Michael Moore Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 (edited) I have recently acquired this Gas bottle trolley from circa 1956. Would anyone have any info on them. Edited January 21, 2023 by Michael Moore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 We still had them in the late 90s/early 2000s, they lasted a lot longer than the current in service trolley which is already proving difficult to repair. Photo off the internet but is how I remember them. The words refer to a prototype scale model as it’s off a modelling site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted January 22, 2023 Author Share Posted January 22, 2023 Thanks for the reply. The earliest photo I can find was the one I attached with it being used to service a Gloster Javelin but didn’t realise it was less aircraft specific. Given they have approximately had a 40 year service life there is very little information available. Would you have any ideas on the number of these used or built? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 I wouldn’t have a clue how many, but I’d imagine it was thousands back in the 50s/60s hay day. We had at least 4 or 5 on our Sqn of Tornado F3s. They were used for Oxygen, Nitrogen and Air (but I think the instruments may have been specific to the gas). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted angus Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Oxy hsd a mk3 regulator. Air and nitro had mk 5.the original container and canopy at the back had a curved top see first photo. Also originally the container was the same colour as the cylinders. Black oxy . Grey air and nitro. After several accidents /incidents involving air/nitro which had identical charging point connectors. Nitro fittings were modified.i think i have more photos but they are on my pc. Laid up in bed at the moment using my tablet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted January 22, 2023 Author Share Posted January 22, 2023 Hi Ted. I would love some details on the missing components and also pictures if you have them to be able to replicate the original parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted angus Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Give me a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted January 22, 2023 Author Share Posted January 22, 2023 Great thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Many years ago I was the supervisor of a Oxy replen on a Typhoon. It was my very first job on Typhoon after passing my course. The SNCO told me to replenish the Oxy on an aircraft and I asked if I could have an experienced SAC. I was given an SAC who’d been on type for a few years and was more than happy to help me learn. We drove around to the GSE park and reversed up to the bottles. We got out to hook them up and I spotted that they were Air bottles. I asked the SAC if he was sure, and he replied “yep, 100%”, and I asked twice more if he was sure and even explained there were impurities in Air, and again I was told “100%”. So off we went to fill the Oxy bottle on this jet, I jumped in the cockpit and pulled the Ejection seat back plate to get to the bottle. The SAC unwound the hose and let a trickle of gas out as is normal practice. He passed me the end of the hose and proceeded to get some more tooling. I hooked up the hose to the bottle and he produced an adapter and 2 spanner’s. I told him I only needed the one spanner as the hose connected directly to the bottle, and he was pleasantly surprised that they had at last modified the hose to fit directly to the typhoon bottle. That should have been a big clue!! We proceeded to complete the task and return to the desk to sign up. The SNCO then asked if I’d like to observe a flare load, so off I went. After 10 minutes another NCO came to find me to ask where we had put the bottles. I told him they were in the GSE park and he replied that they weren’t. I walked out of the HAS and said “There they are, right where we left them”. At that point I realised the mistake I’d made and had to go and explain to a very understanding chain of command. It turned out that the only set of Oxy bottles on the Sqn had been taken away for a detachment and no one had thought to mention it or get another set. As a consequence the SNCO wasn’t content to deplete the air from the Oxy bottle and flush with Oxygen. He decided he wanted us to cannibalise another bottle from a dead jet. Unfortunately when we accessed the bottle on this jet, a bracket was missing and we now had to complete a loose article search and find another option. So my first day on a new Sqn, on a new jet didn’t go to well. I learnt a lot from that mistake. I learned I should trust my own instinct and question everything. I also learnt to take all “100%s” with a big pinch of salt!! Luckily for me we are now in a culture of open reporting and a number of procedural changes were made. The only need for air on a Sqn is for the Survival Equipment Fitters to test the pilots kit, so the bottles are now locked up and controlled by them. When a Sqn deploys, they request extra kit rather than take the ‘in-use’ kit. And until my mistake no one had really realised that the Oxy hose had a different connector to the Nirogen and the Tuphoon Oxy bottle had a Standard pipe fitting that the Nitrogen hose would connect directly to. Not much could be done about this so a poster was created and referenced my Murphy report (I think it was a Murphy back then). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 Trolley stripped and painted original colour. Now to start rebuilding and piecing together the missing parts. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted February 25, 2023 Author Share Posted February 25, 2023 Progress. Chassis done, hitch to do. Few split pins to sort and new grease nipples. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hair Bear Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 Fancy another one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted March 6, 2023 Author Share Posted March 6, 2023 53 minutes ago, Hair Bear said: Fancy another one? No thanks, did you post about yours much earlier in the posts in this forum? Considering there were a few about there is very little info on them. I am fortunate that mine has been stored in a shed for the last 25 years. If you had of had any of the equipment that attached to it I would have been interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hair Bear Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 I did. I thought it was long gone but it resurfaced recently and now unfortunately minus it's drawbar. I suspect it's time has come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted March 6, 2023 Author Share Posted March 6, 2023 4 hours ago, Hair Bear said: Fancy another one? No thanks, did you post about yours much earlier in the posts in this forum? Considering there were a few about there is very little info on them. I am fortunate that mine has been stored in a shed for the last 25 years. If you had of had any of the equipment that attached to it I would have been interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted March 6, 2023 Author Share Posted March 6, 2023 Would you happen to know where the drawbar is? There is a brass plate on it that I’m missing and would love to know if yours has one? It attached at the base of the right hand piece in the attached picture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hair Bear Posted March 7, 2023 Share Posted March 7, 2023 Next opportunity I have to go for a mooch in the undergrowth I'll have a look for it but it's unlikely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Moore Posted March 7, 2023 Author Share Posted March 7, 2023 Evening, that would be very much appreciated if you could have a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hair Bear Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 No luck finding the drawbar I'm afraid. Where it broke is very rusty so it's been missing a while. I will keep an eye out for it, you never know. I did find a bad photo of the plate from 2014 but I doubt it's of use... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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