M-1958 Cold Weather Flight Suit

 

   
Tu-95 Air Crew (1957)
  

  
The Pilot is Wearing:
The winter flight suit, a winter ShL-82 helmet with throat microphone, and the KM-32 oxygen mask.

This configuration was common on bomber aircraft (except the Tu-160) of the late 70's into the early 1990's.

Sources Cited  

 

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of the Era of Rebuilding

   

More about the uniform...

Surprisingly little has been written about the standard Soviet flight suits.  This dark blue two part uniform is the winter version of the M-1958 Flight Suit.  A pair of coveralls with suspenders is the larger component that covers the legs and body, while the heavyweight jacket is worn to keep the torso and arms warm.  As with all Soviet flight suits the upper left pocket contains a holster for the PM Makarov pistol, while the upper right pocket has a pouch for a spare magazine.  Both pockets and the jacket itself uses zippers.  The coverall has two thigh pockets that feature two snap closures, while the fly is fastened by a single row of buttons.  The boots are the typical Soviet pilot variety that use laces, but have a zipper along the side.

Other components of this uniform are the soft leather helmet (shown hear without the cloth cover that was sometimes worn).  This helmet can be of a number of types, but in this case it is the winter variant of the ShL-82.  This version features a thicker lining that makes it considerably warmer than its conventional counterpart.  A pair of PO-1M goggles can be seen raised up onto the helmet.  They are currently fitted with clear lenses instead of the smoked anti-glare lenses.  A KM-32 oxygen mask and throat microphone complete the uniform.

It is worn by most Soviet bomber crews from the mid-1950's until the end of the Cold War.  The suit then continued to be worn by Russian Federation pilots in the 1990's.  The only bomber pilots who did not wear these suits were those men assigned to the Tu-160 Blackjack.  The crewmembers of those aircraft wear special highly advanced suits that are difficult to obtain.

    

Service Chronology

With a dearth of sources regarding this uniform it is difficult to date its entry into service or its retirement.  It should be noted that our designation "M-1958" is not the official designation used by the Soviets.  Its exact date of introduction is not known to us, but has rather been extrapolated from examining photographs from the late 1950's to early 1990's and watching a great deal of Soviet video footage from 1945 to 1960.  When combined with the fact that the paratrooper coverall was first introduced during the 1958 regulations, it seems reasonable to assume that the standard flight suit of the Cold War was introduced at the same time.  As more information becomes available we hope to eventually determine the uniform's place in the chronology of the Soviet and later Russian air force.
This Uniform Replaced... Winter Flight Suit This Uniform was Replaced by...
The leather flight jacket/trouser sets of the post war era.  Their designation is not known to us at this time. Nothing, still in active service with the Russian air force.

 

Works Cited

(1) Dzhus, Alexander M., Soviet Wings, Modern Soviet Military Aircraft. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1991

(2) Zaloga, Steven J., Inside the Soviet Army Today, London: Osprey Publishing, 1987.

(3) Schofield, Carey, Inside the Soviet Military. New York: Abbeville Press, 1991. Print.

 
Last Updated 4 January 2019 by Ryan Stavka