Hi,
During a family holiday in Northumberland in Easter, my son found this fragment of what I assume is a fragment of aircraft on a beach at Amble on the North Sea. I gave it a Goodwin Dornier style clean in dilute citric acid and underneath the marine concretion in the recesses emerged some patches of what looks like a silvery / gold coloured coating.
This immediately made me think Junkers and after much googling, I’ve found references to a couple that went down in that general area. I think one was recovered at the time, but one not.
However, I sent some pictures to someone experienced in aviation archeology and their feeling is that it’s American – but I can’t find any references to US aircraft that went down in that area. It has a distinctive tiny brass nut that looks like it might have been retaining a rectangular data plate of some sort. I’ve looked long and hard at various pictures of Jumo 211 engines and can’t see any obvious matches.
All suggestions very gratefully accepted.
Thanks,
Mark
By: Enfield1940 - 17th September 2022 at 08:39
Having got round to taking a ruler to it, the brass nut measures about 3mm across. I suspect I would destroy it if I tried to unscrew it.
I haven’t had much joy identifying postwar crashes in that area. I suppose another possibility is it is a fragment of the RAF S&R pinnace that capsized with three fatalities outside the harbour in 1969. However, I would have assumed that it would have been recovered intact at the time.
By: dhfan - 17th August 2022 at 21:46
I thought when it was first posted about checking – accurately – the size of the nut but since it was described as “tiny” I doubted it would be conclusive after prolonged immersion.
Being brass, as said it may unscrew and the thread pitch could give a hint at least.
By: Arabella-Cox - 17th August 2022 at 21:03
It’s been 50 years or so… but ISTR there was a bonding lead point on the door that attached to another on the near airframe. I’m thinking it’s from rear main gear door.
Enfield1940 – be aware that small brass screws and bolts are notoriously easy to shear when the thread is bound tight.
By: Stirling - 17th August 2022 at 19:53
I would be looking to see what size spanner the brass bolt head corresponds to exactly BA or metric , american etc to give clue of country of origin, it may even unscrew and u could check thread with gauge, it looks to be quite small in size. The bolt head may also have mark on it that could identify its type/origin but it looks to just have a circular depression although that may well signify something.
It does look fairly modern
By: Enfield1940 - 17th August 2022 at 12:45
Thank you. That’s interesting. I hadn’t given much thought to the possibility that it might be post WWII.
All other suggestions gratefully accepted.
By: Arabella-Cox - 11th August 2022 at 11:49
The milling makes me think 1960/70s aircraft. Some similarities to Jaguar u/c door hinges.
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August 11, 2022 at 7:57 am