I'm looking for the little brass screw-eye that screws into
the bakelite base of a J-38 key. Do you have one that you
can spare? Once restored, this key will be installed at the
radio operator's station on board the B-17.

Thanks and 73,

Dean Hemphill, K5DH
B-17G 44-8543A "Chuckie" Volunteer Crew Member
Vintage Flying Museum
Fort Worth, Texas

"-=H=-" wrote in message
...
I'm looking for the little brass screw-eye that screws
into
the bakelite base of a J-38 key. Do you have one that you
can spare? Once restored, this key will be installed at
the
radio operator's station on board the B-17.

Thanks and 73,

Dean Hemphill, K5DH
B-17G 44-8543A "Chuckie" Volunteer Crew Member
Vintage Flying Museum
Fort Worth, Texas

If you can't get the genuine article I am pretty sure
its a generic hardware part.
J-38 keys were used for code training, I don't think
they were ever used on aircraft. I don't know what the
correct key for a B-17 is but suspect its one of the
enclosed "explosion proof" type keys.
BTW, are you the folks who had a flying B-17 and B-24 at
the Burbank airport a couple of years ago? If so they were
nicely restored. The complete lack of any creature comforts
on these aircraft gives one even more respect for the crews
who spent so many hours in them on missions.



--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA

In article .net,
says...


"-=H=-" wrote in message
...
I'm looking for the little brass screw-eye that screws
into
the bakelite base of a J-38 key. Do you have one that you
can spare? Once restored, this key will be installed at
the
radio operator's station on board the B-17.

Thanks and 73,

Dean Hemphill, K5DH
B-17G 44-8543A "Chuckie" Volunteer Crew Member
Vintage Flying Museum
Fort Worth, Texas

If you can't get the genuine article I am pretty sure
its a generic hardware part.
J-38 keys were used for code training, I don't think
they were ever used on aircraft. I don't know what the
correct key for a B-17 is but suspect its one of the
enclosed "explosion proof" type keys.
BTW, are you the folks who had a flying B-17 and B-24 at
the Burbank airport a couple of years ago? If so they were
nicely restored. The complete lack of any creature comforts
on these aircraft gives one even more respect for the crews
who spent so many hours in them on missions.

Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA


Richard,

I may be able to find a usable part at an ol' fashioned
hardware store. The part I need is brass and has machine
threads rather than screw threads. I'm sure someone has
J-38 parts stashed in a drawer somewhere, however...

Oddly enough, our official AAF documentation for the B-17G
shows that the standard code keys were J-37 and J-38. I'd
have thought they would have used a flameproof key, but it
apparently wasn't necessary.

The B-17 and B-24 that tour together are operated by the
Collings Foundation of Stow, MA. I toured botha couple of
years ago when they were here in Dallas. "9-0-9" is a nice
B-17, but there are nicer ones out there (ours is not one
of them...yet!). The Lib is one of two flying in the world,
the other being the B-24A of the CAF (which is down right
now for some major restoration work).

Lack of creature comforts? That's an understatement. It
was downright brutal. Just cruising along on a pleasure
flight in the B-17 is rough. It's cold, noisy, drafty,
there are a gazillion places to bang your head on some
sharp object, and so on. I wouldn't trade it for all the
tea in China!

73,
Dean K5DH

"-=H=-" wrote in message
...
In article .net,
says...


"-=H=-" wrote in message
...
I'm looking for the little brass screw-eye that screws
into
the bakelite base of a J-38 key. Do you have one that you
can spare? Once restored, this key will be installed at
the
radio operator's station on board the B-17.

Thanks and 73,

Dean Hemphill, K5DH
B-17G 44-8543A "Chuckie" Volunteer Crew Member
Vintage Flying Museum
Fort Worth, Texas


Dean,
If all else fails, I may be able to make one for you. If you can get the
thread size/pitch for me. I had one of the J-38's with the hook, but lost it
in a move with some other older gear... I'm a few miles South of you, Hearne
just South of Waco.
73,
Paul N5XMV