As bomber operations began to take place at airfields across southern England from the summer of 1942, the vehicles used to service their Liberators and Flying Fortresses slowly changed from the standard RAF support vehicles to specialist US Air Force equipment.
From tankers to bomb carts, Bedfords were quickly replaced by Chevrolets, Autocar U-7144-T 4x4 tractor units and F-1 fuel trailers.
The U-7144-T was used extensively by the US military from 1942 and could certainly be found at most if not all USAAF airfields in the UK - especially in conjunction with the standard F-1 fuel trailer. As many aircraft required daily refuelling, it was common for each base to have several examples of the U-7144-T available at any one time.
The Chevrolet M6 bomb duty truck could carry a small number of bombs on its own, but was more commonly used in conjunction with the M5 bomb trailer.
In fact, it could tow up to five fully loaded M5 bomb trailers, which was good considering the number of missions USAAF bomber crews had to perform.
The Cushman Model 39 Package Car - This lightweight, three-wheeled utility vehicle was used for a variety of light duties on USAAF bases. An evolution of a motor scooter design, the single wheel at the rear provided propulsion for the vehicle, allowing a small cargo box to be attached to the front.
Plastic model building set:
- Cushman Model 39 Package Car: length 34 mm, width 17 mm
- Chevrolet M6 Bomb Service Truck: length 74 mm, width 25 mm
- M5 Bomb Trailer: length 77 mm, width 33 mm
- Autocar U-7144-T 4x4 Tractor Unit: length 72 mm, width 33 mm
- F-1 Fuel Trailer: length 129 mm, width 36 mm
Scale 1:72
unbuilt / unpainted
Paint and glue not included
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