still attached to the harness riser straps but have been cut from the actual canopy. On the plus side, the original 24' silk canopy is still present. This too was manufactured by Irvin and has clear matching date and serial number stamps indicating this to be the correct canopy for this assembly - it hasn't just been put together.  It's also in very good condition and it would be relatively easy to re-attach the rigging lines and repack.  This is an impressive display piece and unusual to find named to a women who perhaps flew with the WASPs?  The S-1 is a considerably rarer assembly to find.  Note that the pack is shown filled with padding in the photographs - the canopy is loose as previously mentioned.   Stock code S24243.