T/4 Clifford Coates recharges the oxygen system of a 466BG B-24.
Rebuilding a Boeing B-17F to its combat configuration is no small thing. Because of this, we depend heavily on our supporters in helping find parts. It is doubtful that we could find everything we need on our own, and we certainly could not afford it all without help!
This was the concept behind the Parts Drives.
When it comes to tracking down vintage parts, some are always easier to locate than others. So, for those of you who have never done anything like this before, this Oxygen Drive is a great way to start.
Second World War oxygen equipment can be surprisingly easy to track down. The Type G-1 oxygen tank, for example, saw heavy use in the postwar civilian market, being commonly used to make “air bubbles.” Enterprising peoples would pull the tanks from aircraft junkyards, add a few pieces, and sell them as a portable way for people to refill flat tires. As such, it is not uncommon to locate oxygen tanks converted in this manner. Likewise, because of their durability and large size, surplus oxygen tanks are still commonly traded in the car community, regularly being used to build custom “rat rods.”
A Type G-1 oxygen tank converted into a automobile air-bubble.
In general, these tanks average between $60 to $120 a piece, though the latter is really pushing its value. Still, despite their affordability, these numbers can rapidly add up, which is why we depend on our followers for donations of this sort. The Boeing B-17 carried eighteen Type G-1 oxygen tanks!
A more challenging task will be tracking down the bomber’s walkaround bottles, as their small size makes them somewhat popular on the collector’s market.
Several types of walkaround bottles saw use throughout the war, but Lucky Thirteen was equipped with the Type A-4. Small and green, the A-4 carried a regulator and gauge, as well as a flip-up tab into which the hose of the oxygen mask could be plugged. The A-4 could only provide a few minutes of air but was sufficient to provide crewmen with enough time to walk to another part of the aircraft while in flight. Likewise, the A-4 could be recharged using air from the aircraft’s primary oxygen system.
Lucky Thirteen carried thirteen walkaround bottles, providing one beside each oxygen station in the aircraft. To learn more about Lucky Thirteen‘s oxygen system, and to see examples of crewmen using Type A-4 walkaround bottles, check out the update detailing our walkaround bottle brackets.
This page will keep track of our progress collecting Lucky Thirteen‘s oxygen equipment, the charts below showing the numbers for the Type G-1 oxygen tanks and Type A-4 walkaround bottles.
Not shown but equally as important:
13x 42B3593-2 Lights (Amber) COMPLETED
2x AN6003-4 Oxygen Hoses DONATED BY JOE MCKOWEN (GAFFNEY, SOUTH CAROLINA)
11x AN6003-6 Oxygen Hoses COMPLETE (3 of 11)
11x Portable Oxygen Brackets (Blueprint 6-12645) COMPLETED
2x Portable Oxygen Brackets (Blueprint 6-13121) COMPLETED
A-1 Oxygen Flow Indicators COMPLETE (13 of 14)
A-4 Portable Oxygen Bottles COMPLETE (2 of 13)
13x A-12 Oxygen Regulators COMPLETE (10 of 15)
2x F-1 Oxygen Tanks DONATED BY BOB DICEY (SIMPSONVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA)
G-1 Oxygen Tanks COMPLETED
K-1 Pressure Gauges COMPLETED
The Type A-1 gauge was unique to the period which Lucky Thirteen saw combat, so they are rather hard to find today. So, we have been rather fortunate in being able to find as many as we have. We have been similarly fortunate with oxygen hoses, as we have a large cache of the shorter four foot hoses. However, the B-17 was primarily equipped with six foot hoses, so if anyone is interested in trading longer hoses for shorter ones, please let us know!
The Type A-12 Oxygen Regulator was USAAF standard for most of the war and there were several makers of this type, with each being unique in appearance. In the interest of uniformity, we are looking to outfit Lucky Thirteen with a full set of Bendix-Pioneer type A-12s.
The lines which ran throughout the airplane, connecting the various stations, were made from 5/16 x .035 aluminum tubing. The fittings connecting these lines were all brass – another complication for us, as brass fittings were unique to older aircraft and are difficult to find now.
Blueprint 6-13186 Oxygen Installation: Master Print
Blueprint 55-7365-E Oxygen Tubing: Master Drawing
Blueprint 55-7365-E Oxygen Tubing: Parts Lists
Type G-1 Oxygen Tanks
Oxygen Station Panels & Locations
! ALL TYPE G-1 TANKS ACQUIRED !
Type A-4 Portable Oxygen Bottles
