Curtiss Wrigth Falcon SNC-1 - Uruguay

[Antonio Bilhoto]

Hi all,
I´ve posted this link some days ago, but to open it to a broader audience let me post it as an independent topic.

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33676&p=549298#p549298

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This airplane is one of the few in display around the world. We are working on it as a volunteer association and with some help from the Uruguay Air Force, as the Aeronautical Museum is located in the premises of the Air Base Base N°1, as well as our restoration workplace.
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We are very curious on this "device" on the left wing, near the pitot tube. Most of us think of it being an emergency generator with a propeller, BUT only this ariplane, of the serveral SNC-1 that served the Military Aviation had it.
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Should somebody have any information, It´s really very much appreciated.
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[Antonio Bilhoto]

116 Views and no 1 answer ratifies the difficulty we are facing trying to get some information on the possible "dynamo" that 1 out of hundreds SNC-1 has.....
Hopefully somebody will appear and provide some light on this....

[airknocker]

kermit's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QIj4o5BqII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23gzu9EbH30

[Viper Strike]

The end piece almost resembles a quick coupler, like those on ends of air hoses. Regarding the view from the inspection port; it appears the spring attaches to this object, what does that spring attach to? Will keep looking.

[shrike]

My first thought when I saw it was for a guncamera. The picture of the inside looks a bit like a shock mount, and the external shaft looks like a Morse taper for some kind of collet.

[Antonio Bilhoto]

We thougth of it like being a dynamo acting as an emergency generator, moved by a small propeller (based this interpretation on some low detail photo).
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Uruguay military aviation bought the SNC-1's directly from the US NAVY back in the 1940's and we have seen this "device" only in 2 out of 10.
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[Viper Strike]

Looking at the mechanism from the inspection port,... the spring seems to be attached to a lever that is inside the drum shaped object....what force would be applied to actuate this lever to pull upon the spring ( air, mechanical, hydraulic,)??? Whatever; when that force is relaxed it seems the spring pulls upon whatever device it is hooked to, to return it to a neutral position. Would it have something to do with the brakes , as in the type some trucks use ( Mico Lock) to lock the wheels in place , while on ship /tarmac?

[Viper Strike]

Response, before I saw your picture,... That propeller changes things, regarding my thoughts on what this is. You may be on the right track in your belief, that it may be a generator of some type,.....do you note any wiring of any type coming to /from the object? The lever/spring, my guess for now , is that it may be a way to engage /disengage //hold / release , whatever is inside the drum shaped item.....will still search.

[Antonio Bilhoto]

Yes, Viper Strike, all these ideas have come up to our minds.
thanks for your comments... Hopefully there'll be the right answer in the near future....or not!
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[Viper Strike]

An old friend of mine suggested that it is indeed an auxiliary generator, handy to keep instruments operational in the event of engine failure,...his thought was, that the inwards workings would most likely have a magnet/ rotor/ and a valve rectifier built in. Other research , found statements that these were sometimes used to power heaters in flight suits, but I can't verify that .

[astixjr]

I wonder if this was something on the planes when they left the factory here in St. Louis or perhaps it was something added "in the field"? Has anyone ever tried to locate the tech drawings on the A-22/SNC series? Most of the Curtiss Wright St. Louis plant tech data and drawing files are in New York but some of the boxes of drawings turned up in another FAA records storage facility in western Missouri. I think my father's partner has a manual for Casey Lambert's A-22 but I'm not sure how much of it would apply to the SNC.

[Antonio Bilhoto]

Astixjr, here in Uruguay, we have been trying to locate any original drawing with no success. We do have a Pilot´s manual but no mention to that "device"; only 2 of 10-15 SNC´s that arrived to Uruguay had it.

[marine air]

Two of ten sounds like they had a special role. Maybe those two aircraft were night flying or instrument trainers. Suggest looking at the engine dash number or tech manuals. Most military aircraft were flown day VFR before WW III. Did the aircraft have a vacuum system to run the instruments for the IFR panel?

[Antonio Bilhoto]

Marine Air: I will pass your comment to a colleague that knows better than I do, the history of the SNC-1 in Uruguay.
Thanks!
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Just as an update, below is the present status: we are working on the cockpit and begining some preliminary painting works.

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[marine air]

It's a beauty. Look forward to seeing pics of it when finished. Good Luck!