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1943 Piper L-4B WWII Artillery Fire Control aircraft

O

O-1Driver

Charter Member 2011
Guys,

I though you would enjoy seeing some of the original documents on the 1943 Piper L-4BView attachment 11265 that I just purchased.

This is the original Bill of Sale from the Army to the first Civilian owner, January, 1945. The plane was sold for the princely sum of $111.00!!!

Steve
 
Here is a photo of my aircraft "Janey" without the BC-659 tactical radio installed. The 2nd photo is of another L-4 with the radio equipment installed.

It is my hope that I can convince either Ted or Greg to build a model of this aircraft for several reasons.

1. the L-4 was responsible for the destruction of more German troops, guns, and vehicles than any other Allied tactical aircraft.
2. the L-4 was the most feared tactical aircraft among German troops and the German artillery would not fire on Allied forces when a L-4 was in the area for fear of giving away their position and bringing immediate and fearful destruction down on them.
3. the L-4 participated in numerous amphibious landings in Italy and France and was flown from both escort carriers as well as LST ships converted to carriers for invasion use.
4. This particular aircraft "Janey" flew all the way thru the war from Italy to Germany and was used by General Patton on numerous occasions.
5. It was also used by the RAF and had some stunning paint schemes applied.
6. it is fun as heck to fly and can get in and out of the smallest landing areas.
7. A L-4 shot down a Storch near the end of the war when a L-4 crew member put a .38 cal shell thru the prop of the Storch .
8. Janey was also credited with the "kill" of a ME-109 in Italy. The L-4 came under attack while directing artie fire and lured the 109 in to a steep ravine, did a 180 and the ME-109 crashed in to a steep hillside, unable to turn sharply enough and climb out..
View attachment 11281View attachment 11282

I think John could do a bang up job on a skin for this important historical aircraft and it should be in ETO due to it's significance.

This one is out for FS http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=l4grasshopper

Steve
 
Congrats Steve

Glad you were able to make the deal. I know you really wanted Janey. Now post up some pics with you in fatigues, campaign hat, binoculars hanging around your neck and of course that old unlit stogie hangin from your lips. :)

Bob
 
Among the innovative developments that speeded construction of the Piper L-4's was the "Ferris Wheel" in the finishing room. Similar in ways to the regular fairground wheel, the device had the capacity of twelve wings and six fuselages. AS the wheel rotated, workmen sprayed the units with dope and paint. By the time a unit completed a cycle, it had dried and was ready for a second painting. Piper was among the first to introduce an overhead conveyor system to step up production. Serving as air observation posts, L-4's had at their command the most formidable array of guns in the history of warfare.

Picture History Of WWII American Aircraft Production
Joshua Stoff
Click to expand...

I found this interesting as we're currently installing just this sort of system in our Chicago plant to produce one of our products.
 
rbp71854 said:
Congrats Steve

Glad you were able to make the deal. I know you really wanted Janey. Now post up some pics with you in fatigues, campaign hat, binoculars hanging around your neck and of course that old unlit stogie hangin from your lips. :)

Bob
Click to expand...

Thanks Bob,

I am hoping to entice Ted to take a vacation in Florida and spend a few hours flying the L-4. If he ever flew one I know he would want to model it.:)

That would be an interesting experiment to have a builder actually fly a plane he had modeled and compare the actual FM to the one he put in the model. We could have a write up here on SOH with videos. I think the test flights should include wing overs, stalls and spins.

Steve
 
View attachment 11427
stumpjumper1 said:
YOU FLYING HER BACK HOME?
Click to expand...

Hey Mike,

No I am having her shipped. They will take the wings off and bring her down in a large enclosed trailer. I am too old to fly it from Ohio to Florida. It would be an 800 statute mile trip.

Here are a couple more pictures, the tail shot shows the unit markings for 3rd Infantry Division, 9th Field Artillery Battalion.

Janey flew off an LST "carrier" during Operation Torch, the invasion of Southern France.View attachment 11426View attachment 11425

Steve
 
Janey was the first L-4 off followed by the other L-4s in 1:45 intervals. When Shultz landed just inland from the Beach he landed in a mine field but did not set off a single mine.View attachment 11433

"Here is the photo of LST-906 with Capt. Alfred "Dutch" Schultz as pilot of 'Janey' the L4B Piper Cub artillery spotting plane. This information comes from Dutch Schultz's book "Janey: A Little Plane in a Big War". Dutch was the Pilot of the plane that my Dad flew in and took pictures for the 3rd Division. I met him last year and he remembered my Dad from more than 55 years ago. The Seabees converted the LST-906 into a homemade aircraft carrier, which was used in the Invasion of Southern France at St. Tropez."
 
SHE IS NICE FOR SURE STEVE, WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE IT DOWN YOUR WAY ONE DAY AND GET YOU TO TAKE ME UP IN HER, DIDNT KNWO IF YOU WERE FLYIGNHER BACK I KNOW BOWMAN FIELD WOUDL HAVE BEEN A POSSBALE STOPP AND WOUDL HAVE WORKED OUT SOME ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOU
 
stumpjumper1 said:
SHE IS NICE FOR SURE STEVE, WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE IT DOWN YOUR WAY ONE DAY AND GET YOU TO TAKE ME UP IN HER, DIDNT KNWO IF YOU WERE FLYIGNHER BACK I KNOW BOWMAN FIELD WOUDL HAVE BEEN A POSSBALE STOPP AND WOUDL HAVE WORKED OUT SOME ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOU
Click to expand...

Mike Old Friend, thanks for that offer. You have an open invitation to come down and visit any time you would like and fly the L-4.

Steve
 
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