Lancaster dropping jeeps ?.

Another photograph in that report provides an image of Britains smallest ever aircraft carrier. :rolleyes:

I think that honour goes to the Thorneycroft Seaplane lighter .
At the link scroll down to the 6th image – I think one of these is now at Yeovilton.
http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/airfields/cal.html

Got a picture somewhere of a Willys Jeep inside a Stirling V……………

Hi All, just thought I’d revive this thread after watching the film I’ve mentioned over in this other thread (Stirling bits):-

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1948317#post1948317

I’ve been watching a French film entitled Bataillon Du Ciel, which features quite a lot of footage of Stirlings.

However, in part 2, there’s some great footage of a formation of Halifaxes dropping Jeeps by parachute. It is said that the film was made in 1945 but not released until 1947, so it would seem that the technique was available during the war?

Firebex, I wonder if this is the same footage that you watched in the t.v. documentary? I’ve put a couple of screenshots on the other thread.

Hummm, finger trouble.:o

Following on from the photos of the jeeps on crashpans under the Halifax here are two from the same source (an AADTC catalogue from 1950) showing the missing link between the Crash pans and the modern day Medium Stressed Platforms.
The paratechnicon was developed to make use of airbags to cushion the landing replacing the crash pans in a more aerodynamic form. Early drops of the Paratechnicon were from the Halifax and each Paratechnicon could carry a Jeep and Six pounder
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The system was developed for the Hastings but following the fatal crash of Hastings TG499 in September 49 due to the Paratechnicon breaking up and wrapping itself around the tailplane the project was cancelled.[ATTACH]205723[/ATTACH]

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Last seen – sans tail – towing an Fa330 at Beaulieu, which was placed a caravan chassis. The only jeep ever with an ASI

This is the photograph of that event from the AFEE report ROTA 7.

Another photograph in that report provides an image of Britains smallest ever aircraft carrier. :rolleyes:
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Previous threads on Keypub: Air-drop jeeps in 1945?

Thread has a few nice pics.

Lancaster with Underslung Armoured Car

Includes a link with pics of the Weasel/Douglas C-54 Skymaster trials.

Flight Global article on the Hastings/Jeep combo: 1952 – 0460.PDF
Previous page

And a pic, just for the Halifax.

Yes CeBro couldn’t agree more. Long live the Hally and also its smaller brother the Hurri. Would rather have them than the more common variety of Lanc and Spit.

Why not just fly it in?

Last seen – sans tail – towing an Fa330 at Beaulieu, which was placed a caravan chassis. The only jeep ever with an ASI

Nice replica on show at Middle Wallop, using Westland Whirlwind rotor blades. The Rotabuggy itself was towed first by a 3 litre Bentley and ultimately a Whitley, although I seem to recall that the contraption’s pilot got an AFC for managing to fly the thing……

The steering of a jeep can be scaringly vague at 40 mph without a tail or a rotor attached – so goodness only knows what it was like at take off speed. I wonder if there was some way of locking the steering straight ahead

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Flying a Car 5 Cwt 4×4 in is small fry, what Mr Haffner really wanted was to send Hitler a Valentine message.

Sorry I clicked before adding this link!

http://www.willys-mb.ru/article8_e.html

Why not just fly it in?

There is, of course, a jeep set up for air drop at Duxford, outside the Airborne Forces exhibition.

Guess who copied the AP for them to use. 😉
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I have a large archive of wartime reports but they tend to be a bit light on interesting photos. Credit should go to those who devised the parachute system for the airborne lifeboat for without that heavy drop as we know it wouldn’t have started. There are many reasons why clusters of parachutes shouldn’t work but they do.
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This is the second drop of a six pounder carried out by the AFEE and its going wrong, with the gun trails getting caught in the risers. It would land barrel first and fall upside down leaving the crash pans undamaged. Although clogged with soil the gun was also undamaged.

facinating stuff guys but the brief pictures definately showed a Lanc with one jeep under it and dropping it to SAS in the woods advanced in front of our invasion forces in France and engaged in heavy fighting with the SS.

What was the title/channel of the programme Mike?

Given that most of these shows tend to use any old stock footage that they think conveys the impression of events being described by the narrative, I’d doubt very much that it was footage of the actual operation, but I’d still like to see for myself.

There is also footage of a Halifax with a jeep and gun for dropping trails. It didn’t go as planned and the gun’s chute failed to open. It plunged into the ground, the jeep did make a controlled descend however. Hally’s also carried spare Bristol Hercules engines in the bombbays.

Versatile aircraft, the Halifax that is. But then again I am biased:p

cees

facinating stuff guys but the brief pictures definately showed a Lanc with one jeep under it and dropping it to SAS in the woods advanced in front of our invasion forces in France and engaged in heavy fighting with the SS. I cant for the life of me remember the name of the operation the SAS where on.

Mike E

The history of airdrop is a subject I could ‘bore for England’ about.

If you can bore on jeep drops to RAF Great Sampford, I’m all ears! My father remembers watching Halifaxes dropping jeeps and guns there, and I’ve actually spoken to a pilot who made drops there.

There is, of course, a jeep set up for air drop at Duxford, outside the Airborne Forces exhibition.

Adrian
(sorry – none of which helps the OPer)

Jeep

I bought a picture years ago of a Halifax loading a jeep. Will see if i can find it tonight.

,

Is this the one, the Halifax was used to drop jeeps, a gun and sas troops just before D-Day and the days after according to “Halifax second to none”

The history of airdrop is a subject I could ‘bore for England’ about.
Whilst I mentioned the Crash pan technique, there was another method devised for dropping a Jeep that I’d love to learn more about. The Royal Navy’s Department for Miscellaneous Weapons Development went down the retro rocket route with a system they called Hajile (Elijah spelt backwards) which they tested near HMS Birnbeck (the pier at Weston-Super-Mare). Anyone heard of this?

jeeps

I know the Halifax was used to carry Spit fusilage but I never heard the Jeep story before.

re;

I bought a picture years ago of a Halifax loading a jeep. Will see if i can find it tonight.