Warbird Information Exchange

Can anyone identify this 1950s-60s USAF trailer please?





The same basic body was used for a number of different purposes, all requiring different placement of access hatches on the sides, but the main door on the end seems to be the same in all cases.

All the best,
PB

_________________
Paul Bellamy

401BG Association Historian & Honorary Life Member
401BG Historical Society (UK) Member
1st Air Division HQ Historical Society (UK) Founder Member
Director of Archives & Collections, Airfield Research Group Archive, Alconbury
RAF Alconbury Base Historian

What did you want to know?

These type trailers are frequently surplused in my area.

The box is pretty standard, but I've seen all kinds of factory mods to them.

Some have easily removeable gear, lifting eyes for air transport, air/hydraulic struts for high clearance, etc.

My box had lifting eyes on the top and bottom corners, as well as wheel covers with lifting eyes to lift the running gear separate from the box, and the lifting cables were stored underneath the box.

Somwhere, often under several layers of paint, should be the data plate for the box, and possibly another data plate for the running gear.

Some of these have a honeycomb sandwich between inner/outer skins to save weight during air transport. Others have 1.5" plywood for massive strength.

looks like it has an antenna mount on the front/upper left.....could have been a communications asset.

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Ta guys,

The pictured trailer is most likely one of the ground support trailers for the Jupiter missile system.

In the first instance I was looking for the basic dimensions and hopefully the base trailer model so I can start looking for it in my reference manuals.
I have the USAF codes for the various sub-types I'm particularly looking into, but because they are purpose-specific they give no clue as to alternative titles:

A/M24A-1
Missile Launch Countdown Group Trailer
A/M24A-2
Missile Launch Control Trailer
AF/M46A-1
Hydropneumatic Systems Control Trailer
SMU-14/M and -18/M
Missile Launching Equipment Simulator Trailer
TTU-36/M, -36A/M, -36B/M and -92/M
Missile Checkout Trailer

All the above appear to be the same basic trailer with minor differences as required by the equipment installed.

All the best,
PB

_________________
Paul Bellamy

401BG Association Historian & Honorary Life Member
401BG Historical Society (UK) Member
1st Air Division HQ Historical Society (UK) Founder Member
Director of Archives & Collections, Airfield Research Group Archive, Alconbury
RAF Alconbury Base Historian