Sunday, September 14, 2014

C-One-Oh-Boom

The C-109 was a variant of the treacherous and unloved C-87. The C-87 was a lousy cargo airplane. The Army modified over 200 B-24Js to become gasoline tankers- the C-109, or, as the pilots called it, the C-One-Oh-Boom.  Gene Autry flew them over the Hump.


If you want to read about what happens when a halfway decent bomber is made into a crappy transport, go read "Fate is the Hunter". Or re-read it, because why haven't you read it by now, people?

The Army got rid of those pigs as soon as they had enough C-46s and C-54s to do the job.
on or about

3 comments:

  1. Deadstick9/15/2014 6:27 PM

    I'm told the bomber version wasn't all that great in the blowing up department either...lots of fuel leaks. When they had to transfer fuel, they'd open the bomb bay to keep it aired out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chuck Pergiel10/06/2014 4:48 AM

    I've started reading "Fate is the Hunter" and he mentions carrying a "mail gun". Do you have any idea what he is talking about?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Comrade Misfit10/06/2014 8:57 AM

    Yes. Those who transported mail were once required to be armed. The airmail pilots in the `20s in their mail planes all carried guns. The airline routes in the `30s were all mail routes (it was the fees from the Post Office that kept the airlines from going broke), so the pilots were required to carry guns. TWA bought enough guns to have a standard-issue gun for that airline in 1931.

    I'm not sure when the requirement was ended.

    ReplyDelete

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