David EilersNovember 30, 2018

Action Video of an APU Jeep

Nick shared this video of a 1955 airplane test that included multiple shots of an Valentine APU-equipped jeep. You can see some other updates here: https://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/time-capsule-navy-cj3a-by-valentine-apu_topic37074_page6.html

Colin PeabodyNovember 30, 2018 at 3:50 PM
We lived in the Mountain View California area for a few months in 1955 and Moffett Field Air Station was about 1/2 mile away across a field. From our house, we could see a couple of those very strange aircraft when they were testing them and actually saw one of them airborne. I don't think the Navy bought many of them. They had to be stored sitting on the wheels attached to the four wings. They kept them inside the blimp hangars at Moffett most of the time. They wouldn't have been useful on aircraft carriers due to their height. The VTOL advantages weren't enough to overcome the other problems in my opinion.
Mike WNovember 30, 2018 at 5:21 PM
Absolutely crazy the innovation that was done post WW2 in Aviation, the rare APU equipped Jeep was cool too. LOL To think they have been messing with the VTOL stuff since then and its still not fully figured out.
David EilersNovember 30, 2018 at 5:38 PM
My grandfather was an experimental engineering at Boeing during the 50s and early 60s. My aunt has some of his original blueprints of vertical take off planes he was designing. They are pretty cool!
James TaylorNovember 30, 2018 at 6:37 PM
The "Pogo-stick" can be seen at the San Diego Air Museum in Balboa Park. Convair made some cool stuff back then.