RAF battery trolley for P-51 Mustang

[piper19]

Hello all,

I was reading an article about USAAF Mustang mechanics during WW2, in the european theatre. Apparently they never started their P-51 engines on aircraft battery alone, but with an external battery trolley connected to the right side fuselage. The battery trolley was lend from the RAF, and was described as having "big iron cast wheels". I can find a lot of photos for a "RAF accumulator" or "RAF battery trolley" on the net using google, but can anyone confirm what trolley was used exactly.

It makes sense that it was a RAF trolley, since many equipment was compatible between RAF-USAAF. But I'm unable to find a picture of a Mustang using the RAF trolley...

[dogsbody]

I don't recall ever seeing a picture of a trolley acc with " large iron wheels " before. I would guess that the USAAF got whatever the RAF was using at the time. You would probably do better by searching your Mustang refs, to see if there are any photos with a trolley in them.

Chris

[dnl42]

There were two accumulator trolley wheel styles on that I've seen, a solid flat disk with 3 or 4 lug nuts (bolts?) and a stamped wheel with 3 or 4 lug nuts and 12 lightening holes. The tire looks identical for either wheel. There was a Teknics 1/48 resin kit with the flat disk and 4 lugs. There was also a Monogram Pro Modeller 1/48 Ground Support Equipment box that had the accumulator trolley among the RAF, USAAF, & Luftwaffe bits--it too had the flat wheel and 4 lugs. Finally, there's another kit I've seen (unsure of scale, but looks to be at least 1/48) with the stamped wheel and 4 lugs. According to Google, Flightpath has one in 1/72; I'd be surprised Airfix doesn't also have the trolley in 1/72.

As for color, I've only found discussion of the RAF coloring. While the Pro Modeller kit claims PRU Blue (as does Tamiya for the RAF Tilley), see this post.

HTH

Edited August 24, 2013 by David N Lombard

[dogsbody]

Are you looking for a particular scale, piper19?

Chris

[piper19]

I'm going for the 1/48. Lucky I found the Revell ground support equipment box in my spare stash! I think I will add a scratchbuilt small engine on top, which the Revell kit lacks. The article I spoke about mentions this engine.