More Treasures(?) From The Garage...

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Another mystery item.  A small panel with three suspension mounts, one in each corner.  It looks postwar to me.  Removing some thick paint has revealed a part number and a couple of stamps, perhaps the most likely way of identifying it?

 

50068611S

 

The terminal block, although resembling a standard Air Ministry item, has a part number of  400473 on it rather than a Stores Ref.

 

Hope all this means something to someone!

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All those of you preparing to sell a kidney to raise enough funds for an initial deposit on the steering lever* need to appreciate its condition before going under the anaesthetic.   You may be disappointed!

 

Aircraft - thanks for posting that link!  It's the very same one I had in mind but could not find.  I think it shows the same item.  Mk. II Automatic Bomb Sight for added goodness.

 

*Apology, I meant Speed lever.

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16 years 11 months

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Hi AM

location of the Steering Lever and Autopilot Controller in the Stirling

John

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Here's the next large lump to emerge from the garage.

 

Found almost by chance, just as the famous Failsworth scrapyard was being cleared prior to redevelopment.   Having gained "authorised" entry for once, I pulled into the parking area and promptly drove over this piece!   It was then still attached to part of the aircraft's structure including a near complete instrument panel and we had the challenge of digging it out of the ground, then lifting and securing it onto the roof rack of a Renault 4!  It cost me £2 (the panel and pedals, not the car).   Just lifting it today, you can gauge the quality of those Avros - built to last.

 

Thanks for those brilliantly clear images John.  I'll return to the A/P shortly.

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If I’m not mistaken, AM,  a very nice set of Lancaster rudder pedals.

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Sadly Wyvernfan, you are mistaken!   Try a close descendant of the Lancaster...

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Early Shackleton, some variant of the Mk. 1, from the design of the instrument panel.

 

I think this raised a few eyebrows when I mentioned it previously as a Mk. 1 Shackleton  had never been recorded as being in the yard before.

 

I think some parts are common with the Lanc/Lincoln but others have been beefed up.

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That’s interesting. Any idea what makes these different from a Lancs pedals?

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Here's the Lancaster's rudder pedal assembly.  Very similar in design but quite a few detailed differences when you compare them.

 

In particular, the down tubes on both rudder pedals are of equal diameter whereas the inboard one on the Shackleton is much beefier, for some reason.   Dimensions may differ between individual components too: I've never had an opportunity to compare the two units side by side.

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John, just returning to the Automatic Pilot for a moment, are you confusing the Speed lever with the Steering lever?

 

I can see the Steering lever in your photo but can't make out a Speed lever?

 

Thanks to the generosity of a forum member, I now have two copies of Vol. I for the Mk.IV A/P. (different editions!).  One thing that stands out from the very quick study I've been able to make, seems to suggest that the Speed lever may have been deleted at some point as there is no mention of it in the revised edition (1942).

 

I get the impression that "my" lever may be the kind of thing which would be of more use to Elliott than the Stirling Project.

 

I can see the Speed lever in the Whitley V Pilot's Notes : it is mounted in front of the Steering lever.  I haven't got a good copy of that image but here's one from the Hampden, giving you an idea of what I'm on about.

 

This is a whole new area of research to me so apologies if I'm insulting your intelligence!

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Re the Shack pedals, Alan, that makes sense - but yes very subtle differences that could be missed if you didn’t know any different.

 

Many thanks for the AP diagram.

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4 years 5 months

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 "whereas the inboard one on the Shackleton is much beefier, for some reason"

You have to push a lot harder when the co-pilot resting his boots on the pedals 😁

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16 years 11 months

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Hi Alan

TBH I never knew  a speed lever existed, my bad I just saw what I wanted to see LOL, if Elliott can make use of the Speed Lever then all is good :o)

Don't suppose you've got a Steering Lever spare😉

John

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Hello, I heard my name and I just emerged from my burrow blinking in the bright sunlight!

I’m sending you a pm and an email Alan.

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That’s interesting. Any idea what makes these different from a Lancs pedals?

 

No new items to add to the thread at the moment, but I have been doing a lot of comparisons between the Shackleton and Lancaster/Lincoln rudder pedal assemblies.  My conclusion is that there is a fair bit of compatibility in terms of design and dimensions : I've indicated on the accompanying photo the parts that I think are identical (or near as).

 

The design of the rudder pedals is slightly different but the dimensions are about the same.  The down tubes of the inboard pedal are of greater diameter and the associated bracketry is also beefier.

 

In conclusion, if Lancaster rudder pedals are "unobtainium" , then these would make a pretty good alternative for anyone attempting a Lancaster cockpit/display/mock up. 

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Hi all,

New sign in, same old me....

It seems the beefier pedal is a peculiarity of the Mk 1 Shackleton, by the time a similar pedal was used on the Mk 2  they were all the same dimensions. The drawings list many common parts in the pedal and adjuster between all the heavy Avro bomber types, it was only the Mk 3/Vulcan style pedals where everything changed again.

Regards

Rich

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Thanks Rich.  The panel that accompanied the pedals was definitely an early design, peculiar to the Mk. 1 (and poss. Mk. T4).

 

As I said before, a Mk. 1 Shackleton had not been recorded by the "scrap spotters" in that yard but they must have taken in at least a fair chunk of one at some time or another.