Bazooka Charlie and Rosie the Rocketer

[-Jim G]

A few years ago the historic aircraft 'Rosie the Rocketer' was found to be anonymously hanging in an Austrian aviation museum. It was painted as a lowly yellow Piper Cub. When she was new, she was part of the US Army in Europe, driving back the Germans in France.

Her pilot Major Charles Carpenter was frustrated by watching Panzers move and evade the artillery that he was directing toward them. He armed his Cub (L-4H Grasshopper) with 6 bazookas and went hunting tanks. He became known as Bazooka Charlie.

Since her rediscovery, Rosie has been restored to flying condition and is now part of the Collings Foundation fleet. She is due to visit the Piper Aviation Museum for their annual Sentimental Journey Fly-In in late June 2023, and also to attend the EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, WI at the end of July.

A new biography of Carpenter was published in May 2023 and the author Jim Busha is touring the USA. He will be presenting at both the Piper Aviation Museum, and at Oshkosh. Bazooka Charlie: The Unbelievable Story of Major Charles Carpenter and Rosie the Rocketer
Design Group Alpha has repainted our Piper Cub and is working with the Piper Aviation Museum to distribute the model for their benefit in their Gift Shop.

[Don Boose]

A great story and a great model. I hope you will make this one available via ECards. I also hope finally and soon to complete N87967 and, if I crack the code on installing the windscreen, I definitely want to build "Rosie the Rocketeer."

This aircraft has an additional significance to me. During my time in Vietnam 1966-67 as senior advisor to the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, we were supported by several forward air controllers (FACs) flying Cessna O-1s, of which, I particularly remember Captain Bob Whittekind, USAF (BART 103), Squadron Leader Rex Ramsey, RAAF (ASCOT Six), and 1st Lieutenant Ned Moore, U.S. Army (SHOTGUN 15). All of whom, at one time or another, flew their O-1s in the close air support role, firing their WP rockets (intended to mark targets for air strikes) against ground targets. The late (and much lamented) John Bowden repainted the MAEDA L-19 as U.S. Army O-1D 72839 (which was Ned Moore's airplane). It used to be available via ECards.

You and DGA have put out some great models over the years, helping to capture aviation history in paper, for which, much thanks.

Don

[-Jim G]

Originally Posted by Don Boose

A great story and a great model. I hope you will make this one available via ECards. I also hope finally and soon to complete N87967 and, if I crack the code on installing the windscreen, I definitely want to build "Rosie the Rocketeer."

Originally Posted by Don Boose

The late (and much lamented) John Bowden repainted the MAEDA L-19 as U.S. Army O-1D 72839 (which was Ned Moore's airplane). It used to be available via ECards.

You and DGA have put out some great models over the years, helping to capture aviation history in paper, for which, much thanks.

Don, thank you! We appreciate your comments!
The secret to getting the windscreen on the Cub is to install the windscreen before you apply glue to the firewall. Reach through the opening where the firewall will be with a tweezer to secure one side of the windscreen in place. Then set it aside to dry before attempting the other side. When it is dry, once again reach through that front opening with your tweezer to set the other side of the windscreen. Only then should you glue in the firewall.

I miss John Bowden greatly. We did manage to capture and preserve much of his work, but I cannot find that L-19/O-1 model.

We do intend to release Rosie the Rocketer to Ecardmodels, but only after we get feedback from Jim Busha, and Rob Collings.

[Rata]

Great model and backstory Jim. Make great stories the 'offensive' roles the pilots of types like the L-4 and, as Don lays out, the Bird Dog redeployed them as.

[mbauer]

Awesome story and history lesson.

Model looks great!

Nice to know that such an innovative pilot's airplane survived.

I'll be looking for the book.

Thank you for sharing!

Can the model be purchased on-line from the Piper Museum? Or will you upload to Ecards at the same time?

Further reading: A short read with some photos: LTC Charles "Bazooka Charlie" Carpenter: Rosie the Rocketer

Photos of the pilot/airplane and what it looked like hanging in the museum. Talks about development of the Bazooka and photos of Robert Goddard. What they found when restoring to armed version. How many tanks he destroyed and types. Very interesting character!

Mike

[silverback920]

Quite a feat for such a small airplane to haul not only an extra 100 lbs or so of ordnance, but also the weight of those huge brass cajones!.

[Siwi]

@mbauer: What a fantastic story - thanks for the link.

[-Jim G]

Originally Posted by mbauer

Awesome story and history lesson.
Can the model be purchased on-line from the Piper Museum? Or will you upload to Ecards at the same time?

Mike

Mike, Thanks for the comments! The printed model will be available from the Piper Museum gift shop.

We will publish the model files on Ecardmodels once we get firsthand feedback from the people that are familiar with this aircraft.

There are several aircraft that are painted as Rosie, and they all have slight differences in the livery. It is difficult to know which of the pictures that we find on the internet are correct. We will change the model to look as the aircraft looks in its current restored form.

[RyanShort1]

As a long time Liaison student (L-birds: the story of "Liaison" aircraft and crews | Telling stories of "Liaison" aircraft and those who flew them in war and peace. is one of my sites) this is wonderful to see.

[Mike1158]

A very fine airframe you have there, that story can always bear repeating too. Thanks mate, great thread.