Hi
I used to have a website showing all the wings and their variants. In my two books on the subject, I was puzzled by the wartime and post war traits of this wing. This until I found a photo of it being worn in the 1960's. Since the maple leaf and other traits match that of the other "issue" wing made in the 1960's I have dated this wing of that time.
Ken Joyce
Quote:
Originally Posted by cw2311
Type 4 wing – The parachute canopy is very well detailed showing 7 clear sections. There are 8 thin shroud lines which start at the outer edge of the canopy. The canopy is well defined and the base of the canopy is straight across with small curves from shroud line to shroud line. The Maple Leaf extends below the wing itself and appears to be a vibrant gold colour. There is a stem that is noticeable from the bottom of the Maple Leaf as it points almost straight down. This Maple Leaf is similar to the Type 2 wing being more like a ‘pot leaf’ in style.
The well defined wings themselves appear to be almost flat or straight across nearly in line with the lower portion of the canopy with only the tips of the wings mildly sweeping upwards. When you start at the wing tips and work your way down to the Maple Leaf, you will notice the each defined step along the way from section to section. The background is a very dark green, almost appearing black in certain light conditions. The reverse side of the wing has a black cloth backing, however slightly different than your more commonly seen cotton version. The canopy, shroud lines and wings all appear to have the same white colour stitching.
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