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Posted on 10/17/2003 3:28:30 AM PDT by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 How it all began In the beginning... Prior to the Second World War, the United States Army had been looking for a fast, lightweight, all-terrain command and reconnaissance vehicle. Several vehicles had been used but none were ideal for the Armys needs. In early 1940, as Nazi Germany began to win victories in Europe and North Africa, the need to quickly develop this type of vehicle became very urgent. The U.S. Army sent out specifications to car manufacturers asking for working prototype vehicles to be delivered in only 49 days. The American Bantam Car Company (formerly The American Austin Car Company) and Willys-Overland were the only two companies that responded to the Army's request, although 135 companies had been contacted. The depression of the 1930's had sent The American Austin Car Company broke, and American Bantam, which had been formed in the subsequent reorganisation had fared little better. By the time the Army asked for expressions of interest in a new command and reconnaissance car, production at American Bantam had ceased and they had no engineering staff left on the payroll. The 49-day deadline was a huge problem, and Willys-Overland asked for more time to finish their vehicle but were refused by the Army.  This is the first Bantam prototype just prior to delivery, Designer Karl Probst in the passenger seat and Bantam manager, Harold Crist in the drivers seat. Note the rounded front fenders and grill. Bantam's only chance to meet this deadline was to bring in outside help. Bantam's savior was Karl Probst, a talented freelance engineer from Detroit. After turning down an initial request from Bantam, Probst accepted the job after being asked again by the Army, and initially working without salary, went to work July 17, 1940. In only two days Probst had completely laid out plans for the Bantam prototype, and the next day he estimated the total cost of the vehicle. On July 22, Bantam's bid was submitted, complete with blueprints. The bid claimed that the vehicle met the weight limit of 1,300 pounds (590 kg) although it was actually much heavier. Much of the vehicle had to be assembled from existing off-the-shelf automotive parts, and the custom four wheel drive train components were supplied by Spicer. As the principal sub-contractor, Spicer's ability to manufacture the drivetain components in time was critical to Bantam's chance of meeting the Army deadline. Bantam's first hand-built prototype was complete and running by September 21, 1940, just meeting the 49-day deadline and was delivered to the Army for testing at Camp Holabird, MD. The Quartermaster Corps put this prototype through torturous off road trials, after which the testers concluded "this vehicle demonstrated ample power and all requirements of the service." Willys-Overland and Ford soon submitted prototypes based on the Bantam plans (supplied to them by the Army). Spicer supplied almost identical four wheel drive trains to all three manufacturers. The Willys "Quad" and the Ford "Pygmy" prototypes added their own changes and modifications to the basic Bantam design.  The Willys 'Quad' Prototype. This ultimately worked to Willys advantage when the weight limit was increased: it was the only vehicle that met the Army's power specifications. In fact, the Willys 60 horse power "Go Devil" engine, with 105 foot-pounds of torque not only exceeded the required power, but dwarfed Bantam's 83 and Ford's 85 pound-feet of torque. All three prototypes passed army testing satisfactorily, with changes being made to correct faults in the prototypes. The Army ordered 1500 units from each of the three companies. Ford started deliveries in April 1941 with Bantam and Willys a few weeks later.  The Ford 'Pygmy' Prototype Once delivered, they started a revolution in the use of small military motor vehicles in the U.S. Army. Motorcycles, solo and side car, were rendered obsolete almost immediately. In light of Bantam's shaky manufacturing and financial position, and the advantages of the Willys-Overland vehicle and their proven production capacity, the final mass production Army contract was awarded to Willys-Overland. The price was $749 each. Since the War Department required a large number of vehicles to be manufactured in a relatively short time, Willys-Overland granted the United States Government a non-exclusive license to allow another company to manufacture vehicles using Willys' specifications. The Army chose Ford as the second supplier, but building Jeeps to the Willys' design. Willys supplied Ford with a complete set of plans and specifications. Sadly, American Bantam, the creators of the first Jeep, spent the rest of the war building heavy duty trailers for the army and finally sold out in 1956. Willys registered Jeep as a trademark in 1950 but cannot claim that they designed the Jeep.  The final Jeep production model, a Willys MB (Model B). The Ford GPW was almost identical. By the time the United States entered the War in December 1941, Jeep production was in full swing. About 640,000 Jeeps were built in the four years until the end of the war in 1945. Over 360,000 of these were manufactured by Willys and the balance by Ford. This was about 18% of all the wheeled military vehicles built in the US during the War. Jeeps were used by every division of the U.S. Military and 144 Jeeps were supplied to every infantry regiment in the U.S. Army. Large numbers of Jeeps were shipped to the Allied Forces of Britain and Russia - nearly 30% of total Jeep production. An amphibious version was also produced called a Seep. They were not a military success as they were too small to be a good boat, and too cumbersome to be a good Jeep. Only about 18,000 were built by Ford.  A Ford GPA (Seep) Jeeps could be fitted with .30" or .50" calibre machine guns for combat. They were also widely modified for long range desert patrol, snow ploughing, telephone cable laying, saw milling, as fire fighting pumpers, field ambulances, tractors and, with suitable wheels, would even run on railway tracks.  MB or GPW with rocket launcher unit. Note second jeep with heavy MG in background. Jeeps could be loaded into transport aircraft for rapid deployment and were also small enough to fit into the large gliders used in the D-day invasion of Europe. General George C. Marshall, US Army Chief of Staff during World War II, and later US Secretary of State, described the Jeep as "America's greatest contribution to modern warfare". The tough, simple, go anywhere Jeep became the GI's best friend - second only to his rifle.  There is no way to know for certain where the name 'Jeep' came from, but it was slang for some time before World War II. The US Army motor pool used the word to describe any new vehicle received for testing. One of the most likely explanations for how the word was used for the Army's new four wheel drive car was from the character 'Eugene the Jeep', who was the creation of E.C. Segar, in the very widely read 'Popeye' comic strip. Eugene was small, able to move between dimensions and could solve seemingly impossible problems.  Eugene the jeep      |
Austrian Raoul Hafner began preliminary work on helicopter models in the mid 1920s, and in 1928 began the design of his first aircraft, the Hafner R.l helicopter Financed by the Scottish cotton millionaire, Major J. A. Coats, this had a comparatively short fuselage and a large diameter (9.14 m/30ft) three-bladed main rotor; power was provided by a 22 4 kW (30-hp) ABC Scorpion flat-twin piston engine. When tested at Vienna in 1930 it was soon found that the gyroscopic action of this rotor was too great and as a result, only a few brief hops were made.
Raoul Hafner's wartime work included the design and development of the Rotachute, a man carrying glider with a rotating wing. Towed by an aircraft to he~ghts of some 1220 m (4,000 ft), it could be piloted in any direction after release. This was seen as a stage in the development of a man carrying 'parachute' with a rotating wing that could be carried in an aircraft in a folded state and would deploy automatically when used in an emergency. Other wartime work was concentrated on the development of a Rotabuggy, basically a 'jeep'-type general-purpose military truck with an easily attached/detached rotary wing that would allow such vehicles to be towed and deployed behind enemy lines. A prototype was flown extensively during 1943-44, but did not become operational. In the postwar years, Raoul Hafner's great experience of rotating wings proved valuable to the Bristol and est;and aircraft companies
The first trials connected with the development of the Rotabuggy consisted of loading a Jeep or, more formally, a Willys Truck 4x4 model MB, with concrete and dropping it from heights up to 2.35m to ascertain the amount of g that could be absorbed without incurring damage. It was found that 11g could safely be accepted, and a two-bladed rotor with a dimeter of 12.40m was the fitted, and a streamlined tail fairing, tailplane and twin fins (no rudders) were applied, together with a "hanging" control column, a rotor tachometer and glider navigational instruments.
The Rotabuggy was first towed along the runway at high speed behind a 4.5l supercharged Bentley, eventually attaining towed airborne speeds up to 105kph IAS, the Rotabuggy becoming airborne for the first time on 16 November 1943. These trials took place at Sherburn-in-Elmet, near Leeds, where, eventually, the Rotabuggy was towed into the air behind a Whitley. The initial test behind the Whitley allegedly left much to be desired, the "hanging" control column threshing about and the "pilot" having to exert all his strength to maintain control.
The initial problems were progressively ironed out, and the general handling and flying qualities of the Rotabuggy were eventually described officially as "highly satisfactory", but the availability of vechicle-carrying gliders rendered further development unnecessary.
The work of the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment at Ringway, Manchester, on the Rotachute from 1940 onwards led to the suggestion that the free-wheeling autogyro principles employed could also be applied to larger loads. The designer, Raoul Hafner, suggested the Rotabuggy, a Jeep (or "Blitz Buggy") with rotors, amd the Rotatank, a similarly modified Valentine tank. A development contract was placed with the M.L. Aviation Company at White Waltham in 1942, covered by specification 10/42. Preliminary tests involved loading a Jeep with concrete and dropping it from heights of up to 7 ft. 8 in. (2.35 m.), demonstrating that the standarg vehicle could survive undamaged from impacts of up to 11g. A 46 ft. 8 in. (12.4 m.) dia. two-blade rotor was then fitted., as well as a streamiled tail fairing with twin rudderless fins. Other additions were perspex door panels, a 'hanging' rotor control next to the steering wheel and a rotor tachometer and glider navigational instruments.
The Rotabuggy, camouflaged, carrying RAF roundels and a prototype "P", was tow tested behind a 4 litre supercharged Bentley, and achieved gliding speeds of up to 65 mph (105 km/h) IAS. The first flight was made on November 16, 1943. Later, some flights were made behind a Whitley bomber from Sherbourne-in-Elmet. One witness described how she watched a Whitley take off with a Jeep in tow, circle and land. The Jeep, still in tow, did not touch down at the same time, and the witness realised that its occupants "were unhappy".
With the pilot holding the hanging control column and the driver clutching the steering wheel, the Jeep made a series of up and down movements, whilst the audience hoped it would stall on a 'down' rather than an 'up'. This it fortunately did, the driver taking over and driving flat-out after the Whitley, to which it remained attached. When it stopped, nobody got out for a while; the pilot was then assisted out and lay down beside the runway to recover. Apparently he was exhausted from trying to control the joystick, which had whipped in circles for the whole flight.
Apparently this flight was one of the worst, and the handling and flying qualities of the Rotabuggy were officially recorded as "highly satisfactory", especially when large tail fins had been fitted and greater rotor blade articulation provided. However, development of Horsa II and Hamilcar vehicle carrying gliders made further development of the idea unnecessary.
Good Morning Samwise, what a heartwarming story for a Friday Morning. Thanks for sharing.
The bizarre and mystical Jeep arrived in Segar's strip on March 20th, 1936. Jeeps are animals which exist in the third and fourth dimension simultaneously, giving them abilities beyond the comprehension of mortal men. Eugene can walk through walls, teleport, and tell the future (he can't speak, so it has to be a yes/no question). Unfortunely, Jeeps need to eat orchids to survive, and they're so darn expensive...
LOL I love the Jeep Grill signature.
My next project will be an MJ, CJ, or flat-fender. I was tempted by a Willy's panel wagon, but I'm holding out for a sweet jeeper.
Ah yes the famous "Jeepneys".
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