Ross_McNeillHi Mothminor,
Not the mud off Skinflats – Longannet is much more prominent on the other bank than that shown in the photo.
However if you were to go to the mudflats and stand about the same transits for Longannet and the tank farm as you are thinking about you would be about right for a prop boss with stumps of three blades, a Merlin and internal cockpit components lying on the surface of the mud.
First estuary wreck I visited when I lived in Grangemouth in the mid 70s. Only recently managed to identify it as Hurricane L1803.
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillNot a museum style collection more scrap dumped in several gardens and yards.
I was working on updating the screens on a Southern Water storm water pumping station that was situated just on the A259 and the eastern end of the harbour.
As a lunchtime break from the location I used to walk down the road and from the foot path you can see over fences into the lower yards and “garden” area of the houses to the south of the road.
Several yards had pallets which variously contained 3 or less bladed props c/w reduction gear or corroded u/c legs with gleaming oleo shafts.
From floats, lobster pots etc that were also in the yards they were obviously owned by families that operated out of the port for local fishing.
Got the impression that once enough metal scrap had accumulated it would be weighed in locally.
Ross
Ross_McNeillBest primary source is the Operations Record Book for each unit held at The National Archives, Kew.
One is available for download online (Z1278 – No.305 Sqn) but the other needs either a personal visit or a researcher to copy for you (DV731 – No.28 OTU)
Both are summarised in the RAF Bomber Command Losses series of books by W Chorley
For Z1278 I also suggest a visit to Shoreham RNLI as the ‘Rosa Woodd and Phyllis Lunn’ was launched and recovered wreckage.
I assume from the photos that you have removed the parts from the foreshore so you may also like to review this thread and post #61 in particular to see what you need to do within 28 days to keep the right side of the Receiver of Wreck.
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?128575-Big-black-thing-on-a-beach/page3
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillFive Wellington off the Sussex coast that could appear in the Worthing local given winter storms and longshore drift but could also be deeper wreck parts brought in by trawler and dumped offshore – there are quite a few props and u/c legs sitting against the walls close to Shoreham Harbour.
Looking closer to Worthing
6/12/42 Z1278 off Littlehampton
11/8/43 DV731 off Shoreham
Ross
Ross_McNeillFor small components where I have an intact or damaged example I do the following to eliminate the costs involved in pattern making.
Look up the shrinkage for the casting material then use modelling clay to build up round the original part to give the required extra thickness. Any fillets can be formed using ball bearings of the required diameter.
With care in handling the caster can make his mould from this.
Used this method too with damaged parts where I repaired using epoxy/plastic metal then used the modelling clay to provide the required shrinkage allowance for the pattern.
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillF1180 gives date as 16th
Pilot Sgt K S Harvey, 1383958
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillNever say never Andy,
All that I can say for certain is that it’s not fitted to the Link
….
but as to other airborne use and being specific Lancaster, I would have a good look at T1 bombsights as I’ve seen similar casings in both the computor (short case version) and the sight head (long case version).
I have no real reference material for the T1 components but would give the T1 and bombsights in general a look for use of the Mk.I Vertical Gyro.
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillCheers for the detail photos Andy,
Convinced that it is not Link fit.
Looks like crate or shallow box mounted. Sides of the box extending up to the paint line across the manifold block and with clearance round the bottom filters. Face support via a hoop and possible rear foot. Makes it similar to modern VG fits.
Centre is vacuum connection to spin the gyro up via a jet nozzle fed from the rear sintered filter.
Left and right connections are to internal needle valves (external sintered filters/orifice to atmosphere to prevent full vacuum being drawn when closed down) which gives a transmission signal of casing analogue deviation from gyro initial position to a remote location.
Either both roll and pitch as OneEighthBit suggests or + and – of either roll or pitch.
No requirement to transmit roll and pitch as a vacuum in the Link, different methods are used,
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillI have never been able to find confirmation that this was fitted to any version of the Link.
The logo and upper section strongly suggest mounting where it can be readily seen but the connections below the display would negate flush mounting on and aircraft type panel except along the extreme bottom edge.
No Air Ministry section reference for an instrument manufactured for a batch in 1943.
Wording suggests that this is one of a two or more instrument package, eg Directional Gyro + Vertical Gyro, but for aircraft the Vertical Gyro is more commonly in the form of an Artificial Horizon.
The US versions of the early mark Link (C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, E-1, E-2) all show Directional Gyro and AH combinations in period manuals.
The RAF use was a mixture of some US C and E-2 versions and later some home produced D-1 type.
The D-1 type used a pendulum AH c/w oil dash pots, was not gyro operated and had no electrical/vacuum connection.
The Pre War/Early War Sperry flight system for civil airliners conformed to DG and AH combination but combined adjacent to each other in one instrument case.
The instrument in the picture seems to have pneumatic connections but again too many for normal aircraft operation (connection to suction and rear mounted filter vent to atmosphere). The three connections possibly Suction, Atmosphere and ?
Try putting a flexible pipe onto each connection in turn and putting the other end to the nozzle of a domestic hoover. Do not make a seal to the nozzle leave plenty of gap to allow air bleed, then gradually increase the applied vac by putting your hand between flexible pipe and the nozzle, that way you will not damage by applying too much vac and control in easy by opening or closing your fingers.
Try each connection in turn.
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillSorry Ron, no drawing.
I did a bit of reverse engineering to get a close pattern for my static.
Laid out the port, starboard and bfp on a board then drew round the outer edge. The mounting holes centres are 0.25″ in from the panel outer edge.
Photo measurements suggest a mounting flange depth of 1″ with panel overlap of 0.5″
This was added to the outside edge of the panels and the curve extrapolated at the top between the port and starboard panels.
From this a 1″ L section was formed into the hoop and offered up. The cross member is 1″ square section.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]229317[/ATTACH]
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillThe defined standard by Ministry of Supply was for 2C to be used for zeros and Os but quite a few subcontractors used similar master copy tiles to augment 2C sets when they got worn down.
I found it most common with contractors that previously supplied motor industry and public transport.
The most common use of rogue Os is on Halifax panels by LRT sourced from the font commissioned by Frank Pick for London Underground i.e. Johnston Underground type face
Also seen tiles from Ministry of Transport (Llewellyn-Smith alphabet) used in UK but looking closer think that the Canadian typeface has it’s roots in early FHWA from US.
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillI’ve done two examples of the “SWITCH ON BEFORE” label using the 1.56″ between centres of the mounting holes as key dimension.
Makes the following reduction for 3/4″ Type C copy masters – 1 to 8.125 reduction.
Looking at photos of UK produced wartime labels and the Canadian version shows a slight difference due to the labour skill used.
The UK versions were by the book in terms of word spacing and line spacing (135% of text height) due to being typeset by a skilled production operator. The Canadian version you have posted contains the tweaks of a skilled compositor to make the text more readable eg second line has variable word spacing and line spacing is 200% of text height. The Canadian version of labels also uses punctuation that was generally omitted from UK produced ones.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]229237[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]229238[/ATTACH]
The dimensions and settings above will hopefully give a start to anyone doing the engraving exercise again.
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeill“L3 or DTD 390”
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillGreat stuff gents,
I’ll start making plastic dust tomorrow!
Ron – optimistic of the Canadians – 500 MPH on the ASI, a wee bit more in a dive and she could have gone supersonic at height!
No B Type only L Type – Type A was standard Upper Case font, used where there was no space problems.
Type L was lower case to be used with Type A.
Type C was condensed and used where space was at a premium.
Came in various master copy sizes but the following at 3/4″ was the most widely used.
110/32 2A 3/4″ A set of 128 capital letters, figures, stops, etc., with spacing’s sufficient for all ordinary purposes.
110/33 2C 3/4″ Same assortment as No. 2A but narrower style
Regards
Ross
Ross_McNeillCheers Ron,
Just the job – and I can see a partial “SWITCH ON…TAKING..” for my other missing label (looks like Type A, 1/8″ 135% line spacing)
The Supercharger one appears to be Type C, 1/8″, 150 or 175% line spacing – I’ll sort that out with a few trials.
(Type A is 3 units high to 2 units width, Type C is 2 units high to 1 unit width)
The small desk top pantograph I use is limited on the engraving platter and engravers master copy so it will take a bit of creative typesetting.
And just to confuse things another standard panel layout for a single starter button/ starboard starter mag switch to add to the catalogue of fits!
Regards
Ross
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