View Single Post
  #17  
Old July 12th 03, 11:27 AM
Cub Driver
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


Then there were the three? Piper Cubs that took off from an aircraft
carrier in the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch. As I
recall, they took heavy fire from the other ships in the fleet, who
evidently took them for the French air force.

Cubs eventually got their own carriers in the form of a wooden flight
deck on an LST.

They could also take off from a wire strung from davits alongside a
landing craft. The L-4 with pilot in place was propped on the deck,
then hoisted to the wire with the engine running. If it quit on him,
the pilot had to climb out, stand on the angle between the landing
gear strut and the wheel, and prop it himself.

The Cub was dragged back to the uttermost end of the wire, the pildot
went to full throttle, the restraint was released, and it rolled along
the wire to the bow of the LST, which of course was making the best of
its speed into the wind. When it was released from the Brodie Device
(as it was called for its inventor) the Cub often enough dipped about
to wave-top level before getting lift enough to continue on its trip,
which of course was one-way.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at http://www.danford.net/index.htm
Vietnam | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub