Aeronut

These are the two plates refered to. I was one of the aerial delivery trials engineers at Boscombe Down from 1987 to 2002 and when told to tidy out the office I couldn't bring myself to throw this sort of thing away. You might also like the before and after shots of the Halo MSP I mentioned. It went straight in with only the extractor/stabiliser parachute deployed - someone forgot to remove the safety pins from the hitefinders that were supposed to release the main parachutes.

This is the page from the 1950 AATDC catalogue of Airborne Forces equipment with the origins of both the MSP and the HSP

I've just found this thread and I may be able to add some detail. The missing link between the Crash Pan system and the MSP was the Paratechnicon, this was a fully faired in stressed platform with an airbag landing system that was developed for the Halifax and enlarged for the Hastings. The earliest reference to the MSP I have is in a 1950 AADTC catalogue when it describes the 7000 lb stressed platform, which as has been mentioned was developed by dropping from the USAF C-119; I also have the AP for the C-119 MSP installation. The MSP did die with the K model Herc going out of service although adding outriggers to widen it for the Dash 4a side guidance of the J model was contemplated. I have somewhere photos of a HALO MSP trial that went wrong which will be of interest to those who think Pink Panther Landrovers are cool - not after a freefall of 12000 ft without the main parachutes deploying they're not.:nut:

Relocation to Larkhill would permit live firings for the public much like the much missed Artillery days.

The revamp of IWM lambeth is so bad it will win awards. I've suggested to the curator of my local military museum to take a visit to see what NOT to do to theirs.

From what I can find out they were dropped from 12000 ft and the hitefinders set for 2000 ft. The trouble is that this Maldrop and others meant that the project never went into service and like other failed good ideas before and since it never got written up. This lack of recording dead ends is frustrating, best illustrated by the single reference I have to having to pack a parachute in the street outside the GQ Woking factory because it was so large. Its size was due to it being intended for the Welman midget submarine. Can I find any reference to parachuting a Submarine other than this single one about the parachute -No.

Here's a couple of more recent photos from my archive of an A&AEE trial drop. The before and after shots from a HALO MSP drop where someone forgot to remove the safety pins from the hitefinders. And yes that is (or was) a Pink Panther Landy.

Hi my name's Alastair and as my webname says I'm nuts about all things aircraft. However, after 16 years testing Aerial Delivery systems I also have an interest in vehicles and other things that can fall out of aircraft. I've also over time collected a reasonable archive which are mostly reports from the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment, covering amongst other things the development of the crating for the Welbike and using its container as a trailer, the airdrop crate for the RE Flying Flea and then there's the airdrop of Jeeps and Six pounder antitank guns.