# USAAF Dump Site Finds



## willlindsay1984 (Jul 25, 2018)

Hello Folks

I am just wondering if some of you could help me identify a number of items I have recovered from a USAAF dump site here in the U.K. please. 

Here are some of the part numbers and stamps;

78242-R or possibly A at the end, stainless steel, inspection stamp to the left looks to have a large B in the middle.

One of the larger pieces, is a stainless panel, which has the part number wrote in crayon, in the centre, there appears to be a Boeing Stamp, part no. ASSY 51-6709-4 OR ASSY 15-7609-4, It is upside down for some reason. The Boeing stamp has the number 324 above it.

Does anyone have any idea what the make and or model the top section of the turbo supercharger is?

I have also found a small stainless buckle assembly, which looks to have a Douglas insepction stamp, inside the stamp, is the letter and number; C-2.

hope you can help.

many thanks

Will


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## willlindsay1984 (Jul 25, 2018)

I have a number of other items which I did not attach into the above message. The bakelite looking hand grip, which has a steel interior, does anyone think it looks like part of the control column from a P-38? or a spade grip relating to a machine gun from a heavy USAAF bomber?. There was a small handle, that was originally painted red, that has ALCOA stamped on one side, and the part number on the other side; there is some corrosion but it appears to be; 102B88888

Another small component, a cover, has stamped, Control, Bomb Arming, Type A-1

A small aluminium exhaust valve, with a logo, is it a Allison engine stamp do you think?

A very large valve,

and finally what appears to be a small aluminium component, in interior green, there were two of these together, so I assume some of these parts are from stores.


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## MIflyer (Jul 25, 2018)

Yep, that looks like a B-17 turbo. Attached is some shots I took.


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## willlindsay1984 (Jul 25, 2018)

Wow thanks MIflyer, your help is very much appreciated, great to know what aircraft type it has come from. Interesting, in photo number 3, the part in which the supercharger is sitting on, I recovered a large piece like this from the dump, it is around 8 to 9 ft in length by around 4 ft in width, same structure on the inside, in zinc chromate yellow, with the word alclad stamped all over it in silver. the exterior is painted in neutral grey with non flush rivets, I wonder if anyone can help me identify what aircraft it came from, I have been trying myself for months without luck, 

any ideas?

Reactions: Informative Informative:
1 | Like List reactions


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## MIflyer (Jul 25, 2018)

Yes, it looks the same as the lower wing panel off the B-17 that the turbosupercharger is sitting on in my Photo 3.


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## willlindsay1984 (Jul 25, 2018)

Absolutely amazing MIflyer, thank you very much for confirming this, very exciting to have this priceless wartime artifact from the air war. I will get a pic tommo of the neutral grey side, there are a number of places where it seems to have been repaired from Battle damage.

Will


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## willlindsay1984 (Jul 26, 2018)




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## Kingscoy (Jul 26, 2018)

Hi, that grip is one of the hand grips for a .50cal. And that alu grip looks to be the hand grip of a cleaning rod for gun barrels. That stainless steel piece in your first post(78242-R) is one of the chutes for discarding the .50cal belt links. Nice finds.
Cheers Sander


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## Big Jake (Jul 26, 2018)

willlindsay1984 said:


> Hello Folks
> 
> I am just wondering if some of you could help me identify a number of items I have recovered from a USAAF dump site here in the U.K. please.
> 
> ...



Will,

15-7609-4 is the cover assembly for the carburetor intake from a B-17G, part of the fixed inboard engine cowl installation. It is made of stainless steel. 

Jake


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## Big Jake (Jul 26, 2018)

MIflyer said:


> Yes, it looks the same as the lower wing panel off the B-17 that the turbosupercharger is sitting on in my Photo 3.



I concur that the part is a lower wing panel from a B-17 however it is not from where the turbocharger was installed but rather where a fuel pump sump was installed. It was one of the removable panels that is attached to the wing's structure with screws. 

Jake


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## Big Jake (Jul 26, 2018)

MIflyer said:


> Yep, that looks like a B-17 turbo. Attached is some shots I took.
> 
> View attachment 503327



Turbochargers for B-17 were made by two companies: General Electric and Allis-Chalmers

Jake


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## MIflyer (Jul 26, 2018)

Yes, of course, the turbo is beneath the rear engine cowling as shown in my photo 4, while the panel is from the lower wing surface adjacent to the cowling. They had removed a turbo and the lower wing panel to enable you to look up into the wing and see the intercooler in the FoF B-17G on display. I have a shot looking up into the wing as well.


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