Oxygen making equipment

[Maxrobot1]

There must have been an oxygen making machine at every flying field. From the huge 8th Air Force bases in England to the dusty dirt fields in North Africa the planes needed their Oxygen tanks filled regularly yet I have never read anything about this effort.
Even in the Russian winter flying fields tanks had to be refilled. How did they manage it? If the gear broke down what did they do?

 

[syscom3]

I don't think they used pure oxygen in the tanks. Just normal compressed air. Having pure oxygen in a tank is fire hazard that is quite dangerous.

 

[Shortround6]

But if you use compressed air you need tanks that are 5 times bigger than if you use oxygen.

 

[pbfoot]

Nothing like Vodka ice cubes to get a party rocking. It was Liquid Oxygen at least during my career

 

[Maxrobot1]

I know they used oxygen in the U.S. forces. The old aircrew will tell you that they cured hangovers by slapping on a mask and breathing the straight stuff!

 

[TheMustangRider]

I know they used oxygen in the U.S. forces. The old aircrew will tell you that they cured hangovers by slapping on a mask and breathing the straight stuff!

Nothing like pure oxygen to make a hangover disappear almost instantly, some aircrew members recall.

 

[davparlr]

I don't think they used pure oxygen in the tanks. Just normal compressed air. Having pure oxygen in a tank is fire hazard that is quite dangerous.

Using compressed air you would have to pressure breathe, ie, air is blown into your lungs. I have done this at high altitude, I can't remember at what altitude the O2 regulator, switched to pressure breathing, or maybe it was training, anyway, I remember it was uncomfortable. I think they used O2 and this is a good question.

 

[Shortround6]

with a good regulator this is no problem. See fire fighting SCBA or diving SCUBA. What is a problem is the size/weight of the tanks. AN air tank that will hold about 30 mins of air ( 45 cubic feet) will weigh about 20lbs if made of steel, aluminium a bit lighter. Modern composites are much lighter. Larger tanks weigh less per unit of volume but using compressed air will result in a much heavier "breathing" unit in an aircraft.

 

[davparlr]

a source for information

http://webs.lanset.com/aeolusaero/A...ilitary_Aviation_Oxygen_Breathing_Systems.pdf

 

[GrauGeist]

It was definately Oxygen in those tanks, as there were plenty of MACR reports of oxygen tanks being hit and going off, causing damage to the aircraft (or worse) as well as stories about the crews using it to cure hangovers.

I have an oxygen system schematic for a B-17, unfortunately that's all I have. But it appears to have been a part of a larger volume (Technical Order 01-20EF-2), perhaps if those numbers are cross referenced, it may lead to more information about production and filling the aircraft?

Sorry it's not more help.

 

[Maxrobot1]

The development of aircraft Oxygen systems and facemasks is a fascinating subject by itself. I was just wondering how they were able to produce Oxygen in the field and fill up all those tanks between flights.
We all have seen fuel trucks (Bowsers) and in the Pacific A/C refueled by hand pump from 55 Gallon barrels but never anything that looks like a device to refill oxygen tanks.
When Wildcats were flying out of Henderson field on Guadalcanal did they have to stay below 10,000 feet for lack of oxygen?

 

[Snautzer01]

42 Group RAF who were responsible for the management of RAF munitions during WW2 were also responsible for the supply of aviation fuel and lubricants and aircraft breathing oxygen.

The first two topics are covered in threads in the forum but little has been discussed on the provision of oxygen.

It is known that some of the major munitions storage sites had permanent oxygen facilities and others used mobile equipment manned by a 'roving' team of specialists.

Many thousands of bulk storage cylinders were returned from airfields, filled and put back into the supply chain. At Squadron level these would have been mounted on trollies (carts) equipped with a regulator system and used to charge aircraft installed cylinders via a high pressure flexible hose. Dependent on aircraft type, the aircraft cylinder(s) might be removed and charged 'off aircraft' before being re-installed.

HQ 42 Group agrees to supply oxygen requirements to 8th AF for first three months this being estimated at 9.5M cu feet

taken from http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/archive/index.php/t-3368.html


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