Unknown Aircraft Part (Emerson Electric Manufacturing?)

[Carlsberg1883]

Hi I found this in a field while metaldetecting.
My research has led me to it being from a Curtiss Tomahawk llA.
Is this right?

 

[MiTasol]

I would say highly unlikely for several reasons

Firstly the rusty locking device looks like the remains of a type used on British aircraft

Secondly the part number on a Curtiss aircraft has dashes between type system part. That is the number would have been 81-48-348 if fitted to a Hawk 81 series P-40

Thirdly on Curtiss aircraft 48 indicates an exhaust part and that is not an exhaust part.

Fourthly Curtiss normally stamped the part number into parts and also stamped in the Inspection Stamp which would be a variation on one of those CAB styles below, not EM402. They did use rubber stamps on some things but always a variation of the Curtiss Aeroplane Buffalo on P-40 aircraft. The CWB code denotes the main Buffalo NY factory and the CWK factory code indicates the Curtiss Wright Kenmore Avenue Buffalo NY plant. Any P-40 assembly supplied under lend lease would also have an AC stamp. I do not know what stamps, if any, the British inspectors at the factory used before lend lease

 

[daveT]

The ink stamp part number is NOT used on P-40

 

[MiTasol]

As a suggestion find someone who knows about the English Electric Canberra and Lightning aircraft. I suggest that given there are not many aircraft companies that have a name starting with E and most inspection stamps try to incorporate the company name in some format. The QR fastener on your panel was common in British WW2 aircraft so I would suspect Canberra more than Lightning. English Electric built a lot of other aircraft in WW2 so it may also be from one of them but my feeling is more likely Canberra

 

[Brent]

The ink stamp part number is NOT used on P-40

The ink stamp part number is NOT used on P-40

 

[Brent]

You guys are right on. A search of the P-40 master parts list does not show an 81 48 348 part drawing, and the -48 series parts are indeed engine exhaust related. This appears to be an inspection plate, with the retaining chain broken off, likely in flight. Good info here!

 

[Airframes]

Note that English Electric (BAC from mid 1960's) did not build aircraft during WW2, although they did produce aircraft electrical components.
They only produced two aircraft types post-war, the Canberra and the Lightning, both jets.

 

[MiTasol]

Note that English Electric (BAC from mid 1960's) did not build aircraft during WW2, although they did produce aircraft electrical components.
They only produced two aircraft types post-war, the Canberra and the Lightning, both jets.

Sorry Airframes but you are wrong on this one which really surprises me because I have never seen an error in any of your previous posts.

I know Wikipedia is not a reliable source but here are three of their pages on EE building aircraft in ww2 - you will note they built more Hampdens and Halifax's than HP did. I have seen the same information in other publications but those would take a lot of finding - especially finding Flight magazine articles

English Electric - Wikipedia
Handley Page Hampden - Wikipedia
Handley Page Halifax - Wikipedia

 

[Carlsberg1883]

Thank you for your input, im a total aircraft novice, been researching for weeks to get to the warhawk conclusion.
I figured it was from an aircraft because of the ,shape, lightweight alloy and coating.
I cant find any leads on any of the stamps being from English Electric nor can i find other manufacturers that fit the bill.
Can someone confirm it even being an aircraft part?
Thank you.

 

[MiTasol]

It certainly looks like an aircraft part and the quick release fastener was a type used on aircraft and unlikely to be used on other items as it was far more complex and expansive than a Dzus or similar fastener

 

[nuuumannn]

Hmm, me thinks Terry has been at the turps again... Not like you, Terry. EE also built Vampires beginning in 1944, and its last aircraft under manufacture in its factories was the TSR.2, although the firm was a part of BAC by then.

Carlsberg1883, where exactly did you find the part? You could attempt to research local air crashes in the vicinity.

 

[Airframes]

My mistake in not being clear - I meant that EE did not build their own design aircraft.

 

[herman1rg]

If it is from a Canberra I suppose there might be more detail in a maintenance manual

 

[daveT]

lets start from the beginning
approximately where is the field located?

 

[MiTasol]

My mistake in not being clear - I meant that EE did not build their own design aircraft.

No sweat. Pretty obvious what you were saying now but not then. There is an old saying about there are those who have made this mistake and those who will. Welcome to the club

 

[MiTasol]

If it is from a Canberra I suppose there might be more detail in a maintenance manual

If the part is off a wreck location details can find it

If it fell off in flight a quick look in the Parts List numerical index would find out within seconds if it is a Canberra part. You could try a search on line for one but I would not be overly hopeful.

There are a few still operating but you will need to know if they are English built ones before trying a long shot of sending the photos to the operator and asking them if that is an EE inspection stamp, is that part off a Canberra and if so where from. You have a 50/50 chance of a reply. You could also try and find a local museum with one and ask their maintenance crew.

If you get confirmation please let all here know

 

[Carlsberg1883]

I found it in a field in southern Denmark the area has tons of crashsites all around but none reported nearby this field.
Guess it could have fallen off one of the many aircraft that crashed along the coast a few km from here.

 

[daveT]

English Electric Canberra is the most likely aircraft

 

[Carlsberg1883]

There are no canberra crashes reported in Denmark as far as I know and canberras first flight was May 13, 1949?
A bit late for gardening, by then we didnt need protection from the nazis.
Maybe it fell of a canberra on a NATO mission and its not ww2 after all?
There was several Hampden and Halifax crashes in this area during ww2.

 

[ThomasP]

Hey Carlsberg1883,

I am wondering if the markings could be for an Emerson Electric Manufacturing (i.e. E.E.M.) product. The 7 digit S.N. (i.e. 8148348) stamp is consistent with WWII production or shortly thereafter. Exactly what the hatch might be for I have no real idea, but if it is from a WWII vintage aircraft it could be for anything from an Emerson aircraft gun turret, the turret drive system, an engine mounted electric generator, etc. I believe some Bendix products (including aircraft gun turrets) and some US & UK mixed heritage aircraft gun turrets used Emerson motors also. If it is from Emerson the EM402 on the access plate would be the product the part is associated with (i.e. something like an EM402 electric drive system, EM402 generator set, etc.). It could be later but if memory serves me correctly the S.N. system changed significantly shortly after WWII.