Beaufihghter control column ?

RE: Beaufihghter control column ?

No problem. I’ll try to remember my camera when I go in next week, and I’ll get a couple of shots of our stick. It’s not yet mounted in the cockpit, so I should be able to prop it up and get a good shot of it. Gives you a chance to show some ‘before and after’ shots to people… 😉

RE: Beaufihghter control column ?

Steve

Once again, thanks for for your time and that info (bowing on the floor making ‘we’re not worthy’ statements !)

My ‘stick’ has been pretty well b*st*rdised, all the original holes for brakes levers etc filled in…with ali !…and polished. There are no raised ridges or traces of any other part No’s, which is a shame.

However, as a result of the info from yourself, and from Tony, I’m now more than happy that it did originate from a Bristol product… which is shed loads more than I knew a few days ago !!. As I said, its a ruddy usefull, and comfortable (!) thing to have. Been nice to have cast iron proof it came from a ‘Beau’ but theres nothing wrong with a Blenheim (just not a ‘sexy’).

Speaking of ‘Beau’s, I am also a flight sim anorak (complete with fur lined hood) and have today of all things, downloaded a ‘Beau’ TFX for my Flight Sim 2002 and Combat flight Sim 2 (and very realistic it is too, especially the view from the cockpit and the engine sounds). My son, who has been wizzing round the house, shooting everything with my ‘stick’ now has a good idea of what it may have come from !!.

Thanks again guys, I owe you one.

Gary

RE: Beaufihghter control column ?

Hi Gary,

Right, having had a good look at our control column last night, I’ll start by reiterating that I’m really not a guru – if I was, I’d have known that the brake lever comes out towards the right, not the left as I’d originally said… 😉 That said, the brake lever mounting is held on by four screws, each about 6mm in diameter, which would appear to be correct with yours.

As you look at the handles, ours has the plastic / bakelite coating missing around the gun button, but I think that’s from usage, as opposed to indicative of a different type.

You mention yours has a pair of small holes on each arm – on the top right arm we’ve got two small bolts going through holes which we believe to be for a PTT switch. These are the only holes on the arms.

On the rear face of the top left arm, ours has a raised part number, 51952, which the Beaufighter parts list shows as ‘Wheel, control’, which confirms it as Beau. There were a couple of other small marks, but nothing like ‘BRIS’ or ‘B269’. I also drew a blank with Beaufighter aircraft serials, as none finish with ‘B269’.

Also on the rear face of both top arms, there are cast lumps, each about 30mm x 20mm x 10mm, which are the control stops. On the front face of the two bottom arms of ours, there are faint traces of the yellow painted words ‘GUNS LOADED’, although we’re doubtful that this would be a standard caption! 😉

The circular thing at the base of your shooting stick, we think may possibly be a seat or parachute harness release catch.

As for possible identities for yours, Tim’s view (concurring with Tony’s) is that it could be either Beaufighter, Beaufort or Blenheim. Either way, a nice piece of historic aviation memorabilia, and certainly a talking point for you!

Hope this helps.

Steve

RE: Beaufihghter control column ?

Willco….Ron Mills…name rings a bell somewhere not sure where though and I am getting old!!

regards

Tony

RE: Beaufihghter control column ?

Cheers for that Tony.

Beaufighter (spelt correctly that time !!)or Blenheim, its still a cracking talking piece. I didn’t know that dunlop made handles (learnt summat new here) so its probable history is coming together (in my mind it had a glorious career, full of action etc etc!).

I wondered if the base of the stick had come from an aircraft, being made of ali, it seem aeronautical and out of place on a shooting stick…wonder if ARCO would let me crawl around their baby ??

My home in the UK is Durrington and if as I believe, as your museum is just three miles up the road from there, could you send me an e-mail with opening / access times details as I would dearly love to ‘get stuck in’ when I return if posssible ?. Do you know Ron Mills ?

Cheers

Gary

RE: Beaufihghter control column ?

Gary

well here comes ‘Mr Sad’ the anoraks diagnosis! This type of column was fitted to Blenheim and Beaufighters as well as a number of other aircraft types. It would have had a rather nice pneumatic gun button in brass fitted in that hole but I am sure that would have soon be (quite literally!!) a pain in the A*&e!

The yoke was manufactured (or so I think) by Dunlop. Normally it would have had a Dunlop part number, however, the presence of a Dunlop brass gun button and Dunlop patent covering would suggest it was made by them.

I personally think your grip came from a Blenheim as the wheel on the bottom looks similar to a wheel (flap/U/C selector) to be found in the Blenheim.

WEll done with such a nice piece, even though it has been ‘doctored’ I would have been #####-a-hooop if I’d found it

regards

Tony Dyer

>I’ve had this ‘shooting stick’ for some time and thought its
>also about time I found out what it came from originally. I
>aquired it at the Beaulie autojumble a number of years ago,
>marked up for sale as ‘rear gunner’. My initial thoughts are
>that is from a Beaufighter. Clearly stamped on the reverse
>side of the gun button handle is the number B269 in a circle
>and the letters BRIS scribed also. This makes me believe it
>is of Bristol origin. There are four small holes about 10mm
>in diameter spaced around the central hole that have been
>filled in…brake handle mounting holes ??. If any-one can
>confrim that this is indeed from a Beaufighter, could they
>also confirm if the B269 number relates to a part number or
>a specific airframe,(hope so then I can find out the history
>of this ‘stick’….and no, I dont have any plans to part
>with it, its too damn useful at airshows)
>
>I also have to admit that I regard it as sacrilage to chop
>up something like this but saying so I also have to admit
>that it is very comfy to sit on and has a better pedigree
>than most shooting sticks (certainly fired a higher calibre
>round than your average shotgun!!).
>
>Any feedback from the ‘Guru’s out there greatfully accepted.
>
>Cheers
>
>Gary

RE: Beaufighter control column ?

Steve

Top Banana !!. Sorry, but anyone involved in the rebuild of something as large and complex as a ‘Beau is a guru in my books (Having spent 6 months working on a homebuild Clutton Fred in the UK before moving it on prior to living out here in Cyprus for a few years, its not what I class a simple project…doubt the PFA would argue either!!)

I’ve had another close look at my stick but can find no trace of the Bristol Part numbers you mention. As you have seen, the handle side of the stick has been comrehensively worked over (in a ham-fisted way). Looking from the pilots side of the handle, there are two small holes (about 4mm in diameter…again filled in) on each of the arms leading to the black hand grip (Bakelite covering ?). I have tried to take some further piccies but all my camera insists on doing is getting the background in perfect focus or a reflection of yours truly’s hand holding the camera !!. Any info you can find greatly received but dont ‘bust a gut’ over it.

It must have been an awesome feeling, sitting up in that cockpit behind two chuffing great Herc’s purring away, before firewalling the loud levers on three thousand three hundred ponies and watching the horizon go into reverse (jets do diddly- squat for me except maybe the TSR2 and the Frightning) so as I was born way too late, I have to rely in a vivid imagination and the likes of you guys restoring stuff for me to drool over.

As for slapping…hmmmm….more like watch him dance in the butts when the Hispano’s start talking…teehee.

Send me a forwarding address via e-mail and I can then get the cutaway and associated write-up copied and on to you as per your drawing request thread.

Once again Cheers

Gary

RE: Beaufighter control column ?

Hmm, wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a guru about anything, but as I’m possibly the only forum member who is hands-on with a Beau at present (unless Pete Rushen or the East Fortune guys are lurking?) I’ll have a go at answering this.

First off, the handles do look about right for a Beau, but they appear to have been chopped about a bit to fit your stick. The gun button hole is in the right place (would be under the right thumb), and the brake lever would have come out from the centre to about an inch short of the left handle – I’ll check ours on Wednesday night to see if the holes on yours match our mounting.

‘B269’ is a bit more challenging. Beau parts start ‘FB’, and are usually followed by either five or six digits. Take a look to see whether there’s any trace of an ‘F’ and another couple of numbers. Failing that, it may be an inspector’s stamp, or possibly the last four digits of an aircrafts serial number. If that’s the case I have a book at home which may help give some clues to the identity. Either way, I’ll take a good look at ours and see what I can come up with.

That said, I don’t know whether the Beau column was used in anything else (Beaufort / Brigand / Buckingham, etc). Again, I’ll try to find out for you.

Oh, and if you see the bloke who told you it’s from a ‘rear gunner’, slap him. 😉