N67633, L-4 Grasshooper, Serial # 13965

[Grasshopper"Baby Baby"]

Looking for some info on my Grandpas old plane, its a Piper L-4 Grasshopper that served in Korea, built in WWII but no active service then. Her nickname is Baby Baby and was of the Recon variation. If anyone could help that'd be great!

With an update, I have a picture that I drew, it is 1:1 accuracy with the plane.

 

[Snautzer01]

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Taylorcraft-Piper J-3C-65, c/n 13965, c/r N67633

This Aerial Visuals page provides airframe history details of a specific airframe from the airframe database.

www.aerialvisuals.ca

Construction Number:13965 not serial number.

 

[Sabrejet]

The story looks interesting:

1. FAA docs show that the War Assets Administration sold "1 - Piper Airplane, Model NE-2, Manufacturer's Serial No. 13965, Identification No. 45-55199" for $1740.00 on 25 November 1946. Buyer was W. Arnet Speer of 2521 Bancroft St, San Diego CA. He duly registered the aircraft as N67633 (using s/n 13965) on 10 January 1947.

2. Looking at the aircraft's USAAF record card for 45-55199 shows 'Foreign Serial Number' (US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics No.) 29679 and the aircraft is identified as an L-4J at that time. It was accepted from Piper at Lock Haven on 7 August 1945 and delivered to San Diego CA on 9 August. The card is marked "Navy Pri 8-1" under 'allocation' and '199 was therefore allotted to the Navy with BuAer No. 29679 and initially located at San Diego (possibly transported by rail from Lock Haven rather than by air). The Navy designated the aircraft as a Piper NE-2. The San Diego links tie in with the WAA disposal at (1) above.

3. I don't have the Navy record card for your aircraft during its brief tenure August 1945 thru November 1946 but the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola can help with this:
[email protected]. They will often respond that they have no records but stress that you would like a copy of the aircraft record card via specialist researchers they have there.

Sadly the aircraft's civil registration docs show no further military service after November 1946, but the late-WW2 Navy link is interesting nevertheless.

 

[mjfur]

Construction Number 13965 was transferred to the US Navy as a NE-2.

1945 USAAF Serial Numbers

45-55175/55524 Piper L-4J Grasshopper, MSN 13941/14290. Model J3C-65D
45-55199 (MSN 13965) to US Navy as NE-2 BuNo 29679

 

[Grasshopper"Baby Baby"]

Thank you for the help!!

 

[Grasshopper"Baby Baby"]

The story looks interesting:

1. FAA docs show that the War Assets Administration sold "1 - Piper Airplane, Model NE-2, Manufacturer's Serial No. 13965, Identification No. 45-55199" for $1740.00 on 25 November 1946. Buyer was W. Arnet Speer of 2521 Bancroft St, San Diego CA. He duly registered the aircraft as N67633 (using s/n 13965) on 10 January 1947.

2. Looking at the aircraft's USAAF record card for 45-55199 shows 'Foreign Serial Number' (US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics No.) 29679 and the aircraft is identified as an L-4J at that time. It was accepted from Piper at Lock Haven on 7 August 1945 and delivered to San Diego CA on 9 August. The card is marked "Navy Pri 8-1" under 'allocation' and '199 was therefore allotted to the Navy with BuAer No. 29679 and initially located at San Diego (possibly transported by rail from Lock Haven rather than by air). The Navy designated the aircraft as a Piper NE-2. The San Diego links tie in with the WAA disposal at (1) above.

3. I don't have the Navy record card for your aircraft during its brief tenure August 1945 thru November 1946 but the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola can help with this:
[email protected]. They will often respond that they have no records but stress that you would like a copy of the aircraft record card via specialist researchers they have there.

Sadly the aircraft's civil registration docs show no further military service after November 1946, but the late-WW2 Navy link is interesting nevertheless.

Thank you Sabrejet, this is extremely helpful. I do have a few other questions regarding this, how did you get this papers? they are really interesting and I would like to find out more on how to get them for future research.

 

[Sabrejet]

Thank you Sabrejet, this is extremely helpful. I do have a few other questions regarding this, how did you get this papers? they are really interesting and I would like to find out more on how to get them for future research.

I've dropped you a PM.

 

[Big Jake]

On the same subject - can someone recommend a good book describing the operations by the "little guys" (L-2, etc.) during WW2? You'll hear endless stories about P-51, P-47s etc. jockeys but nothing about them guys.

 

[SaparotRob]

On the same subject - can someone recommend a good book describing the operations by the "little guys" (L-2, etc.) during WW2? You'll hear endless stories about P-51, P-47s etc. jockeys but nothing about them guys.

I think someone here might know something about L-4s. Tieleader , you know anyone here with info on Rosie the Rocketer?

 

[smutny]

On the same subject - can someone recommend a good book describing the operations by the "little guys" (L-2, etc.) during WW2? You'll hear endless stories about P-51, P-47s etc. jockeys but nothing about them guys.

These are a few I downloaded to my Kindle.

Above the Thunder
Two Steps from Glory
The Other Ninth Air Force
L Pilots of WW II
Grasshopper Pilot

There are also great YouTube videos on the subject, just need to do a little digging.

 

[smutny]

...you know anyone here with info on Rosie the Rocketer?

Bazooka Charlie's Daughter Meets Rosie the Rocketer
CAF Warbird tube - Bazooka Charlie: Major Charles Carpenter and Rosie the Rocketer

 

[SaparotRob]

I believe Tieleader has the actual Rosie the Rocketer. My third favorite specific, individual airplane of all time. B-17 registration N3713G and Swoose are number one and two, respectively.
Minimal blue paint, all.

 

[Grittis]

All this L-2 talk reminds me of a thread I have wished to nail down in my own fathers memoirs. When dad got to a military hospital back in England, a fellow patient near him discussed his similar injuries. He was an L-2 pilot shot down in Belgium or Germany on or about 9 Apr 1945. He crashed into a large haystack and both legs were broken by the engine. He was in traction at the time to get the femurs aligned. Dad had his left femur shattered by a standard 7mm Mauser Carabiner round also on 9 Apr '45. It was repaired in a lazarett in Ingolstadt using the Kuentscher intramedulary nailing technique. They were ready to remove the cast from dad the 1st week of May while this guy was still in traction.
Has anyone read a story of an L-2 pilot in that area and time who was shot down by an aircraft and crashed into a large haystack with the result being 2 broken femurs?

 

[mjfur]

All this L-2 talk reminds me of a thread I have wished to nail down in my own fathers memoirs. When dad got to a military hospital back in England, a fellow patient near him discussed his similar injuries. He was an L-2 pilot shot down in Belgium or Germany on or about 9 Apr 1945. He crashed into a large haystack and both legs were broken by the engine. He was in traction at the time to get the femurs aligned. Dad had his left femur shattered by a standard 7mm Mauser Carabiner round also on 9 Apr '45. It was repaired in a lazarett in Ingolstadt using the Kuentscher intramedulary nailing technique. They were ready to remove the cast from dad the 1st week of May while this guy was still in traction.
Has anyone read a story of an L-2 pilot in that area and time who was shot down by an aircraft and crashed into a large haystack with the result being 2 broken femurs?

I'm not sure if it was a typo or not but very few L-2's made it outside of the USA during WWII. An aircraft shot down in Belgium or Germany would most likely have been a L-4 or L-5.

 

[special ed]

As a brief derail, our C.A.P. cadet sqdn in the late 50s obtained an unmodified L-2, still in military configuration. It was used to teach recovering, rib stitching, taping and dopeing. I was impressed by the rear seat, which if one reached down between your feet, could pull a ring, allowing the seat to rotate 180 and latch facing aft. Then a panel on the floor could be opened allowing for photography. I don't know what happened to the aircraft as I left for the USAF before It was complete, however a cadet who followed me into USAF a year later told me he made more than one flight in it, although it still had the original engine and electrical system. He said there was a carb problem so it had to run full or idle similar to WW1! He has survived 20 years AF plus V.N. tours and is now retired somewhere in Florida, if I have survived him. He would never discuss whether the L-2 was ever licensed or what happened to it.

 

[Grittis]

Major over-sight on my part, mjfur. Thanks for the correction. It would have most probably been an L-4 and the purported account would have occurred somewhere in Germany.

 

[Grasshopper"Baby Baby"]

All this L-2 talk reminds me of a thread I have wished to nail down in my own fathers memoirs. When dad got to a military hospital back in England, a fellow patient near him discussed his similar injuries. He was an L-2 pilot shot down in Belgium or Germany on or about 9 Apr 1945. He crashed into a large haystack and both legs were broken by the engine. He was in traction at the time to get the femurs aligned. Dad had his left femur shattered by a standard 7mm Mauser Carabiner round also on 9 Apr '45. It was repaired in a lazarett in Ingolstadt using the Kuentscher intramedulary nailing technique. They were ready to remove the cast from dad the 1st week of May while this guy was still in traction.
Has anyone read a story of an L-2 pilot in that area and time who was shot down by an aircraft and crashed into a large haystack with the result being 2 broken femurs?

It's not refering to an L-2 but raather the NE-2, the Navy's version of the L-4 Grasshopper

 

[junkman3353]

On the same subject - can someone recommend a good book describing the operations by the "little guys" (L-2, etc.) during WW2? You'll hear endless stories about P-51, P-47s etc. jockeys but nothing about them guys.

One book I didn't see mentioned above: "Fighting Grasshoppers" by Ken Wakefield ISBN 9780904597783 Has to do mainly in Europe, though.

 

[doleip]

The Fighting Grasshoppers book has a photo of an L-4 that crashed into a haystack while evading a 109. It was 44-80603.

Very interested in those records.
I have 4480321. Like many others, it remained in France after the war and was brought to the UK in the early 80s.
I would love to find some of its service history, before it went on the French civil register.

 

[Grasshopper"Baby Baby"]

The Fighting Grasshoppers book has a photo of an L-4 that crashed into a haystack while evading a 109. It was 44-80603.

Very interested in those records.
I have 4480321. Like many others, it remained in France after the war and was brought to the UK in the early 80s.
I would love to find some of its service history, before it went on the French civil register.