America's 'Glomb' Gliders: Pratt-Read LBE-1

In this video, we talk about the "Glomb" gliders, the United States Navy project to make unmanned, radio-controlled, television-equipped glider bombs. We talk about the Navy's introduction to the concept, their testing of various models, and their production of not only the Pratt-Read LBE-1 design, but two others as well, the Piper LBP-1 and the Taylorcraft LBT-1. We then discuss the rather brief lifespans of each glider and how the concept of unmanned aircraft and guided weaponry continued past them into the modern day.

[mliittsc]

In WW2, BF Skinner (the Behavioral Psychology Guy), worked on a project that used a pigeon as guidance. The bomb (missile?) had a window through which the pigeon could see, and the pigeon was trained to peck at images of ships on a screen. The window on the bomb was wired to detect the pecking location, and an analog computer would adjust the flight path to keep the targeted ship in the center of the window. I don't think the weapon had an engine, and I don't know it was ever tested. I wonder if the pigeons would have been awarded the Dicken's Medal.

[winstoncollins]

The name was the best thing about that idea

[geoffreypiltz]

In WW2 the US experimented with unmanned radio guided "kamikaze" B17 and B24 bombers. These planes could not take off on their own though, so a crew of 2 flew them off, armed their payload and then bailed out leaving them to be flown by radio. President Kennedy's elder brother Joseph Jr. was killed when the payload of a converted B24 he was flying exploded prematurely.

[JGCR]

The German Imperial Navy experimented with wire guided biplane "air torpedoes" dropped from Zeppelins in WW1 as well

[jimsvideos]

The LBE-1 was an elegant looking thing.

[i-a-g-r-e-e-----f-----jo--b]

Interesting history, thanks! Do one about the pigeon guided bombs.

[lucianoandrade]

Speaking about American drones in WW2, it would be good to remember the Navy's Interstate TDR, which was even tested in combat in the Pacific and the death of John F. Kennedy's older brother in a test to create a bomber drone full of explosives from of B-17 and B-24, it was in one of these in the naval version, PB4Y, that the tragedy occurred. The plan was that at a certain point an operator on another plane would remotely take control for the final stretch and then he would parachute, unfortunately the detonators were activated beforehand and he didn't even jump.

[steveshoemaker]

Excellent very much....
Shoe🇺🇸

[VViktor]

Fritz-X 1, 400 kg PC 1400 X is a German manually-guided gliding bomb:

The Fritz-X is a guided armour-piercing gliding bomb weighing circa 1.5 tons, with an explosive payload of 320 kg. It was equipped with a stabilizer and fins as well as a set of radio equipment. The bomb trajectory could be tracked visually from the launching bomber through the bomb sight (bright tracing lights lit up in the tail section of the bomb after launch) and corrected by radio signal using a special joystick. It was mainly used as an anti-ship weapon.

[krautyvonlederhosen]

I have pictures of a twin engined, fixed gear drone aircraft on an obvious Pacific island being loaded with 250lb bombs. Perhaps you could use them for further episodes of these “never utilized” weapons. I believe the aircraft designation is R if that helps any.

[ericbrammer]

At 4:38, you make a logistical mistake; An F-4U has NO Back-seater. The Douglas SBD did, but, lacked the power to be a Glider-tug (same being more true with the 'Devastator'), which left the USN with, the TBF Avenger, which was a very Valuable plane earlier in the War. And, NOPE, no such critter as a two-seater F-4U, F4F, nor F6F.

[sim.frischh]

Early american aviation names were an interesting phenomenon in itself XD

[wbnc]

Today Glide bombs and kamikaze drones are proving to be extremely useful. striking at short range against infrastructure artillery and armored vehicles, as well as long range against power plants, transportation nd logistic centers command assets and such . the Glomb finally matured and took its place as a lethal weapon of war.

[chazsutherland]

Glombs were glontrolled by gliots to glestroy a glenemy glarget. ~Glen Glover (Glirector of Glevelopment)

[industrialanimations]

Nicely done. Let me know if you want 3D models made of your missing aircraft. I'm a 3D animator and a fan of odd old aircraft.

[zJoriz]

Please tell me the gliders were retained as manned normal/training gliders... That LBE-1 is definitely the sleekest design IMO

[kzhd]

Certainly in the '40s television design was pretty primitive. The only available pre-war US imaging tubes were the Iconoscope, which was not very stable or sensitive, and the Image Dissector, which was simpler and more stable but even less sensitive. The newly developed and much more sensitive Image Orthicon (which would become the mainstay of US television cameras until the late 1960s) was extremely complicated and difficult to build. Still, both Iconoscope and Image Orthicon cameras were built for drone use before the war''s end. None saw action. The cameras were bought by ham radio enthusiasts and experimenters as war surplus, and some survive (occasionally working!) today.

[Dingomush]

I wish we had at least one video of a “Glomb” hitting a target somewhere! But, wish in one hand, blah, blah, blah……lol

[troydeschane]

What would the cat guided bomb been named? There really was such a program.

[malcolmlewis]

Would have been very useful on Dday to take out bridges to prevent the defenders rushing reinforcements to the beaches. Instead they used glider landed troops to do this.