Tasker 'Queen Mary' Trailer
Tasker 'Queen Mary' trailer
Dimensions:
Width: 2.6m
Length: 12m
Tasker 'Queen Mary' aircraft recovery Trailer
This semi-trailer was designed and built in Britain by Tasker Trailers specifically for the recovery of aircraft parts and wreckage, and was developed to meet an Air Ministry specification for a trailer able to carry an entire fighter aircraft.
The “Queen Mary” nickname is supposedly due to the large size of the trailer being compared to the ocean liner RMS Queen Mary, which served as a troop transport during WW2. Nearly 4,000 of these trailers were produced during World War Two.
The RNZAF utilised them from the 1940s through to the early 1990s; the example here in our collection was used at Wigram.
Project overview
The intention of this project is to restore our trailer to its original RNZAF in-service condition.
The Queen Mary trailer can be viewed in the Conservation Workshop on our daily, free Behind the Scenes tours.
What is currently happening?
Update 2 September 2020
Currently, the team is working through the initial project scoping and research phase. This has involved stripping the trailer back and undertaking inspections on the steel framework and timber decking to identify which elements can be conserved, and which are beyond recovery and will require replacement. Non-original components have been marked for removal.
Meanwhile, our Archives team is conducting a worldwide search for original technical publications for the trailer and information on the original timber used.
Can you help?
If you believe that you may have information that would be useful to the restoration of the Queen Mary trailer, our Technical Conservation team would love to hear from you. Please get in touch via the link below.
