Cable Launched L-4

[dj51d]

Here's a few photos of a L-4B at American Wings Air Museum. This is marked as 43-1439, N50364. The FAA lists 10300 as the S/N. This particular L-4 has a hook mounted on it for landing and taking off from a cable! If I recall correctly this system was refered to as the Broadie Rig, after it's inventor. Flight Journal published an article on this system some time back, but I can't seem to locate my copy at the moment.





Scott, as usual feel free to grab these for the regstry.

The Brodie system was also trialled at Boscombe Down in 1945-46, using an L-4B VM286 (43-630). The American engineers never arrived to assemble the rig, and it was put together by RAF personnel using only the handbook. It consisted of 54 crates of kit! The system was a flop, and the aircraft was written off on the first trial. The boffins at Boscombe decided there was no real purpose to it, and trials stopped.

Sy Mitchell

[Ollie]

Yep, interesting system!!

In Flight Journal, the pilot said it worked rather well.

I'll have a look and check for the issue number.

[Jeff]

Okay, I can see how it could be "landed" ( similar to an airborne and overhead carrier "trap" I guess ) but how on, or actually off of, the earth could it have been launched from a cable?

[dj51d]

It's been a while since I read the article(still haven't found my copy), but if I recall, you would run along the cable up to flying speed and slide out to the side after release.

[Ollie]

You got it right Dan.

[Don Martin]

Dan,
I was just looking at the July issue of Aviation History magazine and I see they did an article on the Brodie system and the L-4s and L-5s used. It also mentions that the system was installed on a cargo ship, the City of Dalhart, for testing and on LST-776 for the invaision of Japan. An interesting article, although I don't know if it is on the website or not.
Don


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