Horse-drawn airplanes

[230RN]

In poking around on smaller aircraft than the major WWII bombers, I found this amusing sidelight on our "neutrality" before we were drawn into WWII.

The Lockheed "Hudson" was kind of a miitary upgrade to their "Electra" series of aircraft, and (formerly) Great Britain had ordered 250 of them.



So the story goes,

World War II[edit]

By February 1939, RAF Hudsons began to be delivered, initially equipping No. 224 Squadron RAF at RAF Leuchars, Scotland in May 1939. By the start of the war in September, 78 Hudsons were in service.[7] Due to the United States' neutrality at that time, early series aircraft were flown to the Canada–US border, landed, and then towed on their wheels over the border into Canada by tractors or horse drawn teams, before then being flown to Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) airfields where they were then dismantled and "cocooned" for transport as deck cargo, by ship to Liverpool. The Hudsons were supplied without the Boulton Paul dorsal turret, which was installed on arrival in the United Kingdom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Hudson

So rhe story goes.

Terry

Pic credit in properties

[Hawkmoon]

Can someone explain to me the significance of towing the planes across the border rather than flying them?

[Fly320s]

Can someone explain to me the significance of towing the planes across the border rather than flying them?

 

Probably a loophole in a treaty.

[230RN]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_country#Neutrality_during_World_War_II

The United States was initially neutral and bound by the Neutrality Acts of 1936 not to sell war materials to belligerents. Once war broke out, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt persuaded Congress to replace the act with the Cash and carry program that allowed the US to provide military aid to the allies, despite opposition from isolationist members.[46] The "Cash and carry" program was replaced in March 1941 by Lend-Lease, effectively ending the US pretense of neutrality.

I guess directly flying them over to a belligerent's soil was substantially different from landing them near the border and letting them "disappear."

Isolationism was a pretty strong sentiment in much of the U.S.  

[MechAg94]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_country#Neutrality_during_World_War_II
 

I guess directly flying them over to a belligerent's soil was substantially different from landing them near the border and letting them "disappear."

Isolationism was a pretty strong sentiment in much of the U.S.  

I think people remember the public outcry for the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Not as many remember the strong reluctance to go to war before that.  Honestly, if you think about it, there had been regular wars in Europe going back quite a long time.  The current track record of peace is sort of an exception. 

[230RN]

^

I think people remember the public outcry for the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Not as many remember the strong reluctance to go to war before that.

This.  It had only been 20 years since the unspeakable slaughter in Europe and on the high seas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties

The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I were about 40 million: estimates range from 15 to 19 million deaths and about 23 million wounded military personnel, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history.

[Brad Johnson]

Wasn't there some type of disassembly/reassembly involved so they could legit say they didn't supply finished aircraft, only parts? Something along the lines of "Canada built the aircraft with parts sourced from U.S.-based suppliers" or some such? No specific recollections but the general idea rings a big bell.

Brad

[230RN]

The article I cited didn't say that, but it seems like there would be that opportunity and motivation.

It does make a better story when the author creates the image of complete aircraft being  towed by horses, doesn't it?

I would never guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any Wiki article any more.  Too many people have editing privileges.