Truck, Fire, Airplane, Forcible Entry, Type R-2
Because of the R2’s specialized body, the Dodge truck never had any real uses other than that for which it was made—that of a military aircraft “crash truck.”
This diminutive fire truck packs a punch as big as its official title: Truck, Fire, Airplane, Forcible Entry, Type R-2. With the production total of a mere 308 units, the R-2 was never as widely recognized as its common G-741 brother, the M37. Because of the R-2’s specialized body, the truck never had any real uses other than that for which it was made—that of a military aircraft “crash truck.”
R-2 HERITAGE BEGINS WITH ARMOR
Not many collectors realize that this pint-size fire fighter’s big brother is a tank! The R-2s were built by ACF-Brill under contract 22397 on Dodge-built, government- supplied chassis. ACF was also known as “American Car and Foundry” (builder of tanks, ammunition, and other military materials in addition to its main business of manufacturing railroad cars). The main businesses of its subsidiary, Brill, was trolley and bus manufacturing.
These trucks were designed to be used in conjunction with Type 0-10 or 0-11 Foam Trucks. The Foam Trucks were to provide a path to the fuselage through the flames, and the R-2 would supply the tools and equipment to access the aircraft interior and rescue personnel. The meager 20 gallons of bromochloromethane extinguishing agent (discharged not by pumping, but with nitrogen pressurization) would hardly fight a full fledged aircraft fire, rather, it was intended to enable the rescuers to travel the last few feet to the victims.
The R-2 was built on the Dodge M56 chassis, which has a 126 inch wheelbase (versus the 112-inch wheelbase of the M37). These frames were equipped with fish belly reinforcements and heavier springs than the cargo truck. The chassis for these trucks were produced by Dodge in 1953 under contract number 11939. The government then provided the chassis (and two batteries each) to Brill for conversion into the R-2. These conversions were completed in 1956. Heating, defrosting, and other winterization kits could be field- installed, if needed. The data plate for these controls, as well as the warning light switches, was fitted to all trucks whether or not the heater was installed. The R-2 truck was 206.25" long and 104.8125" tall.
EQUIPPED FOR ANY EMERGENCY
The empty weight of an R-2 was 4,600 pounds. When packed and ready for service, it tipped the scales at a whopping 7,690 pounds. At the front of the truck was the standard 7,500 pound capacity Braden LU-4 PTO-driven winch as used on some M37s, but in place of the standard hook, there was a grapnel. The winch was driven via a double-ended PTO on the truck transmission, the other end of which drove the 230-volt, 180-cycle, three-phase Homelite chain-driven generator mounted in the bottom of the rescue bed. This generator powered the Mall circular saw, as well as the floodlights for rescue operations.
Aside from the Sea-Foam green paint, the interior of the cab area differed from the M-37 in the following ways: The glass in the cab doors was a special double pane insulating glass, and the arms that hold the windshield open were different than those on any other M-series vehicle. Additionally, there were instruments mounted on the cab rear wall to monitor generator operation.
The unusual sloping roof contained a model ID-1 eleven- to twenty-foot extension A-frame ladder made by the Aluminum Ladder Company. This was accessible by opening the rear doors.
Swinging the rear doors open also exposed the axes, pry-bars, and a variety of other “forcible entry” tools stored on their interior surfaces. The open doors also provided access to two fire extinguishers, a Blackhawk model SB-52 porta-power, floodlight, nitrogen cylinder, and the Mall circular rescue saw.
Externally, a ladder was mounted to provide access to the truck’s roof. In addition, both the standard Ordnance type slave receptacle, as well as an Air Force type slave receptacle were mounted on the right rear panel.
The standard Dodge T-245 230.2-cubic inch, 6-cylinder engine was equipped with a Pierce Governor Company GC-3939 governor to aid in generator operation. This governor was not the same one that was used in the other G-741 variants such as the CMU-3 contact maintenance truck.
On each side of the bed were two spring-loaded doors, one that swung up, the other, down. On the driver’s side, the upper compartment contained the communication system, CB extinguishing system and tool cabinet loaded with rescue and entry tools. The passenger’s side compartment opened to reveal even more tools including bolt cutters, tin snips, a hose reel, and an electrical cable reel.
Mounted on the top of the truck, a Federal Enterprises Model 17 24-volt rotating Beacon insured instant recognizability during an emergency. A Federal Model XG siren mounted on the driver’s side fender guaranteed that those who didn’t see the truck, would hear it at least. These trucks also sported a spotlight on each side of the cab roof.
These vehicles were in service with the US Air Force and the Navy in 1956, but the date they were removed from service is not apparent.
R-2 CRASH TRUCKS TODAY
The small number of R-2s produced, coupled with the fact that R-2 bodies are made of aluminum and therefore, lent themselves to profitable scrapping, resulted with only a handful of intact examples now known to exist.
The scarcity, as well as nobility of purpose, of these vehicles certainly makes them worthy preservation and restoration candidates. The few that remain are coveted not only by military vehicle collectors, but also fire apparatus enthusiasts. The bright red color, reflective markings and unusual shape makes the R-2 stand out from the ordinary MV or fire truck.
Applicable manuals unique to this G-741 variant:
T.O. 36A12-8-10-4 Technical Manual, Illustrated Parts Breakdown.
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David Doyle's earliest published works were occasional articles in enthusiast publications aimed at the historic military vehicle restoration hobby. This was a natural outlet for a guy whose collection includes several Vietnam-era vehicles such as M62, M123A1C, M35A2, M36A2C, M292A2, M756, and an M764.
By 1999, his writing efforts grew to include regular features in leading periodicals devoted to the hobby both domestically and internationally, appearing regularly in US, English and Polish publications.
In 2003, David received his a commission to write his first book, The Standard Catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles. Since then, several outlets have published more than 100 of his works. While most of these concern historic military hardware, including aircraft and warships, his volumes on military vehicles, meticulously researched by David and his wife Denise, remain the genre for which he is most recognized. This recognition earned life-time achievement in June 2015, when he was presented Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) bestowed on him the coveted Bart Vanderveen Award in recognition of “...the individual who has contributed the most to the historic preservation of military vehicles worldwide.”
In addition to all of publishing efforts, David is the editor of the MVPA’s magazine, History in Motion, as well as serving as the organization’s Publications Director. He also maintains a retail outlet for his books online and at shows around the U.S.
