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I must have the only complete units in existance outside of the one on display at the USAF Museum. Mine are NOS that were surplused at Dow Field in 1948 when the 14th Fighter Group turned them at the time the base was closed due to the Hobson Plan.
From what I have been offered, they are as valuable as a restored WWII Jeep or 6X6.

Hi Ranger,

I don't know if I'm the only one who is not familiar with a M-1 Bomb Lift. I did a google search and found your other example, with photo.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... 906&page=1

Not sure how they work or if they are towed or not.

They are maneuvered around much in the manner of a pallet jack by real men when they have over a 1000 or 2000 bomb on them. One of mine will be going to a prestigious museum to be determined, another will get me a P-51 ride..

I tried to donate a NOS M-1 to the USAF Museum 15 years ago, before they acquired the yellow one with the flat tires, the staff was all excited, and I had made arrangement with KC-135 unit to deliver it. The then current Director, a Colonel remarked, "I don't know what it is, but I am not interested".
These are just the accessory for those who have a Chevrolet M-6, or the rarer M-27 CCKW Bomb Service truck. They are a neat accessory for Warbird owners with P-51s to display their drop tanks on. Every WWII USAAF unit that dropped bombs had dozens of them, they were used up thru the Korean war, the Mustang, A-26 units along with the F-51, F-80, F-84, and F-86 units all had them. M-Sgt Joe DeShay, USAF retired, who was a Line Chief with Chuck Yeagers' 357th Fighter Group in WWII told me that they were also handy when changing P-51 Radiators. I used to see these in use at Dow Field when the F-51s were stationed there. I miss those days as there were a half dozen Mustangs constantly in the air duing the daytime, final approach was 400' in front and 150' altitude off the bay window of our office.

Your Colonel Director's remarks remind me of something that happened to me this January.

Years ago, I found a semi-aerial photo from WW1. It's about 3ft x 1 ft and shows hundreds of Soldiers spelling out "Camp Lewis". I went into the Info Office at Fort Lewis, WA and asked a young man if they would be interested in something like that for their Museum. He said, and I quote:

"I can't think of anyone who would be remotely interested in something like that".

I left.

I have come to realize that not all retired Military are suited for a second career.

Ranger,

The only one of these bomb lifts that I have seen in person was quite a few years back sitting in the weeds at an old time auto salvage yard. I recognized it as "military", but didn't know anything about them at the time. The old guy that I asked indicated that they used it for dropping engines and/or transmissions back before they got the front end loaders that they use now a days. Back then they would hoist the front of the car with their boom truck.

I've been back a number of times looking for the lift (now that I know what it is), but it seems to have been scrapped along with all the other old vehicles that didn't seem to move very fast.

The salvage yard is probably only a mile or two from the Lincoln airport, site of the Lincoln airbase back in 40's & 50s. It is still used as an airbase, but nothing like it was back then. The bomb lift probably came from there...

They were made by Weaver in Illinois, the company that was once prominent in Front End Alignment Machines. Weaver also made the Dolley wheel for the Air Portable CCKW, one look at the style of the Dolley fork says it all. Weaver factory was consumed in a fire 20 years ago, they are long out of business.
Many prospective buyers thought these would be useful as a transmission jack, but the 11" travel of the platform does not allow it to be all that useful for anything but what they were designed for. These were scrapped by the hundreds in the 50s at the major USAF Air depots . I have the parts manuals, original tags and spare hydraulic repair seals. Mine all have the original hydraulic fluid installed in 1943 with original 1943 dated General tires. One will sone have a very happy owner.
These M-1 bomb Lifts take a real man to move, and I can only imagine what it was like at airfields on soft ground, mud or snow during WWII. Mine have been stored indoors since 1949. the bomb handling yokes and special tools are hard to find, I have some but not all of them.

"Bombs Away" manufactures authentic replica WWII Bombs.

are we talking about one of these?
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... 906&page=1

if so i have a few,, and another one,, with tracks......... yeap...looking for pics now

You can get some good bucks for a complete and functioning M1 bomblift.
Are they complete with the 3 original tires and wheels?

68427vette wrote:are we talking about one of these?
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... 906&page=1

if so i have a few,, and another one,, with tracks......... yeap...looking for pics now

Tracks on an M-1? Sounds interesting. Might be interested in trading original M1 Bomblift for it.

Jeff, did you locate your Bomb Lift?

Speaking of the M-1 Bomblift, I believe I saw one being used to place a bomb under the rack of an F-84 on the Military Channel. It may have been the special on the F-84 Thunderjet.