CAP Talk

General Discussion => Hysterical History => Topic started by: Smithsonia on December 18, 2008, 12:57:23 PM

Title: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on December 18, 2008, 12:57:23 PM
I fly a Taylorcraft L2. I love this little bird. Great view, great flying (if a little precarious) we do just fine together. Mine is a former Army then CAP plane.

I am interested in the L-2 through L-5s flown by the CAP from WW2 through the 1950s. Manuals, pictures, stories, old pilots, operational protocols, anything you got, I'd love to get a copy. I'm trying to preserve and codify the stories of these planes service in the Patrol. In a few months I'll share stories - Like the procedure for dropping homing pigeons for communications -- stuff like that.

But, first let us centralize some of this information and I'm volunteering to be Liaison Airplane Central.
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on December 25, 2008, 05:11:51 PM
For your Christmas viewing enjoyment. Liaison planes in flight. None of these are mine. BUT, the L2s look like mine. Wonderful aviation history and wonderful pieces of machinery. Merry Christmas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lISH-4-9C8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvCncP5x_KA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_ttMSerbc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqwSeb3hedk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiXR3nCZyzQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiY-ddkIaWQ&feature=related
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: PHall on December 25, 2008, 09:28:08 PM
We had an L-5 in my squadron when I was a cadet in 1970. IIRC we were still flying it until about 1974 or so when all of the tail draggers were taken away to be sold.
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on December 25, 2008, 10:45:37 PM
In Colorado we have the low pass routes marked by black diamonds on the State Aeronautic's Board
Map. The maps were surveyed during WW2 as part of the CAP Courier Service. These same routes were flown after the war and resurveyed. These routes were personally surveyed by Maj. Gen. John Curry (our first national commander then retired and flying as the head of the Colorado Aeronautics Board) and then still active CAP Lt. Col. Bill Madsen.

The planes that flew the survey were all CAP 65HP Tayorcraft and Luscombe Liaison planes just like those in the films. I fly the same planes today. I can't believe the courage it took to just do the surveys. These guys were obviously better pilots than me... or just very much bolder. Whichever is the case, I can't help but appreciate their work. If you fly little airplanes in Colorado... you fly along side, if separated by 60 years, these two giants of the Civil Air Patrol. These men surveyed Wyoming and much of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico also.
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: BillB on December 26, 2008, 01:01:49 AM
Tried to send an L-4 picture, but ended up with the dread red X


Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on December 26, 2008, 05:32:00 AM
send to me at ...:)(ed@e-obrien.com)) ... I'm building a a reference library. I have a wonderful article from the Grand Junction, CO. paper in 1958 talking about Lt. So and so taking command of the CAPs newest and high powered super plane the new and improved Piper Cub with a 95 hp engine. 
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on December 29, 2008, 05:01:16 PM
Here's the list of L-Birds. Many of these became CAP planes of the 40s-70s even the 90s when you consider the L-19.

Army  AAC/AAF  Navy     Civillian     Mfg.     nickname     Approx No
L-1    O-49    GQ-2    none    Stinson    Vigilant    250
L-2    O-57    GT-1    DC-65 Taylorcraft    Tee-Cart    1500
L-3    O-58    JR-2    TC-65 Aeronca    Defender    3000
L-4    O-59    NE-1    J-3    Piper Cub    5250*
L-5    O-62    YO-1    none    Stinson    Sentinel    4000
L-6    O-63    none    S1B1    Interstate    Cadet    350
L-7    none    none    90AF    Monocoupe    Universal    32
L-8    none    none    S1A1    Interstate    Cadet    15
L-16    none    none    7-EC    Aeronca    Champ    600
L-17    none    none    NA-154    Ryan/Navion    none    300
L-18    none    none    none    Piper    Cub Special    1,541
L-19    OE-1    none    MOD 305    Cessna    Birddog    3500
L-20    U-6    none DHC-2    DeHavilland    Beaver    1000
L-21    none    none    none    Piper Super Cub    736
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: JAFO78 on January 03, 2009, 10:49:18 AM
Ed, are you looking for just CAP planes or photos of Liaison planes? I have access to web site that has the biggest aviation photo database on the 'Net 1,364,335 photos and counting! Its is free access, but also paid membership. I would be willing to do some research and send you the information on where to find the photos.

Just let me know. Some photos go back to the 1930. But quality of photos from back then not too good. I just checked they have 15 photos that date pre 1930 including WW1. Oldest looks like 1908, from France B&W.  8)

This is an aviation and airliner web site.
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: BillB on January 03, 2009, 12:11:54 PM
Wasn't the L-21 the Navion?
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on January 03, 2009, 03:51:33 PM
Bill;
Read all about the Navion Rangemaster at http://www.l-17.org/  L-21 has always been Super Cub.
The little L-Birds are my primary interest. Depending on when you check, there is a L (Liaison version) T (for Trainer) or O (Observer) version of most every plane in the AF inventory. For the most part CAP L-birds have been given little, or less attention.
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on January 03, 2009, 03:55:23 PM
Rob;
I'm interested in CAP photos and the little L-birds (roughly 1945-1975) as those are the planes and flying activities that seem to have the less history written, fewer stories told, and not that many pictures either, at least that I can find. Let me know if you find much, any, something.
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: JAFO78 on January 05, 2009, 04:02:06 PM
I did a search of the web site and all they had was 150 photos of current CAP planes. Nothing from the time period you are looking for. I hope I did not get your hopes up too high. Too many people photograph the same plane all the time. I will keep looking and see what I can find.
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on January 05, 2009, 04:17:11 PM
Thanks Rob;
You can see the problem. "Back in the day" we did SAR, dropped pigeons for communications, hand propped airplanes, work without radios... giving hand signals and dropping notes from the plane. Learned to fly 65HP planes in the high mountains of the west. Landed on roads. Got gas from automobile filling stations in remote areas. Worked with road maps as much with aerial maps. Practiced off airport landings for real. Slept in planes while stranded in the boonies. Bought AV gas at 30 cents a gallon. And, got the mission done. Good stuff and I'm looking for pix to go with the stories. Thanks!
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: PlaneFlyr on January 13, 2009, 02:28:28 PM
Go to the Library of Congress print catalog, and type in "Civil Air Patrol" in the search block.  They have lots of good photos of Bar Harbor MN, Corpus Christi TX, Suffolk NY.  The search says 287 pictures.
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html

You may also find a few in the National Archives and Records Administration website.  nara.gov.

Good luck.
Title: Re: Liaison Planes and the Patrol
Post by: Smithsonia on January 15, 2009, 03:18:19 PM
Thanks PlaneFlyr. I appreciate the resource. I've been to the site many time... but think most of these images are new to me.