By: Air Ministry
- 21st June 2020 at 18:57Permalink
Yes, a fairly simple one! And like just about everything else on this thread it is for sale, although I'll probably have to let it go cheap as there are one or two knobs missing.
By: Air Ministry
- 22nd June 2020 at 19:26Permalink
That has a lot of similarities - lever wise, with the Bristol Freighter quadrant, but it looks too narrow!?
Not a Freighter, Rob. Not a bad comparison in terms of size and weight etc, but a different role (and about a decade earlier in terms of original design).
By: Air Ministry
- 23rd June 2020 at 09:56Permalink- Edited 23rd June 2020 at 10:17
Yes, Vickers Warwick. Like I said, must be a rare item even tho' it's in poor condition.
I'm so pleased I cleaned the Halifax navigator's panel to reveal the stamp and part number, otherwise it might have ended up at a 'jumble as a miscellaneous piece for a fiver!
By: Air Ministry
- 29th June 2020 at 18:54Permalink
I've turned my attention back to this small quadrant and am pleased to say that a gentle clean up of the least corroded surface on either of the levers has revealed a number and a stamp.
The number is 55208 and the stamp is an oval with three characters of which the first two are SD#.
There is also another string of characters beneath the first number and I'm doing my best to reveal them but they are very faint and could be lost by too vigorous a clean. Stay tuned.
It looks similar to the Blocktube throttle box as used in the Halifax. It seems the middel lever is missing. May I suggest that it could be the bottom row of levers of a
By: Wyvernfan
- 1st July 2020 at 09:53Permalink- Edited 3rd July 2020 at 12:17
I was going to say something similar Cees, as it seems not all Halifax’s had the middle lever. It also makes sense why one lever on AM’s box is shorter and throwing a bit of a red herring - as it would of originally been longer than the remaining one!
By: Air Ministry
- 3rd July 2020 at 17:52Permalink- Edited 3rd July 2020 at 20:14
Yes, Hampden, Hereford, Wellington and Harrow.
Like I said, I'm leaning towards Halifax but cannot establish a proper match with the layout of these two levers. Here's a compilation of engine pedestals from various Halifax Marks, from which you can see that the middle lever was deleted from some of the later, Hercules engined variants. Even then, none of those shown match this one.
The nearest match I've found is in NA337, a Mk. VII as you will well know. The similarity is that the two levers are of approx. equal length but the quadrant differs in that the two levers seem to have been pushed closer together by deleting the middle slot - it looks like a mod. to me. (Thanks to the original photographer for this pic.)
I guess it will be down to which Mark of Hercules was fitted to this particular aeroplane and if I can summon the courage, I may have a go at trying to work it out.
Meanwhile, I had a flash of inspiration last evening. It occurred to me that if the levers are from a Halifax, then the width of the quadrant should match that of the propellor control levers I've already identified as being Halifax (see illustration above).
I'm pleased to say they match exactly, which must be a good indication of what they are from?
By: Air Ministry
- 10th July 2020 at 19:14Permalink
Just a quick post, illustrating a couple of components from the Automatic Pilot, Mk. IV.
In all my years of collecting, I've come across very little from the Mk. IV A P. Both these items were lucky finds at aerojumbles (many years ago).
The steering control is mounted on a strut and this suggests to me that it probably came from a bomb-aimer's position. I've ruled out Whitley and Stirling but the rest - Wellington, Halifax, Lancaster etc, remain a possibility. Has anyone got illustrations showing this control fitted in the bomb-aimer's compartment of these aeroplanes (or any others)?.
I have a digital copy of AP1469C covering the Mk. VIII Automatic Pilot and would welcome a swap with anyone who has the Vol. I for the Mk. IV?
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By: Aircraft - 20th June 2020 at 22:03 Permalink
Wow, now that one is obvious!
is it for sale AM?
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By: Air Ministry - 21st June 2020 at 18:57 Permalink
Yes, a fairly simple one! And like just about everything else on this thread it is for sale, although I'll probably have to let it go cheap as there are one or two knobs missing.
Posts: 1,911
By: Air Ministry - 21st June 2020 at 18:59 Permalink
Here's a less simple one.
Awful condition. Such a shame, it's a rare beast.
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By: Wyvernfan - 21st June 2020 at 23:11 Permalink - Edited 21st June 2020 at 23:13
That has a lot of similarities - lever wise, with the Bristol Freighter quadrant, but it looks too narrow!?
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By: Blue_2 - 22nd June 2020 at 10:04 Permalink
That Lanc/Lincoln quadrant is a lovely thing! Just scratch building the top half to go in my Lincoln panel...
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By: Air Ministry - 22nd June 2020 at 17:21 Permalink
Back to the mystery panel for a mo, I think this clinches it.
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By: Air Ministry - 22nd June 2020 at 19:26 Permalink
Not a Freighter, Rob. Not a bad comparison in terms of size and weight etc, but a different role (and about a decade earlier in terms of original design).
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By: Johnny Kavanagh - 22nd June 2020 at 20:02 Permalink
Hello Air Ministry, I've sent you a PM.
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By: CeBro - 23rd June 2020 at 07:49 Permalink
So that panel was indeed Merlin engined Halifax (Mk I or Mk II?). Very nice item.
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By: Blue_2 - 23rd June 2020 at 08:23 Permalink
Is the mangled and poorly throttle quadrant Warwick...?
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By: Air Ministry - 23rd June 2020 at 09:56 Permalink - Edited 23rd June 2020 at 10:17
Yes, Vickers Warwick. Like I said, must be a rare item even tho' it's in poor condition.
I'm so pleased I cleaned the Halifax navigator's panel to reveal the stamp and part number, otherwise it might have ended up at a 'jumble as a miscellaneous piece for a fiver!
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By: Peter - 23rd June 2020 at 15:18 Permalink
now thats a fine peice in your collection Alan.. Damn!!
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By: CeBro - 24th June 2020 at 07:51 Permalink
Halifax W1048 at Hendon has a similar panel.
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By: Air Ministry - 29th June 2020 at 18:54 Permalink
I've turned my attention back to this small quadrant and am pleased to say that a gentle clean up of the least corroded surface on either of the levers has revealed a number and a stamp.
The number is 55208 and the stamp is an oval with three characters of which the first two are SD#.
There is also another string of characters beneath the first number and I'm doing my best to reveal them but they are very faint and could be lost by too vigorous a clean. Stay tuned.
Posts: 2,172
By: CeBro - 1st July 2020 at 07:42 Permalink
It looks similar to the Blocktube throttle box as used in the Halifax. It seems the middel lever is missing. May I suggest that it could be the bottom row of levers of a
Halifax throttle box?
Posts: 5,999
By: Wyvernfan - 1st July 2020 at 09:53 Permalink - Edited 3rd July 2020 at 12:17
I was going to say something similar Cees, as it seems not all Halifax’s had the middle lever. It also makes sense why one lever on AM’s box is shorter and throwing a bit of a red herring - as it would of originally been longer than the remaining one!
Posts: 1,911
By: Air Ministry - 1st July 2020 at 19:46 Permalink
I'm leaning towards Halifax, having pretty much dismissed the other, obvious candidates.
The problem is I cannot come up with a match to the layout of the levers, even though I have photos of most variants.
There is space on the quadrant for three levers but there is a spacer on the shaft where the third one would be.
Meanwhile, I've continued to clean the levers and have exposed about as much of the smaller number as I' m going to get.
As best I can make out it is:-
CG#2#088
And the oval stamp is probably SDF?
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By: CeBro - 3rd July 2020 at 07:47 Permalink
The only other throttle boxes I know that are similar were used in the Hampden and Wellington.
Posts: 1,911
By: Air Ministry - 3rd July 2020 at 17:52 Permalink - Edited 3rd July 2020 at 20:14
Yes, Hampden, Hereford, Wellington and Harrow.
Like I said, I'm leaning towards Halifax but cannot establish a proper match with the layout of these two levers. Here's a compilation of engine pedestals from various Halifax Marks, from which you can see that the middle lever was deleted from some of the later, Hercules engined variants. Even then, none of those shown match this one.
The nearest match I've found is in NA337, a Mk. VII as you will well know. The similarity is that the two levers are of approx. equal length but the quadrant differs in that the two levers seem to have been pushed closer together by deleting the middle slot - it looks like a mod. to me. (Thanks to the original photographer for this pic.)
I guess it will be down to which Mark of Hercules was fitted to this particular aeroplane and if I can summon the courage, I may have a go at trying to work it out.
Meanwhile, I had a flash of inspiration last evening. It occurred to me that if the levers are from a Halifax, then the width of the quadrant should match that of the propellor control levers I've already identified as being Halifax (see illustration above).
I'm pleased to say they match exactly, which must be a good indication of what they are from?
Posts: 1,911
By: Air Ministry - 10th July 2020 at 19:14 Permalink
Just a quick post, illustrating a couple of components from the Automatic Pilot, Mk. IV.
In all my years of collecting, I've come across very little from the Mk. IV A P. Both these items were lucky finds at aerojumbles (many years ago).
The steering control is mounted on a strut and this suggests to me that it probably came from a bomb-aimer's position. I've ruled out Whitley and Stirling but the rest - Wellington, Halifax, Lancaster etc, remain a possibility. Has anyone got illustrations showing this control fitted in the bomb-aimer's compartment of these aeroplanes (or any others)?.
I have a digital copy of AP1469C covering the Mk. VIII Automatic Pilot and would welcome a swap with anyone who has the Vol. I for the Mk. IV?