WV-903, your household chores seem to have prevented you from making any further progress on the identification of item 86! There is probably nothing more to be said on this one, unless you can come up with something.

In the meantime Laurent has found a few more pieces on which I have carried out some preliminary research.

Item 87 is two lengths of diagonally riveted metal with what Laurent tells me is an aluminium strip sandwiched between them. I had thought that the filling might have been wood or discoloured Perspex, and that it might have been the bottom part of the pilot’s sliding window – the diagonal rivet pattern is similar. The only possibility I can now think of, looking at illustrations I have, is that it might be part of the wing tip where it joins to the outer wing?

Item 88 is a union and pipe connector, but without any readable markings. The shiny nut is 18mm wide (0.7087 inches), and the pipe is made of aluminium and is 7.85 mm (0.309 inches = 5/16ths) in diameter. These are the measurements for the BB size of AGS sleeve. The pipe dimensions of sleeves in the list I have (courtesy of Air Ministry – post #301) are mostly measured in BSP units. This thread of this piece is shown as 0.600 x 19TPI. Whether this makes it more readily identifiable I do not know.

Item 89 is a very rusty portable oxygen cylinder – the second such item to be found. Despite its condition the valve was still in working order and, amazingly, oxygen was released when it was turned!

Any thoughts on items 87 and 88 are welcomed.

Photo-gallery link:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=bcf75e8ad40adf0d!164&authkey=!AJrxfdmdr6MXSdw&ithint=folder%2cjpg

Hi BobKat,
LOL !! Ya , No peace for ze wicked !!!! Will check it out for item 86 when I can. These latest 3 pics. First one looks like you’ve nailed that and 2nd one,(The pipe Union) If it’s a light alloy pipe, it has to be part of the pitot static system,but what applicability I doubt we’ll ever know. ( Cannot think of any other system that would have used light alloy pipes ) It looks like the light alloy double male union the pipe union screws onto would be screwed into an instrument or associated piece of equipment or bulkhead/wall/etc.

The oxygen cylinder is quite an amazing find, working and still pressure inside——incredible !!! Looks the size of an aircrew emergency item. Well done Laurent !!!

Bill T.

Hi BobKat,
My “Lancaster Manual” Copy arrived this morning, so will pore over it once 10,million house tasks are achieved ( OK , I exaggerate a tiny bit–Lol !!! :stupid: ) These books certainly are packed with tech info.
Bill T.

Aaahh !! Hi again Bobkat, Thanks to you and Laurent for these 4 recent pics. of item:- 86. That looks very much like a flexible pipe at the right hand end and I’m now sure we are looking at a system “Break” of some sorts in a High pressure piped system, with the “Cylindrical” Lump being a pull back sleeve to release pipe end fitting. I’d also say that because of the “Flat ” on left end that this assy. sits upright on a wall or bulkhead with the flexible pipe leading up to what certainly looks like a coupling “Quick break” Unit. OR again maybe “sleeve” is a swaged on item, but this is only a guess-timate.

So next question is:- What items/components/ units had systems that needed a “Quick break” release ? (By that ,I mean a manual release by Air or Ground crew ). OR had this “Swaged ” in type coupling ?

Over to you guys.

Bill T.

Think you have idea of the fire suppressant system right Bob Kat, but I would think this is possibly a later or post WW2 system and definitely separate from the std. pneumatic system used. ( So 60 (Z ) could well have been fitted with it) aircraft were being constantly modified throughout their service life to meet changing conditions and challenges at Unit level-command level –maintenance unit and manufacturer’s levels. Also the Lancaster Manuals you have could be early Mks of Lanc.

So item;- 86 was put in 60 (Z) at some point up to 1944 but these diagrams are for 1948, so all sorts of changes could have taken place we would not know about unless we are privy to all mods done. Can you ask Laurent to see if he can prise that steel bit at Right end of item:-86 away, so we can see how it fits in sleeve and /or tell us what else he might be able to see up inside that “Sleeve” (For want of a better word).and anything else he notices. My gut feeling is item:- 86 is a NRV but not a PRV and that it is simple and early version, that is was fitted from beginning. Also think we will get this one in the end if we keep picking away at it and throwing ALL idea’s into the discussion “Melting pot” here. You know, if Laurent could get hold of a doctors small internal camera probe unit, it might be possible to look up broken pipe, around the right angle and see what is inside. ( Of course I mean a unit that is beyond further hospital use :D) OR get brutal and saw end off left hand side of unit, then he can see inside and give us some more clues.

Peter,
That’s interesting about the high pressure priming system, (presume you mean for engine starts as I have no Lancaster books-yet. unless Terry has more AP’s squirrelled away. ) Can you expand on that any ? Thanks.

Bill T.

Further possibilities for item:- 86.

Terry P. contacted me about this Item:- 86 He’s been looking into various AP’s of the later 1940’s period to see if he can find anything near to Item:- 86 and this is what he has found. A dia. of a Palmer High Pressure reducing valve used in system for pressurizing fuel tanks. Taken from AP 1275A, Vol 1. (March 1948).

I’m not saying this is same as item 86 at all, but a pointer towards something not thought about. So maybe a search of all Lanc systems NRV’s and Reducing valves, etc, etc– might show something. This is just food for further thought on the subject.

Bill T.

Interesting pic. Pete, the more I look at pic. 86 it makes me think that the cylindrical thing might be a retract unit that slides to left to release that steel piece on right, so we could be looking at a quick break connector off a system and steel piece could be end of a flexible pipe assy. Did Lancaster have anything like that fitted in WW2 ? Air—Oxygen—oil systems ???

Or That cylinder is a swaged lump to attach the steel to the brass system. It looks like a high pressure pipe unit anyway, so must be off systems mentioned.

Hi BobKat, C U R in here, so will hang around

Bill T.

Seem to remember Terry P telling me about this, I’m sure he was posted there at some point during his RAF days.

Bill T.