DAYTON, Ohio -- Type F-1A utility heater displayed in the World War II Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)
The PSP landing mats under the Type F-1A heater and the Bell P-39Q aircraft represent the most commonly used form of World War II prefabricated runway material. They could be joined together with hand tools and provided a hard runway surface even suitable for bombers, where lack of time, materials or equipment prevented the use of normal runway construction methods. Each 10-foot section weighs 64 pounds and the average laying speed was 125 square feet per manhour.
This style of mat was originally known as Marston mat, named for a small town in North Carolina where it was tested operationally during Army maneuvers in November 1941. It was replaced by planking of an improved design after WWII, but the concept is still used by the USAF.
The sand used is from Shemya, one of the Aleutian Islands.
