L-Bird Bazookas

[AHancock51]

Hello WIX gang,

Been looking around, and I am trying to find the dimensions/specs for the bazookas that got mounted on L-4s and L-3s during the War. I found some info in the Bald Eagle Aviation thread...(viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21830&p=330682&hilit=bazooka#p330682). I want to try and make some, this winter. Np particular reason!

Also, to mount them on an airworthy aircraft, what would need to be done to be "legal." Thanks!

[DH82EH]

Hey Austin.
How's it goin' EH?

There is a really sweet lookin' bird dog being hangared at our field for the winter.
Next time I get out there, I'll take some pics and measurements of the weapons for you.
It might be as early as tomorrow (Monday).

I bet Rich Palmer would respond to a P.M. in short order, with good info. He's done a lot on that B.E. thread.

I was flying today and I think this will be it for open cockpit flying this season

Cheers man.

Andy

[Dan K]

Hello WIX gang,

Been looking around, and I am trying to find the dimensions/specs for the bazookas that got mounted on L-4s and L-3s during the War. I found some info in the Bald Eagle Aviation thread...(viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21830&p=330682&hilit=bazooka#p330682). I want to try and make some, this winter. Np particular reason!

Also, to mount them on an airworthy aircraft, what would need to be done to be "legal." Thanks!

Some folks doing this already?


http://fairchild24.com/Piper%20L4.jpg

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/l4regist ... 30426.html


And don't forget this guy:

http://whatpriceglory.com/usbazooka.htm

[L-4Pilot]

Hello WIX gang,

Been looking around, and I am trying to find the dimensions/specs for the bazookas that got mounted on L-4s and L-3s during the War. I found some info in the Bald Eagle Aviation thread...(http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... ka#p330682). I want to try and make some, this winter. Np particular reason!

Also, to mount them on an airworthy aircraft, what would need to be done to be "legal." Thanks!

Good Morning Austin,

I have several photos somewhere of the bazooka installation during WW II that I will try to locate for you. To my knowledge they were never mounted on any L-3 aircraft.

With regard to actual installation on an aircraft it would have to be done either with a full STC or one time STC for that N# aircraft.

I obtained a one time STC from the FAA to install replica launchers on a Cessna O-1 that I restored and it was very expensive. The FAA required a detailed structural analysis of the aircraft including wing skin thickness, drawings load engineering, and an engineering analysis done by a Company accredited to perform it. I used Kosola Engineering at the time. In addition we had to write an installation and service manual for the launchers drawing heavily on the USAF documents.

The construction of the launchers themselves had to be well documented with type material, specific aluminum alloy, strength etc. along with specific listing of all material used and structural analysis. We used the Cessna drawings to construct exact replicas of the launchers to exact specifications using only aircraft grade material and fasteners.

The mounting was accomplished using original shackles locked in place with all functional wiring removed. The final cost was thousands of dollars, the process is not for the faint of heart. I don't believe there would be any chance at all of getting an installation approved with a 337.

Good Luck with your project,

[AHancock51]

Hey Austin.
How's it goin' EH?

There is a really sweet lookin' bird dog being hangared at our field for the winter.
Next time I get out there, I'll take some pics and measurements of the weapons for you.
It might be as early as tomorrow (Monday).

I bet Rich Palmer would respond to a P.M. in short order, with good info. He's done a lot on that B.E. thread.

I was flying today and I think this will be it for open cockpit flying this season

Cheers man.

Andy

Thanks, Andy! Glad to hear you're flying right up to the bitter end of Fall. If you get pics, that would be most appreciated! Thanks! I will try to contact Rich, as well.

[AHancock51]

Hello WIX gang,

Been looking around, and I am trying to find the dimensions/specs for the bazookas that got mounted on L-4s and L-3s during the War. I found some info in the Bald Eagle Aviation thread...(http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... ka#p330682). I want to try and make some, this winter. Np particular reason!

Also, to mount them on an airworthy aircraft, what would need to be done to be "legal." Thanks!

Some folks doing this already?


http://fairchild24.com/Piper%20L4.jpg

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/l4regist ... 30426.html


And don't forget this guy:

http://whatpriceglory.com/usbazooka.htm

Thanks! Looks as though the "whatpriceglory" site has been inactive for a while, but I'll take a shot. That L-4 would be a good resource to be in contact with.

[AHancock51]

Hello WIX gang,

Been looking around, and I am trying to find the dimensions/specs for the bazookas that got mounted on L-4s and L-3s during the War. I found some info in the Bald Eagle Aviation thread...(http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... ka#p330682). I want to try and make some, this winter. Np particular reason!

Also, to mount them on an airworthy aircraft, what would need to be done to be "legal." Thanks!

Good Morning Austin,

I have several photos somewhere of the bazooka installation during WW II that I will try to locate for you. To my knowledge they were never mounted on any L-3 aircraft.

With regard to actual installation on an aircraft it would have to be done either with a full STC or one time STC for that N# aircraft.

I obtained a one time STC from the FAA to install replica launchers on a Cessna O-1 that I restored and it was very expensive. The FAA required a detailed structural analysis of the aircraft including wing skin thickness, drawings load engineering, and an engineering analysis done by a Company accredited to perform it. I used Kosola Engineering at the time. In addition we had to write an installation and service manual for the launchers drawing heavily on the USAF documents.

The construction of the launchers themselves had to be well documented with type material, specific aluminum alloy, strength etc. along with specific listing of all material used and structural analysis. We used the Cessna drawings to construct exact replicas of the launchers to exact specifications using only aircraft grade material and fasteners.

The mounting was accomplished using original shackles locked in place with all functional wiring removed. The final cost was thousands of dollars, the process is not for the faint of heart. I don't believe there would be any chance at all of getting an installation approved with a 337.

Good Luck with your project,

WOW! Thanks a million, L-4 pilot! This really helps a lot. The STC business sounds like a good deal of work, but worth it for a neat addition to an L-Bird. Thanks too for the L-3 info, I could have sworn that somewhere I had seen a pic of an "armed" version, but I could be mistaken.

[shrike]

What Price Glory is still very much active.

For static display you could show a trick my uncle (L-4 pilot ETO) told of. A hand grenade will fit in a peanut butter jar. Pull the pin and jar keeps the spoon in place until the jar breaks, which it will when you chuck it from the airplane at the enemy.

[p51]

FYI, just make sure whatever size tubes you use for something like that are too small to put a real bazooka rocket into them. If a real rocket will fit and there's any possibility you could easily wire them up for ignition, you just created a destructive device and the ATF takes a very dim view of that.
If the tube is too small for the real rockets, then you can do whatever you want for the most part as they don't consider anything you'd have to custom-make rockets for (if you did, then the rockets would be the legal issue, not the tube).
Never mind that you can't find unfired bazooka rockets anymore...

[Obergrafeter]

We had a replica MG15 in the Storch that was made of aluminum and weighed next to nothing that mounted in the rear window. The FAA friendly inspector saw it and chastised us to not fly with it "installed" It was easily removable (to prevent theft) so we just laid it down in the seat directly below where it went when flying. The inspector was worried about having a weight and balance done with it "installed" I guess it weighed more when in the window! Never did figure that one out?
I have seen many replica rocket launchers on O-1 and O-2 aircraft. I don't think they all went thru the 337 process?

[AHancock51]

Good points, all around! Thanks, all.

[redvanner]

Severely off topic, but I thought you might like the pics of other light aircraft with rockets. 1.and 2. pic show a Bücker 181 Bestmann with 4 Panzerfaust attached. Pilots just in training should attack allied tanks with them in 1945. I do not know if any were actually deployed for those suicide attacks (regarding allied air supremacy and AA capability, and the untrained pilots). 3. pic is of a MFI 9 (later built as Bölkow Bo 208 Junior) used in Biafra.

Enjoy, Michael.

[AHancock51]

That's pretty interesting!