Aircraft manufacturers standard parts

[MiTasol]

Most, if not all, aircraft manufacturers had the internal specifications for standard parts including, in many cases common parts like nuts bolts and fittings. Some manufacturers used industry standard parts like AC and AN parts. Some used a mix.

My first post is Lockheed Specs. I bought over 100 pages of LS specs way back in the 70s and was "unhappy" that many pages were duplicated. Scanning yesterday I found many double and triple copies and one page had five copies. Grump. I have eliminated the duplicates and only 53 pages remain. It includes AN931, 655 and 486 plus AC385, 811 & 850 mixed in at random. The AC pages have no prefix to the spec number.

EDIT Next will be Consolidated Vultee followed by Bristol? British? (from memory - still in a box) British SBAC standards in a Beaufort cover. I also have some USAAF cross references from manufacturers numbers to standard AN numbers.

EDIT

 

[MiTasol]

These Consolidated Vultee specs were a nightmare. Every page has required a LOT of work. As a guess they have been printed from microfilm, with something in the printing freaking out the scanner, and then cut to size (yep no two the same size.) Despite several scanning changes the scanner has picked up some sort of watermark in the paper in most scans. This same watermark is usually not visible on the original. The paper itself is probably double the weight of regular paper and has an uneven blue tinge.

My apologies but this is the best I could get them without wasting any more time.

 

[Snautzer01]

It is appreciated.
Took a look. I can see it must have a chunck of work.

 

[MiTasol]

There is nothing to say what AS stands for but I expect it means Aeroplane Standard.

This one was very interesting to process. Like the CV pages these are printed from microfilm and each page cut after printing - again no two original pages the same size. Again the pages have a blue tinge but it is fainter and very even on most pages. There is no trace of a watermark. The paper weight is the same or as near as. Unlike the CV pages most of these required no fiddling with adjustments. Two of those that did need playing with had tea or coffee stains so that is not the printers fault.

On a couple of pages the printing was faint.

 

[ThomasP]

Hey MiTasol,

Is there any chance these could be from Australian documents?

There was (is?) the Australian Standard - abbreviated as AS. There was also a New Zealand Standard (NZS). Both of these standards were in effect before WWII. I do not know what the particular differences between AS, NZS, and BS were.

I ran across the acronym in some contracts and handbooks issued by the Australian government during WWII. IIRC some of them were related to Australian built Beauforts.

 

[MiTasol]

Hey MiTasol,

Is there any chance these could be from Australian documents?

There was (is?) the Australian Standard - abbreviated as AS. There was also a New Zealand Standard (NZS). Both of these standards were in effect before WWII. I do not know what the particular differences between AS, NZS, and BS were.

I ran across the acronym in some contracts and handbooks issued by the Australian government during WWII. IIRC some of them were related to Australian built Beauforts.

No Thomas - totally British. The sample below is of a Hawker drawn part with Air Ministry (AM) approval. Others were drawn by Fairey, Bristol, AW, and others.

Aus aircraft specs of the day were Aircraft Production Commission Standard (APCS) or CAC standard and probably other standards although paint and maybe other items had a Standards Aus (AS) spec

 

[ThomasP]

whoops - ignore this.

 

[SaparotRob]

No.

 

[BobB]

There was at least one part on a Lockheed P3 that when you pulled the drawing, it was from Vega Aircraft Corporation, originally used on a PV. No sense reinventing a simple little bit.

 

[MiTasol]

Which is why 16- part numbers appear in so many NAA aircraft that followed the NA-16 in to production.

 

[coldkiwi1]

This is wonderful - manufacturers standard parts can be a nightmare to source. Have you ever come across Curtiss standard specs? They would be useful for our current rebuild. I have attached one of the few that I have.

Most, if not all, aircraft manufacturers had the internal specifications for standard parts including, in many cases common parts like nuts bolts and fittings. Some manufacturers used industry standard parts like AC and AN parts. Some used a mix.

My first post is Lockheed Specs. I bought over 100 pages of LS specs way back in the 70s and was "unhappy" that many pages were duplicated. Scanning yesterday I found many double and triple copies and one page had five copies. Grump. I have eliminated the duplicates and only 53 pages remain. It includes AN931, 655 and 486 plus AC385, 811 & 850 mixed in at random. The AC pages have no prefix to the spec number.

View attachment 792095 View attachment 792096

EDIT Next will be Consolidated Vultee followed by Bristol? British? (from memory - still in a box) British SBAC standards in a Beaufort cover. I also have some USAAF cross references from manufacturers numbers to standard AN numbers.

View attachment 792097
EDIT

 

[MiTasol]

I have some xrefs in an AN pub I have not yet scanned. I know butchers use AN426 rivets in P-40 repairs where an old rivet was removed but what you need to do is get a set of Boeing specs because there were 78 degree BAC rivets still being manufactured last I looked (circa 2000).

Any other Curtiss specs you can post would be most welcome.

I will look for the rivet xref later today. I think I know which box it is in

 

[MiTasol]

Hey MiTasol,

Is there any chance these could be from Australian documents?

There was (is?) the Australian Standard - abbreviated as AS. There was also a New Zealand Standard (NZS). Both of these standards were in effect before WWII. I do not know what the particular differences between AS, NZS, and BS were.

I ran across the acronym in some contracts and handbooks issued by the Australian government during WWII. IIRC some of them were related to Australian built Beauforts.

AS is currently used by Aus as you say but also by the SAE for all of their Aerospace Standards.

Here is a typical Aus Std AS from May 43.. I have one on paints as well.

I found the USAAF rivet etc Xref today but there are 150 odd Xref pages and it cannot be flatbed scanned. I will have to fix my camera book "scanner" which means finding a dead scanner or photocopier to get the glass from. The non reflective glass sold in Aus is FAR too fragile. I think it also has a section on AC/AN/NAS hydraulic fittings but that may be in another TO.

 

[Crimea_River]

If you come across any DHS (de Havilland Standards) I'll be very interested.

 

[coldkiwi1]

If you come across any DHS (de Havilland Standards) I'll be very interested.

This document is labelled De Havilland but it just looks like standard AGS to me.

 

[ThomasP]

If you guys have not already run across the Silver Biplanes website, they have a 'Standards' section with a lot of info and digitized documents related to what we are talking about.

"Silver Biplanes"

"STANDARDS"

They also ask you to contact them if you have additional stuff that applies to the subject. It sounds like they may be willing to arrange the digitizing of any documents you are willing to send them.

"Silver Biplanes - Contact"

 

[MiTasol]

If you come across any DHS (de Havilland Standards) I'll be very interested.

I wish. Never did though.

 

[coldkiwi1]

I have some xrefs in an AN pub I have not yet scanned. I know butchers use AN426 rivets in P-40 repairs where an old rivet was removed but what you need to do is get a set of Boeing specs because there were 78 degree BAC rivets still being manufactured last I looked (circa 2000).

Any other Curtiss specs you can post would be most welcome.

I will look for the rivet xref later today. I think I know which box it is in

Luckily we have stocks of original Csk and raised head Curtiss rivets.