Zenith Mark VB Altimeter 1936?

Two wings good, Four wings bad

No worries, thank you for making it available to the forum in the first instance.
Four winged aircraft pictured :
[ATTACH=CONFIG]229176[/ATTACH]

Thanks to those that placed a bid, I have now sold this to Bob, who had the highest bid.

Regards

Matt

A monoplane has one wing, a biplane has two wings, a triplane has three wings……………….did anything ever have four????

Andy

Whight ? Quadraplane, AW FK 10 amongst others.

A monoplane has 1 pair of wings, a biplane has 2 pairs of wings & a triplane has 3 pairs of wings LOL.

Bob T.

Surely that would be four 😉

A monoplane has one wing, a biplane has two wings, a triplane has three wings……………….did anything ever have four????

Andy

Anything with two wings

Surely that would be four 😉

I have mailed those that registered an interest in acquiring my altimeter, if anyone else is interested please PM me as I might sell direct to a forum member, or else keep a beady eye on that well known auction site from this weekend.

Matt

:highly_amused:

Hey, I grovelled first !:)
Come to think of it you see Smiths, Negretti Zambra, Zenith – who were the companies that made these things? There seems to be more concise, structured information on things like Luftwaffe compasses on the web than Allied instruments. Is there a website somewhere that tabulates British instruments and makers ?

I wasn’t grovelling.

I WAS BEGGING ! LMAO.

Bob T.

:highly_amused:

I would also like to throw my hat in the ring with regards to obtaining it should you decide to part with it :eagerness:.Bob T.

Hey, I grovelled first !:)
Come to think of it you see Smiths, Negretti Zambra, Zenith – who were the companies that made these things? There seems to be more concise, structured information on things like Luftwaffe compasses on the web than Allied instruments. Is there a website somewhere that tabulates British instruments and makers ?

Hi Matt

These altimeters were used in various types from the end of WW1 onwards, the 1936 date is the overhaul/modification date rather than the date of manufacture.

For some reason those altimeters produced by Zenith’s seem to survive in greater numbers than those built by other manufacturers. My own thoughts on this would be that Zenith were given a contract to supply a large number of them, just prior to the end of WW1, most of which became surplus to requirements by the RAF due to the end of the war, & were then sold for peanuts by the Aircraft Disposal Company during the 1920’s.

I would also like to throw my hat in the ring with regards to obtaining it should you decide to part with it :eagerness:.

Bob T.

Thank you for the replies and information, I see reference to this being made by Smiths, but this one is made by Zenith, was it a Smiths design made under licence by Zenith?

And would it have been manufactured in Switzerland or did Zenith manufacture in England or out-source to Smiths, or alternatively it could have been made by Smiths and re-branded by Zenith?

Any Idea’s?

Finally you will have your opportunity as although it’s a beautiful item in it’s own right and I’m enjoying watching the changing barometric pressure and the seeing that the hand has moved, I’d much prefer it back where it should rightly be, rather than as a very interesting paperweight on my desk!

Would look also exceedingly good in one of my Avro Avians!
See this thread.:)

A fair few

Hi I have just joined the forum.

I came across this Altimeter recently and would be grateful as to any information as to what aircraft it could have been fitted to.

Matt

Coffin Dodger (!), welcome and great find. The Mark VB altimeter is listed in the 1930 ‘General Instrument Equipment for Aircraft’ and would feature in any of the silver biplanes of the 1930’s : Hawker Hinds and Demons to things like Vickers Vildebeestes and Vincents. Anything with two wings and a pilot with a moustache doing unauthorised loops.

I would happily give you an arm for it, so if you want to sell, please consider!