Is this off an assault glider?

Be funny if we were all barking up the wrong tree and it turned out to be a balancing weight for a windmill for example!:D

You never know – bit there would have had to be a heck of a lot of windmills near that scrapyard for the number of these objects to have been there.;)

Be funny if we were all barking up the wrong tree and it turned out to be a balancing weight for a windmill for example!:D

ID numbers are not always in a sensible position — they are usually in the most awkward place to see — but not always !!
Just because it is an old aircraft part does not mean it has ever been used,it could be a ‘spare part’ or from an aircraft that was never flown.

As I have said on previous posts , it is worth checking the arm as well as the shoe because it MAY have (should have) its own id numbers but they may not be as obvious as the chonking great numbers on the shoe — it is worth a look !!!

If it was a skid and the ‘blob’ was a consumable, wouldn’t the part number have been worn off, I’d have thought the part number would have gone on the top.

Any chance of scratching the ‘blob’ toe get an idea of the material?

Thanks for all the suggestions and pointers. I don’t think the “blob” is lead.
Tim

The patina suggests perhaps bronze? Might that be a clue? (He says, clutching at a passing straw)

Adrian

The Sedberg T21 had a similar chunky tail skid.

Years since I did a daily inspection on one.

I throw this into the ideas pot

http://www.mugshots-uk.co.uk/Things/t21.jpg

Regards
Ross

Thanks for all the suggestions and pointers. I don’t think the “blob” is lead. We had considered it may be a mass balance but they tend to be more circular in section and made of lead so not convinced its that. It’s continues to be a mystery – we’ll keep an open mind and carry on seeking ideas.

Tim

Even if it is not from a glider it does ‘look like’ a tail skid assy from a largish aircraft.
So really it is down to any part/ID/insp stamp numbers on either the shoe or on the spring/arm,it may be the only way to positively ID the part.

On a more general note… the wooden aircraft manufactured during WW2 by some of the furniture makers , Harris Lebus say or the ones in the High Wycombe area(can’t remember names) did they have their own inspection stamps or was that still done by De havilland,Airspeed or General Aircraft inspectors from the design/origin company… I have always assumed the latter but wondered if the stamp ID’s were different to the parent company ones.

Is the blob made of lead? As it hasn’t corroded I assume its non-ferrous anyway.

Not being familiar with tail skids, are there any tail skids which were fitted with replaceable non-ferrous wear pads?

If the blob is a lead weight, couldn’t this be a mass balance from a large control surface i.e. Aileron?

FWIW, I have spent far too much time looking at vintage machinery and I don’t recognise it as anything agricultural.

*waits to be proved horribly wrong*

Adrian

As Andy said – the Hamilcar had a tailwheel.
The Hadrian (CG4) i am fairly sure the production versions had a small tailwheel.
The Horsa did have some sort of tail skid arrangement but I have never seen a clear close up of it and seem to remember seeing 2 different types ???
From memory I think the Horsa was designed to drop the mainwheels and use the main skid for landing but the pilots used to leave the wheels attached if possible ???????
Even on the Assault Glider Trust website I couldn’t find a clear shot of the tail
assy on the Horsa.But they should have the drawings if any survive !!!!

I don’t know….but I know a man who might

Tim,

I’ve trawled through a few glider photos but I don’t recognise this :confused:

If the part is indeed a prop/skid from an assault glider then you could try contacting Phillip Reinders of the Arnhem Battle Research Group (google it!) – him and his team regularly search the landing zones used during operation “Market” and they’ve probably encountered every metal part used on the Horsa glider at one time or another.

The Hamilcar had a tail *wheel* which rules that one out.

I know for sure that it *isn’t* part of the sprung-loaded tail wheel affair used on the American CG4A glider (renamed “Hadrian” when it was used in small numbers by the British).

I haven’t seen anything like this fitted to the smaller Hotspur glider – the skid on that was located more in the middle of the fuse’ and kept the tail well off the ground.

Good luck!

Andy

My friend Paul, depicted in the attached shots, would appreciate help in identifying an item he was given when visiting a scrap-yard a few years back. He was told by the yard operators that they believed it came from an “assault glider”. There were many other examples of the item scattered round the site.

Our initial thoughts were that it may be part of a skid mechanism but it’s very heavy and looks more agricultural. We took it to London Colney recently to compare it with data on the Horsa, but found no conclusive match. It didn’t look like any element of the under-fuselage main skid. The Horsa design did have a telescopic tail prop, but I can’t find any close-up photos or detailed drawings of that specific component to check if it may be associated with that.

Anyone out there got any ideas if it is aviation related and if so what it’s off?

The yard was in the vicinity of Shawbury and at that time contained a huge freight pannier once fitted to an H.P. Halton – surely something worth saving?

[Tim

I assume that the ‘blob’ on the end is non ferrous and possibly made of lead? (scratch to check, should shine brightly)

If so, then I’d suggest that it may be a control surface mass balance arm and therefore of aviation origin.

I can read TR707, so obviously a tail skid for testing from a B.707!:D

Apparently a hitherto unknown “Tactical Recon” version… is there any black paint on it? 😉

I can read TR707, so obviously a tail skid for testing from a B.707!:D

:rolleyes: No foolin you NF 😉

Actually some jets do have a tail skid of some sort to cater for high angle of attack t/off or landing,useful during flight testing !!

The numbers visible on the photo may just be for the shoe,the skid spring may also have part number/insp stamp/serial number as well.

I can read TR707, so obviously a tail skid for testing from a B.707!:D

Can you read all of the part numbers/id numbers,it might give a clue.
The smaller number(s) could be inspection stamps – somebody might recognise em!!

Looks like a tail skid, which would point to it NOT being from a glider I guess.

Photos were taken at the Mosquito Museum!

Bruce

Tail skid from something perhaps?

Would this be the scrapyard run by Don Matthews of the “Wartime Aircraft Recovery Group”.

Garry.