Instrument Experts

I’m certainly looking at things with very different eyes!

lol, had crossed my mind:D

I think you’ll find the nuclear fall out police will attend to your device very shortly… 😀

But what was it used on? A Meteorological aircraft perhaps?

I think your own guess is pretty accurate.

And yes, prepare to have your house burnt down by the angry mob when they discover you’ve been storing radio-active substances without a licence!

Seriously, the needles, numerals, letters “M” and “S” etc have all been painted with luminous paint. Take sensible precautions.

Looks like a sub standard alt to me. Used for testing purposes. It represents a known ‘standard’ against which others would be tested.

Accordingly, it wouldnt need to be radioactive, so may not be…..

Are we safe just looking at the instrument from our computer screens?

As long as you don’t stuff it down your underpants all day, she’ll be right mate.

Are we safe just looking at the instrument from our computer screens?

Bruce’s suggestion of a “calibrating” instrument for altimeters is probably correct, and I’ve seen similar devices described that way before.

I’m just puzzled why the face needs to be luminised and why the case is a standard instrument one (although I suppose it makes sense to use a standard pattern case if the “gubbins” inside it is similar to an altimeter anyway).

I’ve been reading a little about the wartime Met. Squadrons and their specially adapted Halifaxes, etc, and it’s had me wondering about the extra equipment they carried. I would have thought something like your instrument may have had a role, hence the luminised face for night flying, etc.

Perhaps you need to attract Resmoroh to this thread, his Meteorolgical experience may shed further light?

So besides the likelihood of me glowing in the dark like a readybrek commercial after taking it to bits (about 20 years ago I hasten to add), no ideas what this came off?

Hate to think the forum could be beaten by such a mundane item as this aneroid:D

The authors state that this model “was developed for high-altitude aircraft, such as the pressurised Spitfires“. 150 mb is about 45,000 feet.

Now that is interesting, the chap that gave me this worked down at the local rubbish tip (yeah ok :o) I worked (at the time) for a tyre firm that looked after their wagons, I asked all the blokes there to keep a look out for interesting aviation related artifacts, this particular individual presented me with this aneroid, informing me that he was assured it came off a Spitfire (like we all haven’t heard that one before:rolleyes:)

Maybe he was right.:eek:

Thanks Resmoroh, most helpful.

The quick answer is – “I don’t know”! But it does look very similar to the Aircraft Aneroid Barometer Mk IIB illustrated in “Even The Birds Were Walking” by Kington & Rackliffe (Tempus, 2000, ISBN 075242016X). The photo is in b/w but you can see a differentiation in the letters ‘M’, ‘B’, and ‘S’ which would confirm death-ray paint! The authors state that this model “was developed for high-altitude aircraft, such as the pressurised Spitfires“. 150 mb is about 45,000 feet. Your average Halifax might be a bit pushed to get up there!!!!! “Normal” Met Recce a/c used the Mk I
HTH
Resmoroh

Yes I was thinking one of the met flight a/c but couldnt find a cockpit/met observer posn photo.

“letters “M” and “S” etc have all been painted with luminous paint. Take sensible precautions”.
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Are you saying that the sign out side Marks&Spencer isn’t a neon one?

I have put the problem to an ex-Halifax Air Met Observer (MAO). MAOs normally were part of a multi-crew a/c. In the single-seat a/c the Pilot had to do it all. In the two-seaters (Mossie) the Navigator did the Met bit. Don’t know how high Spitfires could go but one Met Flight Spitfire is thought to have exceeded 50,000 ft (in the Far East).
HTH
Resmoroh

My colleague (one of the authors of the book, and a war-time MAO) confirms my earlier.

The Aircraft Aneroid, Mk IIb, was fitted to the Met version of the Spitfires with pressurized cabins, such as the PR Mk VII and the PR XIX.(see p.189 of ETBWW). These aircraft had an operational ceiling in excess of 40,000ft, and as you know were used for the daily PRATA climbs (soundings) to 200mb or even higher. They would have been connected to a dedicated static vent, usually located on the side of the fuselage. The precision Aneroid barometers installed in the MAOs position in the recce. Halifaxes only had a range from 1050 to 400mb; our climbs were limited to 500mb, although the B17s on Met Recce (with superior superchargers) used to extend their climb to 400mb.

HTH
Resmoroh

Outstanding, just outstanding.

Thanks:cool: