Guy Alcala wrote in message ...
Phineas Pinkham wrote:

It was called Pierced Steel Planking in the Pacific Theatre!

"Gary Watson" wrote in message

I am looking for some info on PSP (perforated Steel Plates - that were/are
used for temporary runways, aprons and parking areas.

And the more modern variety, used in Vietnam and the Falklands and apparently
still used by the USMC, is called AM-2 (aluminum rather than steel).

Without resorting to diggin' out the old 5-34, IIRC there was little
similarity between PSP and the aluminum matting. The aluminum product
uses (it is still around as far as I know) a honeycomb interior with
solid (not perforated) external sheets (and is even more of a bitch to
install, since it is extremely unforgiving of the slightest uneveness
in the underlying base surface). I don't recall anyone actually
building a complete airstrip out of the stuff (though I am sure it has
been done, probably back when it was brand new), but it was one of the
better choices for apron and helipad construction until the advent of
modern geotextiles. My sole first-hand experience with putting it
together was during EOBC, and we only strung a few panels together to
get the gist of the procedure.

Brooks


Guy