Ground Support Equipment in Aviation Museums

[tankbarrell]

Corporal Ed Brigano and Sergeant Frank Tenuto 328th FS/352nd FG.

Anybody have any details on the cab and tank?

Autocar U7144T tractor.

[4RG.I.'S]

There's a nice Clarktor tug for sale on Barnstormers. Not mine, just sharing a cool piece:

https://www.barnstormers.com/ad_detail. ... atid=23451

[Noha307]

There's a nice Clarktor tug for sale on Barnstormers. Not mine, just sharing a cool piece:

https://www.barnstormers.com/ad_detail. ... atid=23451

As before, here's the details for anyone interested:

WWII CLARK TUG • $3,500 • FOR SALE BY PROUD OWNER • Clark Tug, 1940s era, runs great! @ KSBP • Contact Michael Dacey, Owner - located Pismo Beach, CA United States • Telephone: 805-801-9238 • 8058019238 • Posted October 28, 2019

I found a good close up shot of the "mission markings" on the side of the National Air and Space Museum's transport truck mentioned in a previous post. According to the caption, it is a Freightliner FL112 and is called "Big Blue":

(Source: Flickr)

Also, a fun fact I just recently discovered is that the M577 Armored Personnel Carrier in the movie Aliens is a converted Hunslet ATT77 aircraft tug.

[Noha307]

The GSE in storage at the Museum of Flight's Restoration Center and Reserve Collection have been mentioned before, but here are few pictures of tugs used to move aircraft at the main location:

A blue and white Clarktor CT-120 moving their B-52:

(Source: Seattle Times)

A different blue and white tug moving their B-17:

(Source: Synavax)

They apparently borrowed a Boeing tug, number 36040, to move their Concorde:

(Source: Seattle Times)

On a different note, I tried putting the model number (A-452-54) of one of the TSWM's tug #3 into Google just to see what I could find. The results I came up with were interesting enough that I figured I would post them here.

First, I found a list of army technical manuals that included a quartermaster lubrication order for the tug:

10-1672-A Tractor, wheeled, gasoline (Mercury "Super-Huskie") Model A-452-54. 20 Mar 52

I noticed that it referred to the tug as a "Super Huskie", so I put that into Google and came up with a publication from the U.S. Army Air Corps that mentioned what may be a similar tug as "new equipment":

New Equipment
... Mercury Super-Huskie tractor for towing heavy loads at airports. ...
- Aero Digest Oct '40 pp 182, 185-186, 189-190, 193 4 illus

However, there may have been multiple tugs known as "Super-Huskie" given that this appears 12 years earlier than the mention in the previous reference and the date on the data plate of the museum's tug. (An interesting note is that the date on the manual from the first reference is one day prior to the delivery date stamped on the data plate on the museum's tug.)

As part of my initial search using the model number, I also came up with a list of government publications that included what is likely a more general manual for the tug:

Tractor, Warehouse, 4-Wheel Pneumatic Tires (Mercury Model A 452-54). QM 7 & 8 MHE 132

(In the resulting process I accidentally input "QM 8 MHE 70" instead of "QM 8 MHE 132" into Google and came up with a different list of government publications that included references to manuals for the Clark Clarktor-6 and an International Harvester model I-9. The latter serves as further confirmation that the military used what were essentially or similar to standard agricultural tractors. Two more pictures of I-9s in military markings can be found on a page at TractorData.)

Next, I found a list of stock control numbers for the Army National Guard that mentions the tug:

57327512 39302656864 MERCURY A 452-54 SH C 1

The list is dated 30 June 1963, indicating that the tugs were used as likely at least until that year.

Finally, I came across a Photobucket gallery titled "Allied Airfield Vehicles" that includes a whole bunch of relevant pictures.

[ZRX61]

ID required... is this Cletrac a hacked about a WWII M2 high-speed aircraft tug?

[wendovertom]

OOOO! How old is that Cletrac photo and where?

Tom P.

[ZRX61]

OOOO! How old is that Cletrac photo and where?

Tom P.

That photo was taken yesterday & until I talk with the owner the location is *undisclosed*

[ZRX61]

Get this, found another one today with the same hacked modification about 25 miles from the first one...

[wendovertom]

PM sent

Tom P.

[bdk]

Get this, found another one today with the same hacked modification about 25 miles from the first one...

Ridden on one of those. Not sure what I'd do with it if I had one but they are cool. Maybe if I had a B-17 and a huge grass strip.

[ZRX61]

Looks military... possible ramp truck/mobile workshop?

[Noha307]

A Clarktor 6 has been mentioned in a previous post about the New England Air Museum, but it seems that they may have a second one that is painted blue:

(Source: Flickr)

The Museum of Aviation has also been mentioned before, but not mentioned last time was that they have an O-11A, 53 L 6013:

(Source: Flickr)

Also that they have a Chevrolet 125 fire truck marked as Robins Field No. 1:

(Source: Flickr)

The Airworld Aviation Museum Caernarfon has a Austin K2 A.T.V., license plate GLR 376, on permanent loan that was restored by Porthmadog station personnel from 1987 to 1992:

(Source: Flickr)

The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum has a Land Rover TACR1 crash truck, license plate 30 AG 43, on display:

(Source: Flickr)

Not mentioned in the previous post, the Royal Air Force Museum London has a Alvis Salamander Mk 6 Crash Tender, license plate 23 AG 76, on display:

(Source: Flickr)

The Tillamook Air Museum lists 4 fire trucks on the aircraft page of website, but it is unclear if all or any of them were actually former airfield vehicles. Apparently, the 1944 Seagrave Ladder Truck was, according to a local newspaper article that states:

The fire engine on display in the museum is one of two Seagraves owned by the U.S. Navy when Tillamook was an active military base just south of the city during World War II. “When they closed it (the base) down, they gave this engine to the City of Tillamook. It became the first engine that they (Tillamook) had -- Engine number 1,” [Ruth Ellerbroek] said.

While the truck mentioned in the 2016 article is described as being on display at a "Mike’s Memorial Firehouse", it and the one at the Tillamook Air Museum appear to be one and the same as they are both labeled "Engine No. 1":

(Source: Flickr)

Figuring out what left with the Erickson Air Collection and what still remains at the museum can be tricky, but apparently the Cletrac went to Madras.
At Tillamook:

(Source: Flickr)
At Madras:

(Source: TripAdvisor)

Further confusing the matter is that the EAC added at least one fire truck - a 1942 Chevrolet - that was originally based in Madras to their display at their new location:

(Source: TripAdvisor)

(Source: TripAdvisor)

Tillamook did apparently keep a gray, U.S. Navy, 1940 International Boom Truck, number 51747, as it is still listed on the page mentioned above:

(Source: Flickr)

EAC has a light blue trailer that appears to be an aircraft starter:

(Source: Groupon)

Other Notes:
The multiplicity of firetrucks and jeeps makes determining what is what difficult, so to summarize here:

• Erickson also brought a postwar blue jeep with U.S. Navy markings with them to Madras, but it appears to be a civilian CJ-2A that would likely not have had service on an airfield. They also have either one or two (it is unclear if this is the same jeep repainted) other jeeps on display, both in USAAF markings. [1], [2]
• All four of the fire trucks are apparently on loan from the Oregon Fire Service Museum, as they match the vehicles described in on the collections page of their website and at least one bears the name of the museum according to a picture.
• In addition to the one mentioned above, EAC has a 1935 Diamond T fire truck at Madras. [1]

[phil65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38016434@N05/37079932674

I don't remember seeing that at NEAM....

Phil

[Jerry O'Neill]

They've had the last Doman Helicopter for about 9-10 years now. It was at the Fort Rucker Museum, but the Army decided it didn't fit their scope, so they gave it to NEAM who repainted it into Doman's colors.
FYI, Connecticut has had more than a few Helicopter manufacturers over the years.
The big boys on the block were Sikorsky and Kaman, but Doman and Bendix also built helicopters here!
Jerry

[ZRX61]

I really like that tug