question WW1 aircraft wire strainers

Moved this from Charawacky's Crossley thread (where I first posed in a fit of excitement) to avoid a hi-jack, he posted a link to a Channel 5 film about WW1 aircraft, one shot showed the wing straining wire the turnbuckle adjusters in closeup, and I think I may well have a few WW1 aircraft parts of my very own!

Many years ago an elderly neighbour now sadly deceased, gave me a box of old drill bits including some turnbuckles that look similar. His families farm was close to Polegate Airship Station, so they may even be Airship rigging parts!

I have found three but I seem to remember there being more, they have stamped markings on them, mostly unreadable, apart from two which say '15 & 20 cwt' which is amazing given their size..

Has anyone here ever handled one or been close enough to an original WW1 aircraft to confirm the originality of these?

They do look kinda right but I'll have a look at the weekend at some of the ones in the hangars at old warden on sunday and I'll let you know.

Steve

That would be great Steve, thanks a lot.

Hello Gritineye, I went to the collection earlier and had a look at the Sopwith pup and Avro 504k and both of them have very similar turnbarrels fitted but without the load ratings on the wire ends, I spoke to one of the engineers and showed him your pics and he said they were very familiar to him but he thought the load ratings may be a little high for the types he has experience of. They maybe from bigger aircraft like the HP 0/400, or airships but may also be from a marine application as well. I took some pictures of the ones we have fitted and also of other ones on display in the hangars if this helps.

Bi planes did carry on into the 1930's. The Tiger Moth was standard trainer till the forties, and of course the Fairey Swordfish.

Thanks for your fantastic response and great pics Steve, given the provenance and going by what your engineer said, until evidence appears to the contrary, I am inclined to go with the Airship theory,

Interesting the Marine suggestion as it was a Naval Airship Station..

For anyone who hasn't seen it there is more on Willingdon Naval Airship Station in this thread..http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?11712-Bomb-damage-near-Eastbourne-E-Sussex&highlight=willingdon

Oh one other bit I forgot to mention these type of fittings disappeared from use once streamlined wires were used so must be before mid 1916ish as after that streamline was the way forward.

Cheers

Steve.

So there would have been hundreds spare to disappear into local garden shed boxes then, even better!

Thanks again.