I may just be crazy enough to do this!

[p51]

I can't say for sure what it is but I know what it isn't. They're definitely not M1 or M1A1 tubes. They're way too long for that and the back ends of the tubes don't look right at all to me. Check out this photo of (my own) M1A1 tube and you can see the differences:

I think they might be M-9 bazooka tubes with longer front ends added on. Look just past halfway down the outside of the tube, see the bulge? That looks a lot like the locking collar on a M-9 tube. Still, they might be something custom made with launcher parts. Clearly they're shooting M6A1 or A3 rockets, the same ones the ground bazookas fired. You can see the M83 shipping tubes lying on the ground. Take a good look at the third photo in the original post, note what he has his hands on, he's loading an M6A3 rocket. You can see the back end doesn't have pointy fins, it looks like an opened can. That's a later war A3 rocket.
That, along with the shape of these tubes, to me supports that this must be well into 1944 or possibly 45. It can't be earlier due to the type of rockets being loaded. They also could have shot the M-10 WP rocket for marking targets. Any of these would be wildly inaccurate given the ranges they had. The airplane would practically have to get within pistol range before they could hit anything with these.
Taylor, I say get some rocket pods built and get them mounted, it'd look most cool indeed, although I can't say what it'd do for drag in flight...

[RyanShort1]

They don't look a lot different from the tubes on L-4s. Sources indicate that the pilots there in Europe may have had upwards of 30 kills of German soft-skinned vehicles and possibly tanks, so maybe they weren't as inaccurate as it might seem.

Ryan

[RyanShort1]

Pics for comparison:





FYI, while "Rosie the Rocketer" was the most famous - at least two L-4s and possibly more in the same unit were so equipped.

Ryan

[gale_dono]

Would this really have been effective, though? I know the Germans tried this with panzerfausts mounted on a Bu 131 trainer and they were basically useless. Of course, that's placing the panzerfaust against a bazooka, and I'd place my money on the bazooka any day (given what I've experienced playing BF1942/Forgotten Hope)

Makes for nice modelling ideas though

[p51]

All I know is a 2/36 inch bazooka was not an accurate weapon in the hands of a guy on the ground and had very limited range. Any kills made with one from an airplane must have been a tough kill to say the least. I'd lmagine for each documented hit on anything smaller than a locomotive (even at low altitudes), you would have to have had several misses.

Now these are definitely M-1 tubes (the later M1A1s tended to have different sights, but they could possible be earlier M1A1 tubes, very little difference between the two.

[flyingsailor]

Hook up compress air to that and you can shoot out tee-shirts at air shows like they do at sporting events.

Mike

Now this could be fun!!!!!!