General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

5

AKA

Mobile Electric Power Plant

Patents

N/A

General Description

Vehicle sized mobile electric power plant with various metal components.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

3.65 m

Width

1.5 m

Height

1.8 m

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Services

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Consolidated

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Connecticut

City

Stamford

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

The early Canadian career of the Mobile Electric Power Plant offered to the corporation is not known. This being said, given that this type of mobile power generating unit was used by the U.S. Navy, the suspicion is that this unit may have been used by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). After all, the RCN operated a number of American aircraft in the 1950s and 1960s, both from shore bases and aboard the aircraft carriers it operated one after the other. This suspicion was given further credence by research which showed that Consolidated Diesel had received orders from A.V. Roe Canada, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Navy by 1955. This may explain, at least in part, the creation of a subsidiary in Canada in 1955, to handle sales and to produce certain items (ground support equipment, aircraft component testing equipment and generator sets). Based in Rexdale near Toronto, Consolidated Diesel Electric Corporation of Canada (or Con Diesel Canada), began to operate in the summer of 1956. Further confirmation of this suspicion that this vehicle was linked ot the RCN came via Ernest Cable, historian of the Shearwater Aviation Museum in Nova Scotia. Cable mentions ground crews of an RCN squadron equipped with McDonnell F2h-3 Banshees extensively used Consolidated Diesel NC-5 to start these all-weather jet fighters. Indeed, most of the Banshee's auxiliary systems, including the wing fold mechanism, were electrically driven. Normally based at HMCS Dartmouth, Squadron VF-870 also spent time abord the RCN's sole aircraft carrier, HMCS Bonaventure. It is therefore likely that the Con Diesel NC-5 were also used on that ship. In any event, the NC-5s accompanied the squadron when it was deployed to places like the Canadian Joint Air Training Centre at Rivers, Manitoba and Naval Air Station Cecil Field near Jacksonville, Florida. It is fair to assume that the RCN's other squadron equipped with Banshees, i.e. VF871, also used Con Diesel NC-5. Finally, it is worth noting that Ingenium's collection includes a Banshee (1967.0672) that served with VF870 between 1957 and 1962. This unit was taken out of service in the late 1970s or early 1980s and was acquired by a company based at the Peterborough Airport.

Function

This vehicle was used to provide electrical power to aircraft. It was designed for use on land bases and air-craft carriers of the U.S Navy.

Technical

External sources of power have been used to start airplanes since the earliest days of flight. Even though internal starters gradually made their appearance, the idea of using ground-based starter systems was not abandoned. Starter trolleys fitted with batteries were used in the 1930s for example. As useful as these hand-pushed devices were, the idea of a self-powered ground based starter system emerged. It is unclear at this point if Consolidated Diesel was a pioneer in this field. In any event, the production of Consolidated Diesel (self-powered) ground support united may have begun in 1951. Ordered by the U.S. Air Force, these units were used to support jet-powered aircraft. The U.S. Navy also ordered Con Diesel ground support units, to support piston- and jet-powered aircraft based on shore or on aircraft carriers.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

The silver metal plate behind the LH seat reads in part: " NC58 CTD 185 /. CONTINUOUS /. 18-5-77 /. 1750 LBS " The silver generator, reads in part: " CONSOLIDATED DIESEL ELECTRIC CORPORATION /. AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT DIVISION /. STAMFORD, CONN., U.S.A /. MODEL 2022-045 "

Missing

According to 2014 conservation report, the fire extinguisher appears to be missing.

Finish

Vehicle with a yellow metal exterior frame. The exterior layer does not appear to be original and appears to have been repainted. The two seats have black fabric with noticeable rips and tears. The vehicle has a black metal bottom frame. Although is good general condition, the vehicle is dusty and appears to have a coating of white overspray. The front black metal bumper has numerous marks and showing light levels of corrosion. The vehicle has four black tires; the front two are original. The back of the vehicle has a compartment with silver coloured generators. The back of the vehicle also has a long, black, rubber-coated (neoprene?) cord. The lenses of the gauges and instruments have small scratches.

Decoration

N/A