Ladd Field Cold Weather Test Unit. Screened on Leather. Rare.
Ladd Field was established near Fairbanks in 1940, as a Cold Weather Test Station to test military aircraft, equipment and clothing in arctic conditions. In 1942, Ladd Field became the northern end of the Alaska-Siberia (ALSIB) route, which began in Great Falls, Montana, to facilitate the transfer of Lend-Lease aircraft to Soviet Union. Activated in 1940, the mission of the Cold Weather Test Detachment was to ensure that all military aircraft could operate in extreme cold conditions, down to -60 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold weather operation and maintenance requirements were established at Ladd Field, with aeronautics manufacturers from across the nation coming there to test aircraft and equipment. In addition to aircraft, cold weather experimentation was carried out on uniforms and flight suits at Ladd Field. In 1943, the Army’s first helicopter, the YR-4, underwent cold weather testing there.
