Great War truck Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Yes, that looks great. Love to see more photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 (edited) Hi Steve, Quality is poor as I have lost my camera and the image has been taken on a phone camera I will take some relevant pictures next week. Again looking at previous posts and interrogating the web found that three other companies produced aeroplane trailers. E and H Hora London as mentioned by Runflat and also Lacre as speculated by Reherring, amazing! Commercial Motor July 1916 The light two-wheeled trailers, as used to convey aeroplanes, should have other applications commercially. You can get quotations from the Lacre Motor Car Co. Ltd., 78, York Road, N., E. and H. Hora, Ltd., Peckham Road, S.E., or B. N: Taylor, 4, Rosemont Road, Finchley Road, N.W. ' Also Hora's Trailer. The actual photograph reproduced on this page is of an interesting type of aeroplane trailer, of which large batches are being built for the Admiralty by E. and H Hora, Ltd. Other trailers have been built with box sides, open tops and ends, and wire wheels with Warland rims. The platform and axle width of the latest type is stated to be ample to carry two biplanes in sections. The photograph shows one of the first batches This trailer is early, recessed boarding and without metal capping joint stiffeners, also missing splashboards. I still cannot understand just what is going on between the wheels above the axle. Here is a nice piki Edited October 18, 2013 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughman Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Lacre. Is that the company that at least into the 1980s produced Road sweepers. We used to have a couple of Bedford based Lacre Sweepers for airfield work at Bruggen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Hi Steve, I still cannot understand just what is going on between the wheels above the axle. I've made this comment recently on the Thorny thread - you might be over-solving this particular riddle. :angel: In that particular location, pretty much the only thing those tabs and links can be for is to tie something up,or tie it down. Axle? Engine? something else? If I look at the trailer, and it does look very nice, the other thing that strikes me is that it has a deck fore and aft, but a gap over the axle in the area where those brackets are. They have to be tie-up or tie-down brackets of some kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted October 20, 2013 Author Share Posted October 20, 2013 (edited) As you have guessed I have spent some hours trying to figure out what the brackets are for, this has been under consideration for some months as outlined in previous posts The open centre section is no doubt there to assist lashing of the aeroplane. Some images have temporary boarding so the trailer could be used as a coffin carrier. For me the brackets form a cradle each side of the draw bar tube perhaps for additional stowage boxes or tailplane support boxes the as seen on a number of images with aircraft. I have attached images along with corresponding drawings done today showing what I believe the brackets look like (in Grey). There are also two sets of chains adjacent to each bracket? Any ideas for consideration please. View on centre section View from underside Here is an image with the chains local to the brackets which can be seen if you look carefully Any ideas? Tom Edited October 20, 2013 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSM Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Tom maybe a note to Peter Jackson's (film director fame) crew in NZ may come up with something. Given your undoubted expertise in matters RFC MT etc. you may arrange a contra deal or trade or maybe some good film prop advice at the very least. They have a very professional site. You never know if you don't ask as they say!! ....Rod http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 (edited) Thanks for the heads up re Peter Jackson. Here are some images taken this weekend prior to painting and without mudguards. Still some detail work to do to complete. If you look at the lower image you will see the telescopic draw bar at its shortest with the extra over and beyond the rear axle. It looks so simple yet has taken an inordinate amount of time to go from period images to an accurate working example. Tom Edited November 11, 2013 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 What a wonderful piece of work! I am looking forward to seeing it in the flesh! Cheers! Steve :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 A bit of experimental archeology now? Stick loads on and see how they tie and balance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Crosbie Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Might the chains be to hold wheel chocks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 (edited) Might the chains be to hold wheel chocks? The Chains are still a mystery. Chocks would be a good idea. The images I have show well used trailers where any unnecessary, superfluous parts which could be more useful elsewhere would go missing soon after deployment! Chocks would fall into this category and so I would be lucky to find a trailer image with chocks still attached. The brackets between the wheels I am now thinking are to take Lewis Gun Transit boxes. British aircraft were often fitted with this type of gun and the box dimensions correspond to the available space. You never see a box in situ, as most photos have German planes. It of course is difficult to see a box in this position anyway. Tom Edited November 11, 2013 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Congratulations. A very impressive trailer. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Cracking job. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSM Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Mate, a top job. The attention to detail by restorers in the Pre WW2 section is a very worthy and commendable effort. Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 The chains look very like the type used to attach braking wedges on horse drawn vehicles. The wedge fits under the wheel and drags going down hill, and stops rollback if going up hill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAFMT Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 A true work of art, glad to see you got it finished. Although you're missing the Albatros! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 Thank you for your postings Can anyone help with correct markings? Few have visible marks here are the most interesting. Tom Looks like: H2 FLIGHT 988 ? Rear trailer number 20 220 on Reinforcement plate Triangle within circle? on mudguard Comments please Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeePig Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 The chains look very like the type used to attach braking wedges on horse drawn vehicles. The wedge fits under the wheel and drags going down hill, and stops rollback if going up hill. That is what I was thinking as well. But where is the wedge? Surely it would be stored on the trailer somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 H2 FLIGHT 988 Here are two sources of basic information I have come across: It will be observed that most of the Lorries and Tenders are in groups of three or multiples of three—due to the fact that the transport is thus entirely separate for each of the three flights. The composition of an RFC squadron varied depending on its designated role, although the Commanding Officer was usually a Major (in a largely non-operational role), with the Squadron 'Flights' (annotated A, B, C etc.) the basic tactical and operational unit, each commanded by a Captain 988 is the trailer number, seems plausible FLIGHT looks good H2 here is the problem Any ideas what H2 actually says bearing in mind the above? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Though I'm struggling to make out the number, and bat-myopia isn't helping, could it be a Q rather than a 2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 I see a 'Q' too. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 I see a 'Q' too. David Good call, I will go along with HQ FLIGHT 988 until an alternative comes along. Now what number is my trailer to be? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted December 2, 2013 Author Share Posted December 2, 2013 Good call, I will go along with HQ FLIGHT 988 until an alternative comes along. Now what number is my trailer to be? Tom Update: Q it is! Here is a quote from a recent RAF paper I read tonight: From its inception, the RFC was intended to be employed in direct support of the Navy and the Army. Not only was the organisation of the Military Wing of the RFC tailored for deployed operations alongside the Expeditionary Force, but the flight and squadron system was specifically chosen to provide for flexibility and ease of handling in the field. Each squadron comprising three flights of four aeroplanes and a headquarters flight was to be a homogeneous unit, with its own field repair stores, and transport services, and self-contained and could be detached for short periods. This organisation survived the test of two world wars and is still recognisable today. Just keep digging until you find what you want to read! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 Markings Can anyone please explain the round white circle on the Leyland rear and the trailer mudguard: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughman Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 the circles wouldn't be for night time convoy driving would they? Like the white patch applied to the diff or a plate bolted underneath on landrovers etc in the 70s. Or would this be before that was developed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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