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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Taylorcraft A / J-2 / J-3 / J-4 / J-5 / L-4/O-59/C-83 Grasshopper / L-18 Super Cub / L-21 Super Grasshopper / PA-11/PA-18/PA-19
    Latest Model:L-4H Grasshopper
    Last Military Serial:43-30426 USAAF
    Construction Number:11717
    Last Civil Registration:N426CF
    Compressed ID:Piper L-4H sn 43-30426 USAAF cn 117...
    Latest Owner or Location:Skyraider A1E Llc, Rocky Hill, CT

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a L-4H by Piper.

    1944

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 43-30426.

    1944

    This plane was flown by Charles Carpenter, nicknamed Bazooka Charlie, during World War II. He initially flew as an artillery spotter scouting ahead of the 4th Armored Division for General Pattons 3rd Army. Carpenter bolted six M1A1 bazookas on the wing struts and attacked enemy tanks. In August Carpenter wrote a letter home noting that he had been hit by groundfire and and hit a church steeple with one wheel. In October 1944 Carpenter destroyed four tanks and an armored truck. Carpenter was credited with stopping a German counter-attack in one battle.


    Photographer: Unknown

    1944

    Markings Applied: Rosie the Rocketer
    Named as a tribute to the women working as Rosie the Riveters.

    Circa 1946

    To Heinz Wullschleger, Olten, Switzerland with new c/r HB-OBK.

    April 1956

    To Austrian Aero Club, Vienna, Austria with new c/r OE-AAB.
    Used for towing gliders.

    To Osterreichisches Luftfahrtmuseum, Thalerhof Airport (east side), Graz, Steiermark (Styria).
    View the Location Dossier

    10 September 2000


    Photographer: Reinhard Jost
    Notes: Hold together by a number of stickers, in bad condition at the Oesterreichisches Luftfahrtmuseum, Graz-Thalerhof, Austria

    1 November 2013


    Photographer: Reinhard Jost
    Notes: Named Herbert awaiting better times in store at Luftfahrtmuseum Graz-Thalerhof

    From Circa 2017 to 2019

    Rob Collings, of Collings Foundation, negotiated with the museum to acquire the plane for his collection. The plane was packed in a cargo container, trucked to Spain, and then via cargo ship to New Jersey. It was then shipped by train to Portland, OR, to be restored by Colin Powers, arriving there in January 2019. During restoration two bullet holes were discovered. Restoration was to be to full 1944 configuration.

    5 February 2019

    To Skyraider A1E Llc, Rocky Hill, CT with new c/r N426CF.

    By April 2020

    Restoration completed.
    Was scheduled to fly to the 2020 EAA convention but the convention was cancelled due to COVID-19.

    13 October 2020

    Certificate of airworthiness for N426CF (J-3C, 11717) issued.
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Internet Sources
     Civil Aircraft Register of the World by Pascal Brugier
    Euro Demobbed by Horrex, Ray, Boulanger, Dunn, McGhee and Wood
    Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America
    Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum
    Individual Contributors
     Glenn Chatfield
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