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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment.

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Old 1st Aug 2016, 9:15 am   #1
jamesinnewcastl
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Default Why the Red Stripe?

Hi All

Does anyone know why there is often a red stripe painted on WW2 RAF equipment? Example attached of the pilots SBA control panel.


Cheers
James
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 9:48 am   #2
Keith
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Default Re: Why the Red Stripe?

Hi James,

When I worked in aerospace it used to signify a development (rather than production) unit.
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 12:26 pm   #3
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Default Re: Why the Red Stripe?

Hi Keith

I used to work in Military Avionics and it was only after asking the question and reasoning that the lines are very carefully painted that I remembered that our Tornado sample LRUs also had a broad red band on them.

It was 20 years ago now so I can claim senility I think. I also asked the same question of our MOD side here at my company and got the same answer which was basically that it meant 'Don't Fly'. Some of the kit could have been development or production standard but because it might have been used and abused on the ground it was banned from the air.

It is an interesting provenece indicator for such kit.

Cheers
James
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 1:59 pm   #4
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Default Re: Why the Red Stripe?

James,

Oh yes - the brain kicked in eventually with "Not for flight" . Also worked on Tornado (or MRCA as it was originailly designated) on the Smiths Head Up Display. A couple of happy years supporting the equipment in Italy and Germany.
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 4:56 pm   #5
M0FYA Andy
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Default Re: Why the Red Stripe?

I'll add my tuppenyworth to say I worked on MRCA/Tornado from 1974 to 1981 at BAC/BAe Warton. Mainly on the AFDS but also the CSAS/SPILS. Red-banded units were referred to as B-models for ground-use only, and yellow-banded units as C-models for development flying.
I grabbed the opportunity for early retirement from Warton in 2011, working on Flight Controls throughout my career. Happy days, but I'd had enough!

Andy
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 6:39 pm   #6
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Default Re: Why the Red Stripe?

Hi Andy

Flight Controls eh..... I don't suppose that you came across a copy of A.P. 1469A, Automatic Controls MkIV, Aeroplane would you? Something around 1940? I have a copy of the document from 1933 (which you can have if you are interested) but it only contains some very old equipment and I want the one that relates to the Stirling.

I never saw any yellow banded equipment but it would be interesting to see any WW2 equipment with yellow bands.

I visited Wharton many times, we worked on the ADV Stores Management System.

James
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 7:35 pm   #7
M0FYA Andy
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Default Re: Why the Red Stripe?

James,
No, nothing as old as that at Warton! During the war the airfield was used by the Americans to prepare aircraft which had been ferried from the US before they were delivered to operational bases.
I don't have a copy of A.P.1469A, have you tried Kew or Hendon?
Andy
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 7:41 pm   #8
M0FYA Andy
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Default Re: Why the Red Stripe?

Further to my last reply, I just checked on the Kew website. They have it -
http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...s/r?_q=AP1469A
I guess we'll be in trouble for straying too far off-topic if we continue this on here, though..........
Andy
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