This is the surviving top part of a pitot tube support that was recovered from Silloth. It is wartime and from either RAF or Coastal Command aircraft that were scrapped there in 1945.
In the same dig we found parts from T6/Lancaster/Catalina/B25/P51/Fortress/Oxford/Martinett etc.
The bottom edge extended further but was corroded to lace and powder – as it is still 30 cm long – the original was in excess of 40 cm long.
There was some remains of scrim glued on/around the rectangular opening on the front edge.
There is possibly a bolt hole to the side of the same opening.
The rivets on the back edge – I have added to keep it in one piece.
It may seem sad – but I have spent several hours looking at pictures of wartime RAF aircraft – trying to identify which types had such long pitot tubes.
Unfortunately most photographers did not seem to care about the pitot tube – concentrating upon cockpits, engines and totty painted on the side of aircraft.
So the challenge for today – is what aircraft is this from ?
I have an idea from the images I have reviewed – but would welcome independent thought.
By: Johnny Kavanagh - 14th March 2011 at 19:36
Or Botha?
By: David Burke - 14th March 2011 at 19:14
Out of interest is there any lumps of Albemarle still in the quarry???
By: FarlamAirframes - 14th March 2011 at 18:58
Peter thank you for the ideas.
I have checked what few pictures of Blenheims exist that show the pitot tube. It is similar – but the profile looks squarer and the rectangular opening more elongated.
I will have a scout for early Lancs next.
By: Peter - 14th March 2011 at 14:50
Early lancs had something like this as well as Blenheims
By: FarlamAirframes - 14th March 2011 at 14:46
Okay- a difficult one or more likely an obscure one.
The only two aircraft I have found with such extended pitot tubes are the Anson and early Liberators. The Anson doesn’t have a rectangular cut out.
The possibility I see is that it is an early Liberator part and that the cut out -was where the external bracing attached.
So is this from an early Coastal Commend Liberator ?
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March 14, 2011 at 9:16 am