 | new guy with a mystery..| Aviation Discuss new guy with a mystery.. in the World War II - Aviation forums; Okay, just found this site. Pretty interesting and a great resource.
I have a mystery that I could use some ... |
|
09-24-2008, 08:37 PM
|
#1 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 9
Country:  | new guy with a mystery..
Okay, just found this site. Pretty interesting and a great resource.
I have a mystery that I could use some help solving.
My uncle has a panel from an wrecked airplane, it is aluminum with zinc chromate paint, and has the following holes (not sure if they held switches or indicator lamps) in this order - left to right:
Recognition Lights
Gunsight
Emergency fuel pump (above) Oil Dilution (below)
Pitot
Radio
Radio
Remote compass
I assume this was a fighter (gunsight) and supercharged (oil dilution). I am not sure if any of these features narrows down the era of this plane.
This panel was found in the Mojave desert, not too far from Mojave Air Base (WW2 ?Marine? air field - not sure when it closed) and also not too far from Edwards AFB.
I know there are a bunch of wrecks out there from training accidents, but might also be some type of drone for target practice?
Any ideas?
Thanks! | 
|  | |
09-24-2008, 08:41 PM
|
#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Redding, California
Posts: 379
Country: | Hey Shazzam, welcome!
Is there any way you could post a photograph of the panel?
__________________  | |
| | |
09-24-2008, 08:43 PM
|
#3 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Tx
Posts: 2,971
Country: | Yeah, that pic may be worth a thousand words.
__________________  | |
| | |
09-24-2008, 08:55 PM
|
#4 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 13,588
Country: | Quote:
Originally Posted by shazzam  Okay, just found this site. Pretty interesting and a great resource.
I have a mystery that I could use some help solving.
My uncle has a panel from an wrecked airplane, it is aluminum with zinc chromate paint, and has the following holes (not sure if they held switches or indicator lamps) in this order - left to right:
Recognition Lights
Gunsight
Emergency fuel pump (above) Oil Dilution (below)
Pitot
Radio
Radio
Remote compass
I assume this was a fighter (gunsight) and supercharged (oil dilution). I am not sure if any of these features narrows down the era of this plane.
This panel was found in the Mojave desert, not too far from Mojave Air Base (WW2 ?Marine? air field - not sure when it closed) and also not too far from Edwards AFB.
I know there are a bunch of wrecks out there from training accidents, but might also be some type of drone for target practice?
Any ideas?
Thanks! |
Hi shazzam;
There's several F4Us and F4F wrecks east of Mojave air port - I used to work there - do you have photos?
__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"  | |
| | |
09-24-2008, 09:11 PM
|
#5 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 9
Country: | Sure thing.. should have done that first. 
I can post a picture in the next day or two...
There is another piece he has... it says "Bendix" and has a # on it.
Stay tuned...
and thanks for the quick replies! | |
| | |
09-24-2008, 09:19 PM
|
#6 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 13,588
Country: | Quote:
Originally Posted by shazzam Sure thing.. should have done that first.
I can post a picture in the next day or two...
There is another piece he has... it says "Bendix" and has a # on it.
Stay tuned...
and thanks for the quick replies! | Bendix - a brake or magneto. Looking forward for the pics!
__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT" | |
| | |
09-24-2008, 10:16 PM
|
#7 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,883
Country: | Joe is your most likely source for ID on these. If I rattled off any series of numbers, he would probably tell me what part on an airplane it is.  But I have seen the fruits of his labor and have flown once with him. He knows his stuff.
__________________  http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
| | |
09-24-2008, 10:19 PM
|
#8 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Tx
Posts: 2,971
Country: | Eric, you got to fly with Joe? How cool.
Joe, if you ever make it to Dallas and wanna take a board member up, let me know. 
__________________ | |
| | |
09-25-2008, 07:47 PM
|
#10 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,883
Country: | Quote:
Originally Posted by Thorlifter Eric, you got to fly with Joe? How cool.
Joe, if you ever make it to Dallas and wanna take a board member up, let me know. | It was kind of a luck of the draw. I posted pics from that day here: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/off...sort-2457.html (flyboyj and evan's flight adventure...sort of)
Geez, hard to believe it was almost 3 years ago!
__________________ http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | |
| | |
09-25-2008, 08:32 PM
|
#11 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 13,588
Country: | Hey folks -
Eric, thanks for the kind words.
Thorn - If you're ever in Colorado or if I'm in Texas I'd love to fly with you. BTW in 2003 I spent a month in Grand Prairie. I flew out of there a bit.
Shazzam - I think the Bendix item is a cover that might go on an electrical device or magneto. As far as the instrument panel - are there any numbers on the reverse side? It is from a single engine recip aircraft that required oil dilution - radial engine, probably large.
How far from Mojave air port did you find this? Was it directly east? Again I know there were numerous wrecks of F4Fs and F4Us around the airport and there were also some from out of Muroc (Edwards). If I knew where you found it I might be able to match it up to a crash locator index I have somewhere.
__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT" | |
| | |
09-25-2008, 09:09 PM
|
#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Redding, California
Posts: 379
Country: | Shazzam, the plot thickens...
While I wasn't able to ID the panels, I was able to get a hit on the first pic you posted ( http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/e...a/wreck001.jpg) that has Bendix assy. 54835 on it...
The inspection stamp that shows the anchor and US is a "customer inspection" stamp, usually associated with USMC and USN aircraft.
The inspection stamp, seen upside down (HT/23) is being a little more difficult...
I've used aviation archaeology a number of times with great results, but this time around, I'm coming up empty!
Perhaps someone else has a better resource than I do 
__________________ | |
| | |
09-25-2008, 10:04 PM
|
#13 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 13,588
Country: | Great work Grau - the HT is probably a "Heat Treat" stamp. BTW I forgot to mention - the last photo, that rusted s shaped item is the retaining part of a Dzus fastener.
I get most of my info from that site as well.
__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT" | |
| | |
09-25-2008, 10:35 PM
|
#15 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ozarks
Posts: 353
Country: | I believe the "s" shaped thingey is a compression spring. | |
| | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:32 PM. | | |
