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Pilot lost flying "the Hump" in WWII returning home.
Capt. Fulton Pershing Lanier's remains will be returned home and will be buried at Harnett Memorial Park in Lillington on Sept. 28. His plane a C-87 Liberator went missing on a return flight to India in Jan of 1944. (www.aviationpros.com) More...
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Godspeed, Rest In Peace Cpt. Lanier. Your sacrifice was not in vain.
My late Father flew over "The Hump" in a C-47 going to his duty station w/the Sino American Cooperative Association & flew back to Calcutta to catch a Liberty ship home to NYC.
The C-87's were notorious for choking flight crews with noxious gasoline fumes and creating an explosion hazard. The C-87 also had a tendency to enter an uncontrollable stall or spin when confronted with even mild icing conditions, a frequent occurrence over the Himalayas. The aircraft could also become unstable in flight if its center of gravity shifted due to improper cargo loading. This longitudinal instability arose from the aircraft's hasty conversion from bomber to cargo transport. Unlike a normal cargo transport, which was designed from the start with a contiguous cargo compartment with a safety margin for fore-and-aft loading variations, the bomb racks and bomb bays built into the B-24 design were fixed in position, greatly limiting the aircraft's ability to tolerate improper loading. This problem was exacerbated by wartime exigencies and the failure of USAAF Air Transport Command to instruct loadmasters in the C-87's peculiarities. The design's roots as a bomber are also considered culpable for frequently collapsing nosegear. The C-87 was also equipped with less powerful Super chargers than a normal B-24.
The C-87's were notorious for choking flight crews with noxious gasoline fumes and creating an explosion hazard. The C-87 also had a tendency to enter an uncontrollable stall or spin when confronted with even mild icing conditions, a frequent occurrence over the Himalayas. The aircraft could also become unstable in flight if its center of gravity shifted due to improper cargo loading. This longitudinal instability arose from the aircraft's hasty conversion from bomber to cargo transport. Unlike a normal cargo transport, which was designed from the start with a contiguous cargo compartment with a safety margin for fore-and-aft loading variations, the bomb racks and bomb bays built into the B-24 design were fixed in position, greatly limiting the aircraft's ability to tolerate improper loading. This problem was exacerbated by wartime exigencies and the failure of USAAF Air Transport Command to instruct loadmasters in the C-87's peculiarities. The design's roots as a bomber are also considered culpable for frequently collapsing nosegear. The C-87 was also equipped with less powerful Super chargers than a normal B-24.
I'd like to go ... Thanks for serving Cap !
