Guess what this is.

[old man emu]

Guess what this is:

[willedoo]

Looks like a type of vetrocet, or drift calculator.

[onetrack]

It's a MK1 Casio flight navigation computer. (Casey-o, get it?) 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by onetrack

[old man emu]

7 hours ago, onetrack said:

It's a MK1 Casio flight navigation computer. (Casey-o, get it?) 

 

An atrocious pun like that indicates that onetrack is on track. It is a Casey-Myers computer. 

 

From the Patent application:

Although the device is not intended to be particularly accurate in use, it nevertheless provides results which are sufficiently accurate to meet the requirements of solo and other airmen lacking the assistance of a navigator and who are making a flight under such conditions that they are able to identify recognisable land marks over which they are passing. The primary object of the invention is to provide a new or improved time and distance computer for the purpose indicated which enables the distance covered and/or air speed to be determined quickly and easily when required without the necessity of making calculations or referring to tables.

 

The Paten applicants were RICHARD GARDINER CASEY of Berwick, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, Member of Parliament, and DAVID MILTON MYERS of University of Sydney, Sydney, in the State of New South Wales, Commonwealth of Australia, Professor of Electrical Engineering. 

Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey, KG, GCMG, CH, DSO, MC, PC (29 August 1890 – 17 June 1976) was an Australian statesman who served as the 16th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1965 to 1969.

 

This is the link to the patent document

http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/auspat/pdfSource.do?fileQuery=£ ¨n¦¡Wnrbjfdacadddsa_¡Wn¢¦

[red750]

Lord Casey lived in Berwick, Vic., and flew his Auster from what was Casey Field, which is now a housing estate, school and sports grounds.

[onetrack]

Once again, I'm old enough to remember when Lord Casey was G-G. He was very "old British school", and led an interesting life. I recall seeing this device that he invented many years ago. Both he and his wife Ethel were passionate aviators, and in the late 1930's they purchased a new Percival Vega Gull to indulge in their aviation passion. The Gull was a real Ferrari of the skies, and was faster than many of the military fighters of the day.

[facthunter]

I thought he owned a C 180 at some stage also. (Someone will know). Nev

[onetrack]

Yes, he owned VH-RGC. He also owned a Miles Messenger after WW2, when he didn't get his Percival Gull (VH-ACA) back, after it was impressed into War service in late 1939. The Gull was sold off by the Commonwealth in 1945, I don't know why Casey didn't request its return to him. He did get paid £2,800 for the Gull, so I guess he decided it had been sold, had left his ownership for good, and wasn't coming back.

 

https://www.airhistory.net/photo/25566/VH-RGC

 

https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/percival-gull/percivalgull.html

[facthunter]

They were nearly all wood if I recall correctly. A Percival used to do the Paper run to Newcastle in the 50's the six cylinder engine was a distinct sound when they arrived at District Park nearly in the Centre of Newcastle.. Not a very large aerodrome and the plane got along at a good clip. A lot of Eddie Connellan's private collection of planes got commandeered too.. Nev

[Old Koreelah]

7 hours ago, facthunter said:

A Percival used to do the Paper run to Newcastle in the 50's the six cylinder engine was a distinct sound when they arrived at District Park nearly in the Centre of Newcastle..

Nev I guess that park was built over long ago; can you remember perzacly where it was?

[facthunter]

Yes they built a sports centre on most of it. It's inside the area bounded by a storm drain, Turton Rd and the road along side the Goninan's Plant There were Tennis courts on the south side of the drain. Called "District Park" back then.  Nev

[onetrack]

Nev, what made the de Havilland Gypsy Six Series II sound so distinct, apart from the individual exhaust stubs?

 

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by onetrack
correction...

[spacesailor]

" individual exhaust stubs ".

Just like that sweet note of ' half a V W ', powered HummelBird. LoL

spacesailor

 

[onetrack]

Spacey - Compair produced a VW-powered, small air compressor (55CFM) that was trailer-mounted, in the 1960's. It utilised 2 of the engines cylinders for driving, and 2 of the cylinders for compressing/producing the air.

It was the most horrible-sounding, unbalanced monstrosity, with dreadful vibration, that I have ever worked with!! Not to mention, it was also a bastard of a thing to start!! 

 

https://www.allbids.com.au/c/industrial-tools-building-supplies/plant-machinery/compair-trailer-mounted-air-compressor-vw-aircooled-engine-powere-1071190

 

https://www.farmtender.com.au/listing/machinery-equipment/air-compressor/volkswagen-mobile-air-compressor

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

32 minutes ago, onetrack said:

Compair produced a VW-powered, small air compressor (55CFM) that was trailer-mounted, in the 1960's. It utilised 2 of the engines cylinders for driving, and 2 of the cylinders for compressing/producing the air...

Our VRA squad once helped a railway recovery crew use one of those to power a plurry great air-over-hydraulic jack that lifted a 90tonne loco back onto the tracks. Noisy and slow, but effective.

 

A related idea common not long ago was pumping up a flat tyre with a gadget screwed into one spark plug hole. I carried one on my Ducati for years, but used it only once.

[onetrack]

Old K - Yes, that was the Menzel Spark Plug Tyre Pump, invented by a local tyre-retreading bloke named Roy Menzel, right here in Perth, just before the start of WW2.

He patented it, and made a heap of money selling them for years - then Schrader bought a licence off him, to manufacture them - and he probably retired on the proceeds of that deal!

 

The W.A. Museum has a brand new, unused Menzel Spark Plug Tyre Pump from the 1950's in its collection!

 

https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/content/H1991.150

 

Here's an article from the West Australian newspaper from the late 1930's, describing Roy Menzels invention.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by onetrack

[onetrack]

Has anyone ever seen (or heard running), one of the Ingersoll-Rand Spot-Air, 6 cyl radial air compressors? The Spot-Air used the same principle as the Compair VW air compressor, it was built to the same design as an aircraft radial - but it was positioned horizontally (the crankshaft was vertical), and it used 3 cylinders to drive the compressor, and 3 cylinders to produce the compressed air.

 

They're an amazing little machine, both to see the design, and to hear them working!  The railways here had quite a few of them, and every now and then, one turns up for sale.

 

https://bangshift.com/bangshiftxl/old-ingersoll-rand-radial-engine-air-compressor-one-coolest-things-weve-ever-run-across/

[spacesailor]

Fthe four pot V W, air compressor was badly unbalanced. 

Our two pot half V W has a balance weight welded onto the crankshaft. Still not smooth but livable. 

spacesailor

[facthunter]

Only the Okrasa roller cranks had balance weights. Without them the motor still balances overall but for  the cylinder offset of each bank but the main bearings load up at revs in such designs putting big loads on the crankcases. It keeps the engine lighter and V dubs are not high revvers. Nev