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Old 27th Jan 2016, 1:30 pm   #1
Herald1360
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Default Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

I was shown these pictures by a colleague asking if I had any idea what it was and used for. Apart from the obvious in the title I didn't.

Does anyone on here recognize it?
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 1:32 pm   #2
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

Final pic
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 2:12 pm   #3
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

It is more than likley a simple 'Morse code' type transmitter from the airborne observer to the artillery officer below to correct their range. They eventually went over to proper radio during WW1, but the trouble was that early radios were incredibly heavy and the aeroplane couldn't carry both radio and observer at the same time... until lightweight transmitters were available.

The RFC was formally established out of the Air Battalion Royal Engineers - originally kite-balloon artillery observation posts.

Barry
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 2:16 pm   #4
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

That's worth more than a shilling or two from the looks of it.

Lawrence.
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 3:27 pm   #5
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

This has been on the forum before has it not?

It looks like some kind of telegraph line switching device.
Not something from any aircraft.
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 3:42 pm   #6
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

Air Battalion Air Plane Section 1905?
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 3:43 pm   #7
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

I don't think it's radio related either.

If it's been here before it's not from me, but would certainly be of interest.
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 4:24 pm   #8
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

Found previous thread: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ight=telegraph
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 5:00 pm   #9
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

I thought I'd seen that elsewhere. Have a look here -

http://spitfirespares.co.uk/radio.html

Second item down.

Andy
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 9:51 pm   #10
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

Yes Andy, that looks like the self same example - the crossings out on the labels (see Chris' final image) - look identical.
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 10:26 pm   #11
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

Amazing...
Surely nobody pays such silly prices for run-of-the-mill bits of vintage radio kit?
Or is the site owner just "flying a kite" ?
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 10:55 pm   #12
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

Mmm? "AIR PLANE SEC" Not aeroplane? Sounds awfully not-very-British, old boy.

If Herald's colleague owns the thing I suppose we're safe, but if it's something being advertised for sale somewhere, we may be on a collision course with section C of the rules. Whatever it is, it seems to have got around a bit.

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Old 27th Jan 2016, 10:55 pm   #13
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

The prices on that site are very inflated, but it will be worth more than a quid for sure. Even I would pay more than a quid for it.
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Old 27th Jan 2016, 11:25 pm   #14
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler View Post
Mmm? "AIR PLANE SEC" Not aeroplane? Sounds awfully not-very-British, old boy.
This was in the earliest days of aviation, so maybe the spelling had not yet been standardised?
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Old 28th Jan 2016, 12:11 am   #15
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

Some of the words used in the early days of aviation have certainly changed their meanings. In the "Flight and Flying" entry of the 1910 Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Aeroplane" was the name for what we now call a "wing". What we now call an "Aeroplane" or Aircraft" was generally referred to as a "flying machine", although other expressions used by some inventors for their machines include "Aerodrome", and "Aerostat".
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Old 28th Jan 2016, 12:36 am   #16
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Default Re: Mystery Royal Flying Corps telegraph related switchbox thing

All very interesting if somewhat speculative. It's not owned by my colleague but either by someone he knows or possibly someone he knows who might be interested in it and wonders what it is, exactly.

Its value ultimately is whatever someone is prepared actually to pay for it- asking prices are just that, prices asked for something offered for sale.
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