Fourth attempt here, as ezBoard keeps eating my threads. I will be posting and editting along the way, so you can all enjoy real-time updates! Whoo! On with the show.

[img]http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/Imagineer2b/Alien%203/Trooper/commandopants.jpg[/img]

The screen-used Alien 3 Commando pants. Framed in an awkward position, sadly. I've tried to replicate the post with mine.

[img]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/troopercooper/A3-2.jpg[/img]

Here's mine! A11 "Trousers, Flying, Intermediate" of the original 1944 pattern. Made in a heavy cotton and fleece lined, they were used by bomber crews for medium to high level bombing raids in WW2, these became the A-11A used in the late-war US Army Air Force, and were also used post-war until Korea (by which time they also came in blue). They were picked up again for Vietnam for helicopter crews and other uses, but made in nylon - and have been seen in blue, black, green and also a rather bizarre silver. Some differences, some changes - but we'll get to the finer points now.



Here you can see the fleece lining inside. Several differences can be seen - tapering waist (more extreme on mine as they are size 44, very large by WW2 standards), zip-operated side pockets, flap for securing flightsuit connecting cables (removed by Nam as most suits were no longer hooked up to vehicles for heat), and external buttons for use with standard issue braces (easily moveable by any costumier).



However, the similarities are more notable elsewhere on the trousers! Here you can see the knitted wool cuffs, which have a correctly sized cotton spacers away from the zips, which run from top to bottom as opposed to bottom to top (both facts of which correspond to the originals in the first photo!). Also of note, the pocket on the right leg - doesn't feature on the original Alien 3 trousers, but I cannot confirm if they were removed later on in their lifetime.



Here we see the other pockets (check with other photos to get a vague idea of where on the trousers we are ), which are present mid-way down the leg. The pocket flap on the right leg pocket has been put inside the pocket to replicate the look of the Alien 3 trousers, which appear to also feature this pocket. However - the press stud is not on the Alien 3 ones, and instead there's a white patch. Perhaps a piece of meterial covering it? Perhaps left off when made for the movie? Who knows.

A more telling similarity is very subtle, though. On the A3 trouser photo, draw a line from the white patch on the right leg to the other leg. You will find a black mark - or is that an exposed press stud for an internal pocket!! These feature on all patterns of the trousers from WW2 to Vietnam. Very subtle, but perhaps indicative of the presence of other pockets which can't be seen on the Alien 3 trousers, some of which could well be those on the WW2 ones?

Without pulling them out of the frame we may never know. However, these trousers are VERY bulky, just like the original Alien 3 ones, and could well have been a basis for their construction.

Hope these pics provide some help

Pete
Edited by: [url=http://p220.ezboard.com/bthealienslegacy.showUserPublicProfile?gid=falbowden>Fal Bowden[/url] at: 2/1/07 4:29 pm

Yep, that's looking pretty darn convincing!
A few minor alterations to the pattern and we should be good. I also notice the zips seem to start in a different location.
On the A11 they are close together in the centre of the front, the commando pants (and also on a photo I have of one of the dog cathers) seem to stay in the centre of each leg all the way to the top and are further apart at the waist.

To work I think! This is pretty much all we need to get started. Thanks man!!