question Questions re: Federal C2 wrecker / Diamond T wrecker

[richcarrick]

Hello

 

 

I'm new to these forums. I'm a model maker and general military enthusiast.

 

 

I wanted to ask some very specific questions & after often referring to this site for reference photos I decided to join - hopefully you guys can help me!

 

 

I am building a B-17 from scratch in 1/32. I am going to depict a crashed / recovered fuselage on a trailer, being pulled by a suitable vehicle.

 

 

Unfortunately no-one currently makes a kit of the Federal C2 / 606 wrecker and trailer that I needed - so I have decided to use a Diamond T Wrecker instead.

 

 

I can quite easily make the 40 foot trailer from scratch. What I don't have is enough good quality reference photos of it - I'm aware of the www.twinbeech.com website that has some nice photos, and the website's owner has sent me some pics of a trailer he's in the process of buying....but I'd really appreciate more!

 

 

So - the first part of my request is - please does anyone have photos of the 40 foot trailer, especially close ups, and also of the converter dolly?

 

 

Can you tell me if the converter dolly was similar to those made by other companies - for example Fruehauf? There are plenty of images of Fruehauf dollys on the net....

 

 

Second part of my request - assuming I also make the converter dolly for my model - would the Diamond T wrecker be capable of towing a load as heavy as a B-17 fuselage (minus wings, tailplanes etc) ? I seem to recall that the Diamond T wrecker could PULL (not drag with its booms but pull) loads of up to 25,000 pounds, which I make out as just over 11 tonnes.

 

 

Third part of my request....would it be realistic to even show a Diamond T in this scenario? I want to show the diorama scene on a USAAF airfield in the UK during WWII. Is it beyond the realms of possibility that the Air Force guys roped in local US Army units to help out? Did the US Army even have any Diamond T wreckers in the UK at that time? Failing that, did the British? I'm aware that the Brits used Queen Mary transporters for moving aircraft parts around - but there's no reason a Queen Mary would be on a US Airfield - hence my use of the Diamond T.

 

 

Fourth part of my request - if the Diamond T is completely unrealistic in that scenario - what about the Federal 94x43 tractor (of which kits are available).

 

 

Finally - can you guys tell me what colour USAAF vehicles and trailers were finished in during the War, and specifically for vehicles based in the UK?

 

 

I really appreciate your assistance on this!

 

 

best wishes

 

 

Rich

[N.O.S.]

Yep, the Federal and Autocar 4x4 tractors were used by USAAF in UK and were regularly seen coupled to the C-2 trailers - just google both with 'USAAF' and you should get plenty of images.

 

The DT969 wrecker was certainly in use by USAAF - though I've never seen a pic of one pulling a dolly and C-2 trailer (of either length).

 

Colour was O.D. with varying degrees of white black-out markings on wings and bumpers. Check out the 'Some Real USAAF Heavyweight Vehicles' thread on here for plenty of inspiration.

 

If you fancy having a go at a scratch built Federal wrecker, the Ward laFrance chassis would be a really great starting point, as both drivelines utilised same axles and rear bogie suspension (the rear bogie axle spacing was slightly different on Federal). Reduces the build to front/rear chassis and front suspension, cab body and crane if you can use the whole chassis

 

A scratch-built 1/32 B-17? Guess you too have got fed up waiting for the former Wingscale model? :-D :rolleyes:

Edited February 15, 2013 by N.O.S.

[N.O.S.]

Are you sure there isn't a 40ft C-2 trailer kit? ISTR seeing a photo of one somewhere.

 

Here you are (literally!!!): http://www.network54.com/Forum/47211/thread/1330509377/Hello.....help+required+with+heavy+transporters!

 

And what they said about the crane on the Real Models is correct - that's not far off the Federal version (later ones had straight boom). Not sure how the AA WLF, real Models 8144 and the Federal cranes differ from memory. Can get you some pics or diagrams maybe.

 

There's the 5th wheel coupling too in the 8144 kit, so all that would give you most of the gear, just the cab now.....

 

Come on now - we expect to see photos of the build appearing here within the week.........:cool2:

Edited February 15, 2013 by N.O.S.

[N.O.S.]

....A scratch-built 1/32 B-17? Guess you too have got fed up waiting for the former Wingscale model? :-D :rolleyes:

 

Apparently not far off release by HK Models........maybe by end of April?

[richcarrick]

hi - thanks for your replies. I actually forgot I registered on here so cheers - it's cleared up some questions I had..

 

I am currently scratchbuilding the trailer & what I really need now are photos of the dolly converter, both seperate & attached to the trailer - can anyone help? I can only find two images on the entire internet!

[N.O.S.]

The two types of converter dolly:

 

Fixed 5th Wheel

 

Pivoting 5th Wheel

[richcarrick]

nice one - thanks!

[N.O.S.]

This is the only other photo I've found of a C-2 trailer with dolly (other than that 25ft stacked on 40ft photo). Also note the fixed 5th wheel dolly has a landing leg at the rear end to park it with no trailer.

 

 

[richcarrick]

excellent thank you

[Dave]

In Roger Freeman's book "airfields of the eighth" there is a picture of a Diamond T wrecker parked outside the control tower at Bassingbourn with a B-17 taxiing.

It's on p.28

[richcarrick]

In Roger Freeman's book "airfields of the eighth" there is a picture of a Diamond T wrecker parked outside the control tower at Bassingbourn with a B-17 taxiing.

It's on p.28

 

 

Thanks Dave

 

i did actually find another pic of a Diamond T working in a bomb dump.

 

I finished my model / diorama in October last year in time for the IPMS UK Nationals, where I took Gold in my class

 

thanks for the suggestion though