Aspley Crash Mystery

[horseUSA]

Originally posted by A AndyM76

Hi, sorry new to all this....

I was on an organised metal detecting rally in Hampshire UK when i found an are strewn with air craft wreckage, i picked up one part of the air frame. It's painted Khaki green so guess military.
I'm thinking an end of a elevator or wheel assembly? I also found a .50 cal casing near by.
The land owner is clueless to what it is.

Please could someone help with some pointers? I could be from any era, the rivets have quite pronounced heads...
I can see 2 sets of ID numbers (one cast / the other stamped)

Cast = 4? ST W0 (or O?) 1
4? 7805
Stamp = 2460 (or 9?) 79 W(or N)AE 10
I did look on a WW2 local crash log, but nothing obvious....

Thanks greatly for your help in advance.

 

[MiTasol]

Good day Horse and Andy

What you have is a bathtub fitting from some aircraft. They are used widely by many manufacturers. The shape and dimple in the rivets strongly suggests American.

I do not have a parts catalog for the P-38 but that fitting is about the right size for the P-38 wing attach so that would be a starting point though from rusty memory the bolt would be an inhex (internal hexagon or allen key type) not a normal hex head type if used on a P-38 wing attachment fitting. Your photo unfortunately does not show the bolt clearly so I could not determine if it has a reduced-hex head with and integral washer or a inhex head and separate washer.

Given the part number appears to be 246079 and that fits in with P-38 part numbers being mainly six digits and mainly starting with a 2 (again rusty memory) I would suspect the aircraft was a P-38.

There is a P-38 E&M on the forum from memory (start at Manual Index - American). I would suggest a good look at that to see what other bathtub fittings are used and what other wreckage fits with my guess.

Item 4 in the figure below will give you an idea of what to look for.

Happy hunting

 

[chuter]

Or a small plane control surface end hinge bearing if not a bathtub fitting.

 

[MiTasol]

Or a small plane control surface end hinge bearing if not a bathtub fitting.

Yep, sure could be given that every small plane in the fairly distant past (farmer did not know about the wreck and lots of corrosion from long term burial) was fitted with 50 cal guns

 

[AndyM76]

Yep, sure could be given that every small plane in the fairly distant past (farmer did not know about the wreck and lots of corrosion from long term burial) was fitted with 50 cal guns

Hi, funnily i did find an un-fired end of a .50 cal casing (broken/empty) .

 

[AndyM76]

WOW!! Thanks for the work/starter!! I have contacted the AAIB (air accident investigation b euro ) in the UK.
Great stuff!! TIA Sir!!

Good day Horse and Andy

What you have is a bathtub fitting from some aircraft. They are used widely by many manufacturers. The shape and dimple in the rivets strongly suggests American.

I do not have a parts catalog for the P-38 but that fitting is about the right size for the P-38 wing attach so that would be a starting point though from rusty memory the bolt would be an inhex (internal hexagon or allen key type) not a normal hex head type if used on a P-38 wing attachment fitting. Your photo unfortunately does not show the bolt clearly so I could not determine if it has a reduced-hex head with and integral washer or a inhex head and separate washer.

Given the part number appears to be 246079 and that fits in with P-38 part numbers being mainly six digits and mainly starting with a 2 (again rusty memory) I would suspect the aircraft was a P-38.

There is a P-38 E&M on the forum from memory (start at Manual Index - American). I would suggest a good look at that to see what other bathtub fittings are used and what other wreckage fits with my guess.

Item 4 in the figure below will give you an idea of what to look for.

Happy hunting
View attachment 468979

 

[pbehn]

This thread was re started by Horse possibly because the pictures are too big.

 

[Wurger]

Nope. The thread was started because it was posted as a question in a PM accidentally. I have merged both threads. There is no reason for keeping two ones of the same content.

 

[AndyM76]

Sorry about my technical ineptness all... lol.... (2x threads) Doh!!

 

[Wurger]

Take it easy Mate. Now all is fine. Fortunately you didn't destroy the Earth.

 

[AndyM76]

Take it easy Mate. Now all is fine. Fortunately you didn't destroy the Earth.

Right!!

Some new pics.. Yes the bolt looks like an AF with a Hex Allen socket head.
Hope the pictures help.
Tried to draw the cast Aluminium part as it would have been before impact...
Few...

 

[AndyM76]

just found this... But drawing a blank of a parts itinery list i could match up the parts with....

 

[AndyM76]

i'll have a look to see if there is a P38 fan club....

 

[AndyM76]

nope...

 

[MiTasol]

Definitely P-38.

For further details take out a subscription to Classic Aircraft Blueprints, Drawings & Manuals | AirCorps Library where they have the Illustrated parts list for several models and many of the actual technical drawings. As you can see from the table on the lower right there were 9 per wing and which actual models they were fitted to. The 7805 to the right of the rivet in one photo is part of the part number for the rough forging it was made from (see note 1 - that is the triangle with a 1 in it on the lower left

 

[MiTasol]

Sorry about my technical ineptness all... lol.... (2x threads) Doh!!

he who never made a mistake never made anything