Grip Stick Control 1950´s F-104 C-4

Hello
Thank you for the very good information. The handle comes from an F-104 pilot, who also flew an F-80. That can probably be. The color is not retrofitted under magnifying glass. It’s all original so left. The pilot was an instructor for F-104 and P / F 80 Shooting Star / T-33

Hi Grip1,

Welcome to the forum and complements of the season to you too!

As Anon previously mentioned, this is indeed a ‘B-8/B-8A’ or, MC-2 Aircraft, handle control. It is a development of the B-5, B-6 and B-7 handles used throughout the changing needs of US Air Force aircraft since the mid 1930’s. Your grip is an early example identified by the ‘domed’ style switches and the early (green) type trim switch. This style of trim switch is also encountered on some B-7 grips too. As for the green colour? I have no idea, does it appear as a ‘Factory’ finish or something perhaps painted by someone to smarten it up? Generally speaking, they usually appear either black or grey. I have not encountered a green one! This type of switch soon gave way to the ‘coolie-hat’ style more associated with this grip.

There are quite a few manufacturers of this style of grip, the most prolific being the ‘Guardian Electric Company’ (these are identified by a small shield stamped on the top of the grip with a capital ‘G’ inset), Mason and Bendix are the other main ones. Unfortunately, it is not possible to place a particular grip with a specific aircraft, unless of course you know where and who removed it! Even after directly speaking with Guardian and using serial numbers, there is no record of use after leaving the factory. These grips were used on an awful lot of aircraft (including non-indigenous US types), although, there are some minor changes to the grip’s development/use that were only used on certain aircraft. This can come in the form of the wrist support being removed or shortened, the Amphenol connector being of a certain design or specific use of different switch gear. Generally speaking, if it has the ‘Amphenol’ pin type connector (as in your example), it would be fitted to a ‘fixed wing’ aircraft and if it has no ‘pin’ connector and fits directly onto the column it is from a rotary wing aircraft but, like everything, this does not mean that is a hard and fast rule!!!
A lot of the B-8 grips fitted to helicopters can be found with the type identification as part of their part numbering, eg 209-001-059-1, the 209 depicting the Bell type 209 ‘Cobra’. It certainly would be great if that were the case for the fixed wing types!

However, my personal suggestion for your grips ‘likely’ use would be something like the P/F-80 or F-84 or similar vintage first generation jet.

Hope that is of some help?

Kind regards,

GYD

Thank you for info from you. Who can say something about the stick?

The green trim switch is probably specific to the particular aircraft manufacturer’s cockpit it was used in. It could be the main clue to i/d-ing the type in which it was used. C4 is also likely to be a clue as to the type but there are far more knowledgeable people on here who will be able to tell you much more than I.

Anon.

Hello

why is the big trim button green? and what does C 4 on the stick mean?

I’ve understood it to be called the B8 grip, used on a wide variety of types and, with modifications, helicopters too.

Anon.

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