Items 94 and 95

Laurent has found another couple of small items. The first (94) is a fastener such as found on a parachute pack. Further examples have been found at locations 1 and 4. The second (95) is a connector which, judging by its shape and comparing it with other pieces found, may be pneumatic or for the oxygen supply system, rather than hydraulic or fuel related. If anyone recognizes this, I would be glad to hear. I am assuming that there is no part number visible or Laurent would have let me know.

The pictures have been added to the photo-gallery but I have not yet updated the index.

Photo-gallery:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=BCF75E8AD40ADF0D!164&authkey=!AJrxfdmdr6MXSdw&ithint=folder%2cjpg

Index to parts found and annotated illustrations:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=bcf75e8ad40adf0d!1426&authkey=!AAJOZyTYrN-x0CQ&ithint=folder%2cjpg

Item 92

I attach another picture of item 92, viewed from three angles.

The threaded extension appears to have a small screw near the end of the rod to hold it in place (bottom left). The white coloured filling is shown at the bottom right.

Laurent tells me that his photographic equipment is not sufficiently powerful to enable a sharply focussed close-up view of the serial number to be obtained, so sorry Peter, the numbering cannot be viewed further for potential distorted impressions.

The threaded extension is 3.75 mm in diameter (a little less than 5/32 inch ??) but it does not appear to have a metric thread – Laurent has checked with a measuring device – so he assumes that this is an Imperial unit (inches) size. If so, this would suggest that it did come from the aircraft.

Peter, I have found a diagram showing the fuelcock tie rod you referred to in the Parts List (Fig.144-10). Unfortunately, it does not give any measurements. It is possible that this could be the location on the aircraft of what has been found, although there are similar parts for the throttle and airscrew controls (Fig.141- 29/30/31).

If this is a flying control tie rod, it seems most likely not to have come from the pilot’s area in the main fuselage, but from the leading edge of the wing.

Item 92

Laurent has confirmed to me that the part number in my earlier post should have read 900 W 110 VY12, not 900 W 110 VYR. I have edited this in the original post.

Readers of this thread with long memories may remember that back in October 2013, Laurent was digging a hole to clear accumulated rubbish at the corner of the forest in an effort to find an engine which might have fallen with the undercarriage (Post #393 – page 14). Eventually it was concluded that the crater had probably been created by a bomb, and not the falling aircraft. Apparently the local authorities have asked that the hole now be filled in for safety reasons. In the course of carrying out this remedial work, item 92 was found. It is therefore possible that someone may have found the piece and thrown it into the accumulated rubbish. It could therefore originally have fallen elsewhere, but probably fairly close by.

It appears that the threaded extension does not slide along the tube. There is a white element, like wax or plaster, between the threaded piece and the outer tube. Is this how a tie rod from the flying controls might have been constructed? And is it the right size?

Peter, I have had another look at the Parts Listing. I can see many places in which tie rods are situated: in the engine control pedestal, and in the chain linkage from it, including, as you say, in the fuelcock controls in the leading edge of the wing. If this is what we have, we will not be able to identify it specifically, unless someone recognizes the part number – could this perhaps be an inspection mark plus 11/O ..12?

As always, further comments on this and the other recent finds are welcome, and would be much appreciated.