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P-47 With Skis

Sun Aug 26, 2007 10:33 pm

Image

Mon Aug 27, 2007 4:33 am

that's a variation i've never seen!! did the ski's retract flush with the airframe????

Mon Aug 27, 2007 4:34 am

oops!!! looked again, they look to be in fixed position.

Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:58 am

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Last edited by Former Member on Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

Mon Aug 27, 2007 8:53 am

Republic P-47G-1-CU on skis. Side view (S/N 42-24964)

Image

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... ?fsID=2213

t~

Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:12 pm

Wonder what a lift ticket costs for that?
:wink:

Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:03 pm

P-51A was trial fitted with retractable skis. Mains nestled up against under wing, folded flat and had a partial fairing at sides of cowl. Skis themselves were made by Luscombe. EAA has a complete set of the Mustang skis.

Bob Sonnlietner has rendered EXCELLENT 1/5 scale drawings based on these examples. One could build an EXACTING duplicate and fully functional set from his renderings.

IIRC, the a/c that tested the skis crashed in Alaska during the war and whose identiy is now worn by Polar Bear, a P-51D airframe made to look like a P-51A.

Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:43 pm

We have a set of the ski's used on the P-51A at the Warhawk Air Museum. Very Very heavy!

Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:16 pm

They were also tried on a P-63 and a couple others if I remember correctly.

Image

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Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:25 pm

John-Curtiss Paul

I happen to have full dimensions for the wood ferry tank sometimes used on P-51B and earlier. These along with the photos that appear in the struct. repair manual, I think one could build an operational set. Any interest?

Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:51 am

Was this a stateside modification or were ski-equipped Thunderbolts actually used in combat?

Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:55 am

who had the foresight to save an experimental pair of ww 2 aircraft skis?? how did you get them?? cripes!! give somebody a cigar!!! i'd bet the usaf museum doesn't even have a pair!!!

Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:55 am

Both the shots of the P-51 and P-47 were shot in the same place.

Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:06 pm

fotobass....... your a stickler for detail, great observation!! but what location?? certainly not hickam field!! :wink:

Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:10 pm

Well Luscombe was based in Trenton NJ, but moved to Dallas during the war. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this was probably pre-Dallas.


*Google told me that.
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