Ground crew complement

[bobbysocks]

True but who fixed/serviced radios? and were there air frame mechanics and engine mechanics? Instruments were much more than likely replaced on the flight line but were they repaired/calibrated at squadron level or group or at a higher level depot?

the crew chief and armor did the daily and lighter work up to a certain point. from there the us bases had shops where they could do heavy and more complicated from gear swings/changes...engine swaps...wing replacement...radio and instrument swap...bigger airframe repair. once the repair reached a certain point it was taken off the line and sent there.

And some of the directions for cleaning solutions would give a modern OSHA inspector a case of the screaming conniptions (8 oz of potassium or sodium cyanide per gallon of water) !!!!

This was to be used AFTER a bath of benzene, carbon tetrachloride or trichloroethlylene.

some of the armorers would take the 50s out of a mustang and throw them in a 55 gal drum of avgas to degrease them.... here the LW was starving for fuel and the allies had so much around they were using it for cleaning solution.
loved carbon tet....the first "brake clean" used to be made with that. besides being a possible carcinogen, iirc if sprayed on a really hot surface the vapor turned into phosgene gas. seeing as how it was also used in fire extinguishers...mmmm not so good.

here is an article from a couple mechanics and a guy who used to run one of the major shops

http://www.cebudanderson.com/viewfromtheline.htm

 

[FLYBOYJ]

True but who fixed/serviced radios? and were there air frame mechanics and engine mechanics? Instruments were much more than likely replaced on the flight line but were they repaired/calibrated at squadron level or group or at a higher level depot?

As it is today, radios and electronic instruments for the most part were LRUs. If an aircraft had a bad radio to was removed and replaced either by the normal crew or with assistance from techs who worked in a radio shop. On a "line maintenance" unit (squadron) the crewchief and his mechanics accomplished maintenance and did repairs but were limited on how in depth they would go. As you mentioned like instruments, more complex components (like engines) were usually rebuilt at an intermediate or depo level maintenance unit.

I have an old (1942 edition) of the "Aircraft Handbook" by Fred Colvin that has an 80 page chapter on instruments and controls but that by no stretch of the imagination means that it was USAAC policy for line mechanics to take apart and service such things as altimeters
And some of the directions for cleaning solutions would give a modern OSHA inspector a case of the screaming conniptions (8 oz of potassium or sodium cyanide per gallon of water) !!!!

This was to be used AFTER a bath of benzene, carbon tetrachloride or trichloroethlylene.

The intent is for the mechanic to get an understanding on how the item worked. As far as the chemicals -

 

[Shortround6]

An intent for the mechanic I understand, instructing him to use a "No. 3 watchmaker's brush which is rubbed from time to time on a cake of prepared chalk." goes a bit beyond how the item worked

Or maybe it is intended to dissuade the inexperienced from attempting such repairs without proper tools/equipment? the following two pages give a description of a work bench and tools for instrument repair.

If you can find a copy of this book at a good price I think you would find it very interesting. A lot of information, pictures and drawings on servicing and overhauling many American engines ( including most of the smaller ones) of the time. Not complete shop manuals by any means but quite a bit of information.

Right now there is a 1929 edition on E-bay for $10.95 (not by me) and that is around (give or take a few dollars) what I paid for the 1942 a few years back.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Or maybe it is intended to dissuade the inexperienced from attempting such repairs without proper tools/equipment?

I wish!

 

[Maxrobot1]

Back in the late 70's and early 80's a co-worker (I built aircraft instruments) was Oscar Vogt who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 through 1945. He was the senior airframe mechanic for the Wespen Geshwader (ZG1) and from his stories I got the impression that the Germans had teams of specialists but did not assign men to a specific plane
My Dad was a Bombsight and Auto-pilot Technician in the 8th AF 457 Bomb Gp (B-17) but was a tech to do in-flight calibrations.

 

[Airframes]

Commonwealth terms. AAF had mechanics and armorers.

In the RAF and Commonwealth Air Forces, a 'Rigger' looked after the airframe, and a 'Fitter' looked after the engine and associated systems. In general, for a single-engined fighter such a a Spitfire, there would be a crew of two (rigger and fitter), plus an armourer, with the latter possibly being 'shared' between a Section of three, sometimes four, aircraft.
Specialist tasks such as Radio and Instrumentation were undertaken by the relative Tradesmen. Where a fighter might be loaded with bombs, this was the responsibility of a specialist team of Station Armourers, assisted by the individual ground crew.
Such services as Fuel, oil and oxygen were, again, delivered and supplied by the respective Sections, again assisted by the ground crew.

 

[Aozora]

Here's a photo of Capt. John F Thornell's P-51B of 328th FS, 352nd FG showing Crew Chief: Staff Sgt. L G A McKindoe (?) Asst: Staff Sgt. J Walters and Armorer: Sgt H D Whiteley

same Mustang but updated with a Malcolm hood and the artwork is slightly different, while the servicing information stenciling has practically worn off:

(both from "Little Friends" website 8th Air Force Fighter Group - Littlefriends.co.uk)

The RAF's 2 TAF used a pool of mechanics who travelled with each Wing, so rather than individual ground-crew members being assigned to an aircraft or pilot, the aircraft was serviced by whomever was on duty. A lot of pilots regretted the change.

 

[drgondog]

As it is today, radios and electronic instruments for the most part were LRUs. If an aircraft had a bad radio to was removed and replaced either by the normal crew or with assistance from techs who worked in a radio shop. On a "line maintenance" unit (squadron) the crewchief and his mechanics accomplished maintenance and did repairs but were limited on how in depth they would go. As you mentioned like instruments, more complex components (like engines) were usually rebuilt at an intermediate or depo level maintenance unit.

The intent is for the mechanic to get an understanding on how the item worked. As far as the chemicals -

When the Crew Chief got the Form 4 filled out and noted instrument or radio or hydraulics or electrical issue, he parceled out the problem to the specialists. For example he might spot some oil/hydraulic streaks on prop spinner, requiring a look see at pitch controls, etc.

In addition the Electronics tech installed or changed the radio frequencies every day to conform to the frag order for 'C" Channel (fighter to bomber communication - tagged to the same radio frequency for that specific Bomb Division they were tasked to escort), as well as adjust volume.

At the end of every mission the routine drills were to conduct a pre-flight inspection to see if any issues were noted beyond the Form 4, the a/c would be refueled and the wing tanks installed and fueled (subject to change when tomorrow's frag order was deciphered - after May it was 'usual' to install the 110's. Oxygen bottle was replaced and flow tested, pee lines flushed, seat fasteners/bolts inspected.

During D-Day campaign the racks were left free as the flight line really didn't know if the mission called for bombs, combination bomb/75 gallon wing tank, or 110 pair for long range escort). Oil, hydraulic fluids and ammo replaced, mag checks conducted, air pressure checks for tires, inspect glass elbow connections from external tank to wing fuel line, etc.

The individual Flight and Squadron Line Chiefs would conduct a post mission inspection and talk to each of the crews.. sometimes the dialogue would flow to whether an Engine change should be scheduled for a high time engine or whether a radiator/oil cooler flush.. sooner or later a particular aging beauty would be down graded to War Weary and removed from combat ops.

If necessary plug replacements and run up were conducted before leaving the line.

An engine/wing/repair/patch job went to Service Group Hanger. Installing a Malcolm hood originally was installed at a Wing Service Group but later deployed to the Fighter Group Service Group at the base. The Engineering officer for each squadron worked with the Flight crews to dispose of Form 4 issues and post status of all squadron a/c on the bulletinboard and send report to Squadron and Group Ops for next day planning purposes. Ditto any issues with pilot status.

The Engineering Officer co-ordinated closely with the Squadron Line Chief to review ammunition feed/stoppage issues, scheduling bore sighting for recently acquired Fighters, RTD ships after crash landing and/or wing replacements .

On the actual morning of the mission, the Crew Chief and Asst CC and Armorer would get the mission profile from the Line Chief a couple of hours before Start Engine time and head for their fighter. They would note whether the mission called for a change in external load. If mission was a fighter bomber sortie the ordnance operation would bring bombs on trolley's and the fuel trucks would upload the previously loaded fuel in the 110/75 gallon wing tanks and the tanks would be off loaded to replace with the bombs - ditto if swapping 110 for 75's. Conduct pre-flight inspection and engine/systems check out to look at mags, oxygen flow, instruments. They would touch up any spots or dew or snow or ice in the windshield/canopy.

When pilot arrived the CC would go over the routine, help the pilot put on his chute and check his straps. At SE time the CC would usually hop on the left wing and help the pilot (extra eyes) taxi out of revetment and onto the taxi way until they got to the active - then hop off and get clear of runway until all ships were off. He would join the rest of the crew and head for chow line for breakfast - then sweat the mission out until his pilot returned (with HIS ship).

There is more but I have run out of memory cells for the moment..

 

[FLYBOYJ]

When the Crew Chief got the Form 4 filled out and noted instrument or radio or hydraulics or electrical issue, he parceled out the problem to the specialists...

Form 4 = Form 781A today.