WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?" (answered)

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Old No7
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WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?" (answered)

Post by Old No7 »

Off topic, but just for fun...

That's a P47 Thunderbolt -- an early model "Jug" -- that much most of us will know...

Notice the screwdriver in front of each wheel chock...

* "Where and why did that practice originate?" :?:

I'll be traveling a couple of days on business -- and I'll check back in later this week to see how you guys did... :wink:

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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by Pitchy »

Seems to me it kept the chock in place. :)
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by jnyork »

Notice that the aircraft is parked on PSP (pierced steel planking) used for runways and parking areas. It is slippery as owl poop when wet. Those are pins driven into the ground through holes in the PSP to keep the chocks from slipping.
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by Pete44ru »

.

+2 - the Marston Mat metal decking (PSP - perforated steel planking) seen in the pic won't keep the chock(s) from sliding if/when wind pushed the aircraft against it, like tarmac would hold the chocks.

The Marston Mat was invented/developed shortly before WWII.

.
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by retmech »

Speaking of chocks and wind. I was stationed in Newfoundland in 1964. Three Nave P2V's stayed overnight one night and we in Transit Maintenance parked, chocked and sandbagged the chocks. We had winds in the 50 mph range that shifted after we parked them. The Sargent told us to go out and "weathervane" (turn them into the wind) the P2V's with our tug. We came back to the shop about 10 minutes later and he asked us what the hell we were doing. We told him the 3 aircraft weathervaned themselves, all we had to do was move the chocks and bags to where the wheels were. All 3 jumped the chocks and luckily no damage!
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by Lefty Dude »

Yep; the chocks will move, saw it happen many times. Even on the tarmac.
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by GunnyMack »

And that's why aircraft is TIED down as well as chocked for long term.
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by Nath »

jnyork wrote: Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:37 pm Notice that the aircraft is parked on PSP (pierced steel planking) used for runways and parking areas. It is slippery as owl poop when wet. Those are pins driven into the ground through holes in the PSP to keep the chocks from slipping.
Yep, owl poop, nothing more slippy in all creation :D

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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by Malamute »

I thought deer guts on a doorknob was the standard for most slippery?
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by marlinman93 »

Marston Mat is indeed slippery, and even more so if it gets wet and muddy! I worked as an electrician in a steel foundry and they had literally tons of the stuff laid down outside in the scrap area. You could easily end up on your tail if you weren't careful out there on a rainy day!
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by Nath »

Malamute wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2018 11:47 am I thought deer guts on a doorknob was the standard for most slippery?
That's second most buddy :D
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by Old No7 »

Interesting replies above -- thanks for playing!

And the answer is...

The screwdriver in front of the wheel chock was a visual clue to the pilot that the aircraft was armed, fueled and all ready to go -- just in case a "scramble" was called while the Crew Chief or Flight Chief were elsewhere.

Those images were taken at Debden, England where my late father served with the 4th Fighter Group. Debden was an active RAF base hosting the famed Eagle Squadrons (American pilots flying Spitfires, serviced by mostly American ground crews) until more and more Yanks came on and the group transferred to the US Army Air Corp and Thunderbolts. My dad liked the early days the best saying "We had much better officers and food under the Brits", but then again, he loved the mighty P51 Mustangs that arrived when the P47s were phased out.

Anyway, "the screwdriver in front of the wheel chock" was a holdover from the RAF; most likely, the 4th may have been one of the few 8th Air Force fighter groups to continue the practice. "Scrambles" weren't called as often as they were back in the early days of the Battle of Britain, as most flights were scheduled to coordinate with the slower outbound bombers; but that holdover from the RAF continued through the end of the war.

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Note the "E" on the chock matches the "E" on the aircraft, coded "WD E". ("WD" was code for "three hundred thirty fifth" squadron by all other groups in the 8th, but at Debden, the group was always referred to as "three-three-five" squadron -- yet another holdover from their days spent with the RAF and the Brits.)
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?" (answered)

Post by gamekeeper »

Interesting snipit, no one would want to take off against the Luftwaffe without fuel or ammo, makes perfect sense.
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?"

Post by Griff »

Malamute wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2018 11:47 amI thought deer guts on a doorknob was the standard for most slippery?
And here I've been thinking it was snot on a Louisiana swamp. :)
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?" (answered)

Post by Pitchy »

The screwdriver in front of the wheel chock was a visual clue to the pilot that the aircraft was armed, fueled and all ready to go -- just in case a "scramble" was called while the Crew Chief or Flight Chief were elsewhere.
Very interesting 8)
We just left a beer bottle in front of the chock to let the pilot know he was armed and ready and the plane had been fully inspected. :lol:
Just kidding. :)
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Re: WWII Aircraft Quiz: "Why The Screwdriver?" (answered)

Post by Marvin S »

Pitchy wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2018 3:43 pm
The screwdriver in front of the wheel chock was a visual clue to the pilot that the aircraft was armed, fueled and all ready to go -- just in case a "scramble" was called while the Crew Chief or Flight Chief were elsewhere.
Very interesting 8)
We just left a beer bottle in front of the chock to let the pilot know he was armed and ready and the plane had been fully inspected. :lol:
Just kidding. :)
We placed a sign that said COCKED in the window.
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