This tiny tractor, known as Clarkat, was derived from an industrial tow vehicle and first saw service with the Royal Navy in 1944. The tractors facilitated flight deck operations on the Royal Navy's fleet and escort carriers during the final stages of the World War II. They continued in their service throughout the Korean War and have finally been withdrawn from carriers in the mid 1950s with the advent of much heavier jet aircraft. Along with their mother ships, a number of such tractors continued to serve on the Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Sydney and the French Navy's R95 Arromanches.
This 1:72 scale model kit (F4Models cat. # 7026) contains resin and photo etched parts. On a carrier deck diorama the model can accompany such Royal Navy aircraft as Avenger, Corsair, Barracuda, Firefly, Sea Fury, Sea Hornet or Firebrand.
A 1:48 scale kit of the same tractor was also produced (F4Models cat. # 4002).
Here are some historic photographs that show this tractor in action: link, link.
These French aircraft tow tractors, manufactured by Fenwick company, first saw service on the decks of Clemenceau and Foch aircraft carriers of the French Navy in the early 1960s. When Foch was sold to Brazil, her compliment of tractors went along with the carrier, renamed São Paulo in the Brazilian Navy. The tractors were in use on São Paulo in the early 2000s. A small number of these tractors was supplied to Italy for service on the Italian Navy's Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier in the 1990s and the early 2000s.
This 1:72 scale model kit is from F4Models (cat. # 7012). The kit contains resin and photo etched parts, decals and instruction sheet. On a diorama this vehicle may accompany such Marine Nationale aircraft as Alize, Etendard / Super Etendard and F-8 Crusader, as well as Alouette and Super Frelon helicopters. When modelling the São Paulo's deck, the tractor would fit well along Brazilian Skyhawk jets, Cougar and Sea King helicopters. It can even be matched to an Argentinean S-2 Turbo Tracker as those visit the Brazilian carrier from time to time.
Some photographs of this type of tractor in action: in French Navy service, in Brazilian Navy service, in Italian Navy service.
This type of tractor was first used by the U.S. Navy in 1943 to tow and position airplanes on the busy flight decks of the aircraft carriers. These ubiquitous vehicles served on all USN carriers, including CVs, CVLs and CVEs.
By the mid-1950s, after seeing through both the World War II and the Korean war, these tractors were replaced on the U.S. carriers by newer types, while a number of them went to work for the French Navy along with their mother ships that became R96 La Fayette (ex USS Langley) and R97 Bois Belleau (ex USS Belleau Wood).
This 1:72 scale model kit is from F4Models (cat. # 7007). The kit contains resin and photo etched parts, decals and instruction sheet.
Here are some photographs of this type of tractor in action: link, link, link.
