"California State Guard "Bat Man" Paratroopers in WW2" Topic

7 Posts

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Tango01	16 Apr 2019 9:42 p.m. PST
"On the United States home front, particularly on the Pacific coast where the threat of a Japanese invasion seemed imminent, even a military expert's creative juices could take a curious turn. Such was the case for the California State Guard and Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, who dreamed up the idea of "bat-man" paratroopers. The major's concept of paratroopers using jump suits modified with bat-like "diving wings" was inspired by the trick parachuting stunts of American entertainers. Nicholson had observed that in free fall, sky divers using these wings were able to better control their speed and descent as well as their maneuverability before opening the their parachutes…." Main page link Amicalement Armand
SOB Van Owen	17 Apr 2019 8:20 a.m. PST
No spiked helmet?
Tango01	17 Apr 2019 1:05 p.m. PST
(smile) Amicalement Armand
brave face	17 Apr 2019 1:07 p.m. PST
Good one Van Owen :)
Thresher01	17 Apr 2019 8:27 p.m. PST
Neat! Didn't know they were considering/experimenting with "wingsuits" back in WWII. Makes sense though, since some were ponder this back in da Vinci's time
Fred Cartwright	18 Apr 2019 1:13 a.m. PST
Not sure what use it would be for paratroops though. They don't spend a lot of time in free fall. They jump at low level on static lines and the chute opens very quickly. HALO jumps are a modern invention.
Legion 4	18 Apr 2019 8:20 a.m. PST
Ah … No… this idea just won't fly … Yes, HALO jumps/ops have been around since the '60s. And still used AFAIK.