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Early Air-to-Air Refueling Procedure
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:58 pm
by dales
The history of aerial refueling is pure nuts. Back on November 12, 1921, the first airplane to airplane refueling happened and it required a guy, Wesley May, strapping a 5-gallon can of gasoline on his back and walking on the wing of one airplane and hopping over to the wing of the other airplane to refuel. That’s crazy!
Re: Early Air-to-Air Refueling Procedure
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 6:13 am
by BoSoxGal
Re: Early Air-to-Air Refueling Procedure
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 4:47 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
Brave man. (or insane)
Re: Early Air-to-Air Refueling Procedure
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 5:57 pm
by kristina
oldr_n_wsr wrote:Brave man. (or insane)
I'd vote for the latter...
Re: Early Air-to-Air Refueling Procedure
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 6:54 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
I wonder where the gas cap is and if he remembered to bring a funnel?
Re: Early Air-to-Air Refueling Procedure
Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 1:01 pm
by wesw
what do you expect from a guy named Wesley......
Re: Early Air-to-Air Refueling Procedure
Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 3:16 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
oldr_n_wsr wrote:I wonder where the gas cap is and if he remembered to bring a funnel?
Apparently the gas cap was just behind the engine (Curtiss Jenny). He took the front seat, leaned over the top of the Perspex and used the gas-can spout to pour free-hand while ensuring the gas didn't blow back all over him and the pilot. He managed it, with some gasoline loss, but the quantity that could be managed (30lbs weight added to his body) was too small to render it anything but a barnstorming trick. Not practical. The army air force did manage it properly - aircraft to aircraft - some eight years later. No wing-walking for them.
http://fly.historicwings.com/2012/11/fi ... refueling/
