P-47 to tow gliders???

[B17news]

I was looking through some pics and found one of 42-8700 from my Father in law's collection from Wright Field. I Googled for a while and found this Russian site, that said this particular airplane was converted for towing gliders. Any fellow P47 nuts ever heard of this? I'm posting a link to the translated site:

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... 6prmd%3Div

[WallyB]

It's documented that a P-47 towed the prototype Chase XCG-14 in 1948, and there were some 'snatch' experiments using P-47s, but I can't find any other references. This P-47 database has 42-8700 assigned to WPAFB and the Russian site confirms this was the one used for the Chase and Waco glider trials.

[gliderman1]

Technicality:: the 1948 glider would have been the XG-14A (not the 1944 version, XCG-14). WPAFB was Wright Field until USAF in 1947. P-47 42-8700 was at WF and CCAAF (glider test & experiment base approx. 35 miles from Wright Field) and did the tug tests there. It is difficult to make the serial number, but looks like 42-8134 did tug tests snatching tow targets. I am not sure that the P-47 pulled the CG-4A (red line 150 mph). It was tested pulling the XCG-15A and the XCG-14 at CCAAF (both had red line of 180 mph). Tests at CCAAF determined the P-47 to be unsuitable for glider towing because the initial take-off speed was too high.

[leo]

There is an article in Impact showing a P-47 being snatched from a runway. The bridal was attached to the engine prop shaft.

[gliderman1]

Yes. I am not sure when that was done, but I believe it was late 1945 or post 1945 and I think was done at Muroc.

The first airplane snatch was a Piper flown by Richard duPont at Wilmington, DE and I believe a demo at Wright Field. After that, at CCAAF was the Stinson XC-81D and a BT-13 (which is in possession of the Air & Space Museum), along with the first human snatch first part of Sept. 1943 at CCAAF, Wilmington, Ohio.

[mike furline]

P-47 42-8700, dated Sept. 13, 1944.




An F4F in the act.


Glider Snatch


Human Snatch (not the fun kind )

Last edited by mike furline on Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[B17news]

do you have the original of that pic? I'd love to get a copy, it was one of my F-I-L's planes. I wonder how far apart these pics were taken? (just got the scanner back out)

[WallyB]

P-47 42-8700, dated Sept. 13, 1944.

As my British friends would say... fark !

W.

[gliderman1]

Mike, interesting pictures.
Do any of these have the WF photo number on the original print?
Looking at them, here is my take:
1. 28700 starboard rear quarter views and with crew posing at side. These were made at Wright Field. The photo number would give close approximation of time. My guess is spring 1943. The crew are NOT the men who were flight test crew at CCAAF. They must be Wright Field mechanics who may have installed the temporary tow release--the tube extending out from tail on bottom. P-47 was not equipped with winch and did not snatch glider or single engine aircraft. It did snatch tow targets in tests using a short nylon line with a weighted stabilizer and hook on end. USAAF.
2. P-47 with aircraft on tow. This was not a snatch. It was a conventional ground take off. The aircraft being towed is the plane used for the three human snatches done in Sept. 1944. I do not know the location but guessing I would say it is over Crystal Lake just south of New Carlisle, OH and NNE from Patterson Field. USAAF.
3. C-47 doing a snatch with mountains in back ground is one of the two snatches done at the Remagen Germany bridgehead. Two gliders carrying 12 each wounded on stretchers. USAAF.
4. Human snatch victim. Lack of heavy coats and rank design shows this was after Feb 1947. USAF photo.
5. Snatch poles are much taller than the 12 foot tall poles used until end of 1945. Has to be a 1947 or newer photo.
6.C-47 #43-49653 is 1947 or newer. Has red stripe in bars which was USAF change in star and bars.
7 & 8 are same human sntach done be above C-47 #349653. USAF. 5,6,7 & 8 are sequence photos of the same snatch. Because the P-47 did not have a winch installed, I am sure it never snatched a human or anything heavier than the tow target.

[B17news]

Do any of these have the WF photo number on the original print?
Looking at them, here is my take:
1. 28700 starboard rear quarter views and with crew posing at side. These were made at Wright Field. The photo number would give close approximation of time. My guess is spring 1943. The crew are NOT the men who were flight test crew at CCAAF. They must be Wright Field mechanics who may have installed the temporary tow release--the tube extending out from tail on bottom. P-47 was not equipped with winch and did not snatch glider or single engine aircraft. It did snatch tow targets in tests using a short nylon line with a weighted stabilizer and hook on end. USAAF.

I posted the photo with the crew, it doesn't have a photo number on it for some reason. The picture seems to coincide pretty closely to the one that Mike posted, as the oil stains on the ground seem to be in the same places. The planes in the background are different/ missing in my photo. Mike put a date on his photo (9/13/44). The men in my photos are from Wright Field, my father in law is on the bottom row, fourth from the left (he was a crew chief on '47s assigned there during the war). There were probably some engineers in the photo also.

[airnutz]

I wonder if the P-38 in the backgound of the first photo was the one used in the glider tug
experiments? (not as a snatch aircraft)
Nice photos, thanks!

[gliderman1]

airnutz,
tell me the serial number and I will tell you if it was one of the P-38s used to tow CG-4A, CG-15A and do tow target snatches.

[airnutz]

airnutz,
tell me the serial number and I will tell you if it was one of the P-38s used to tow CG-4A, CG-15A and do tow target snatches.

G-man, my comment was more of a nudge to Mike to see if he had more photos and a misremembered
Bob Cardenas quote of his time spent in the glider program. No serial numbers required.