Former 8th AF bases dump site digs...

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:28 am

Yup, both times we've visited there have been large chunks of concrete and rebar thrown in on top of the dumps.

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 11, 2011 5:31 pm

A few items from last month's excavation.

Antenna insulators and other electrical items:

Formation light fitting, but from what aircraft?
The transparent fairing it was fitted to may be a clue:

Sawn-off pipework:

Bomb shackle:

Detail:

Nice Bakelite jar lid:

All the above still need a lot more cleaning and conservation work.

All the best,
PB

51fixer · **Posted:** Sun Sep 11, 2011 6:37 pm

The disc items on the L/H side of the top pic are crush gaskets that are installed inside the prop shafts of engines. There is an extension that screws in the prop shaft for Hamilton Standard Props that transfers oil under pressure through 2 passages of the extension and operates the prop blade pitch change.
The top round phenolic discs in the pic are what is left of pulleys used in flight control systems of various US AC.
The round corroded chunk about 1/2 way up on the L/H side looks like a cover that screws onto the end of prop shafts to protect them during shipment.
Neat stuff.

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 11, 2011 7:23 pm

Thanks for the confirmation on the shaft transit protector, that was the consensus of opinion at the time.

390BG · **Posted:** Sun Sep 11, 2011 8:04 pm

RE: nav light - The drawings for B-17 wingtip lights show the original mounting fairings were made of a clear material.

RAMC181 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:18 am

Cheers, I was looking at them in the B-17G IPL and this photo by Peter and couldn't see the material the fairing was made of:

The cross-section would be about right though, and it was a B-17 station.

PB

390BG · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 11:10 am

Nav light on wingtip: While the original drawing specifies clear "plastic" - (or 40's equivalent). There is a good chance they were made out of aluminum at some point in time - most B-17's you see today look that way - but I have seen photos where you can see the clear version.

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Brilliant thread!

Thank you so much for your dedication and hard work.

Cheers,!!!! :drinkers:

John Dupre · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 1:45 pm

The light fixture seems to have the plastic mounted to the underside. The long threaded portion is where the wiring to the bulb would be secured with a knurled nut. The lamp would extend out the flange on the other side of the threaded portion. It looks very similar to many navigation light fixtures still in use today.

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Former 8th AF bases dump site digs...

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