Data Plates

[Glyn]

Interesting topic that's made me look through my small collection.
The makers plates are generally attractive and I have them for:
Chace Vought Dallas F8U-1
Douglas Santa Monica C-54E
Douglas Chicago C-54D
Fairchild Hagerstown C-119G
Grumman Bethpage S2F-1, WF-2, F9F-8, F9F-8P
North American (no location) F-86F-4, F-86F-30
McDonnell St. Louis F-101A, F-101C

I have noticed differences in the small Air Force Type plates:
US Army Air Corps B-26C
US Army Air Forces P-84C
Air Force T-33B
Air Force TV-2 (surely that's Navy?)
Although the size remains the same some are quite thick, others flimsy.

The other plates that came from aircraft are:
IRAN carried out by Israel Aircraft Industries
Temco Greenville Texas

[Obergrafeter]

Gary I couldn't read the Staggerwing data plate. Mine had an Air Corp data plate IDing it as a GB-2 and a serial #. Why wouldn't it have a Navy data plate and a Bu number? Is your data plate IDed the same way? I figured the Air Force gave them to the Navy off the line, but it still is weird having Navy nomenclature on an Air Force data plate.

[retroaviation]

Ober, even though you've never told me where the Secret Bunker in Boerne, TX is, I'll repost the Staggering Beech data plate. It's obviously at the top of this next scan.

Also included in the scan, L to R, are the TBY-2 (although I think this is a "component plate" rather than the actual aircraft data plate), the Lockheed PV 1, a PBY-5A (serial number 94, dated 09-01-42), the C-45F, and the UC-45F.........




And what the heck, here is another scan for y'all tonight.......

This one is a bit of a mystery. The best translation I've gotten so far is that it may say something about the flaps for whatever airplane it was on, much like the "component" plates we use. This is the biggest plate I have, so IF it was an inspection panel for a flap on a Japanese airplane, then it would've been something big...at least a medium bomber or transport, I would think...........




I'll post the rest tomorrow. Until then, have a good night...and dream about what that Japanese plate could be from.

Gary

[Obergrafeter]

OK Gary I will tell you and nobody else. The secret bunker is at the airport. Don't tell anybody else.

[bdk]

That says something about a drain pipe I'm told. My translator is not airplane savvy unfortunately.

[retroaviation]

That says something about a drain pipe I'm told. My translator is not airplane savvy unfortunately.

Interesting. My translator isn't very airplane savvy either. However, there were apparently two or three different "styles" of Japanese writing and the one on the inspection plate pictured, had a style that my translator couldn't quite make out. But between two of our non-aviation translators, we have something that may possibly kinda-sorta say something maybe pertaining to flaps and drain valves? Maybe the Japanese had pneumatic flaps, like on the Russian & Chinese airplanes (among others) and this covered up where the "snot bottle" went, like on a Yak 52, CJ6, etc.???

Gary

[retroaviation]

Here are a few more scans for y'all.........

This one is two FG1Ds, an F4U-4, and an F4U-1.....




This one shows a TBM-1, TBM-1C, TBM-3E, and an FM2......




This one has included in it, a F6F-5, TBF-1D, F6F-3, F8F-1, and on it's side is a TBF-1.......




I'll post a few more later in the day.

Gary

[steve dickey]

Wow Gary, I didn't know you collected data plates, cool.(I'm coveting the Bearcat one )

[retroaviation]

Wow Gary, I didn't know you collected data plates, cool.(I'm coveting the Bearcat one )

I didn't know I collected them either, until a few weeks back...as mentioned in that earlier post. It still kinda scares me to think that I was merely micro-seconds away from throwing these away.
Also, too late on claiming that Bearcat data plate, Steve. That one is already going to good friend of ours that has a little more interest in Bearcat stuff than you and I do, put together.

Gary

[steve dickey]

Well at least I know its going to a GOOD home

Whats the deal with the TBM and FM-2 plates The manufacturer gave the same model # to two different designs I don't know as much as I thought . Be interesting to find out why
Oh yeah whats the Lockheed plate and the Army Air Corps one(P-51?) , can't make it out

[retroaviation]

Heck, I might as well finish posting the remaining scans I have of the data plates here. A couple of these individual plates have already been posted, but they should be seen at least a little better here, as the scanner works better than the camera on my phone....

This one shows an SBD-5, Brewster F-3A (Corsair), Lockheed Model 18, and Culver PQ-14A.....




This is the front of the B-24D data plate (the date on this one is 6-5-43).....




And here's the back of the B-24D data plate. This is written in pencil and I can only guess that whoever originally "obtained" these plates that I now have, worked at a scrap yard or something, and was smart enough to remove the data plates before getting melted down. The notes shown here indicate that while this airplane started out in life as a B-24D, it went to the Navy and was changed to a PB4Y-1, #32119, with the name on the plane being "Over Exposed." Do you reckon this was a photo ship of some sort?




So sorry for hogging up this thread. I reckon I'll give someone else a chance to post their pictures now.

Gary

[retroaviation]

Well at least I know its going to a GOOD home

Whats the deal with the TBM and FM-2 plates The manufacturer gave the same model # to two different designs I don't know as much as I thought . Be interesting to find out why
Oh yeah whats the Lockheed plate and the Army Air Corps one(P-51?) , can't make it out

Can't help you on the TBM & FM-2 stuff. I don't know either.
As mentioned just above the picture, the Lockheed plate is a PV-1, and the Army Air Corps plate is a C-45F.

Gary

[Second Air Force]

This is the front of the B-24D data plate (the date on this one is 6-5-43).....




And here's the back of the B-24D data plate. This is written in pencil and I can only guess that whoever originally "obtained" these plates that I now have, worked at a scrap yard or something, and was smart enough to remove the data plates before getting melted down. The notes shown here indicate that while this airplane started out in life as a B-24D, it went to the Navy and was changed to a PB4Y-1, #32119, with the name on the plane being "Over Exposed." Do you reckon this was a photo ship of some sort?




So sorry for hogging up this thread. I reckon I'll give someone else a chance to post their pictures now.

Gary

You're right, Gary.

Here is what I could find on PB4Y-1P 32119:

Originally contracted as B-24D-115-CO serial number 42-40947, accepted on 6/7/43.

She became Over-Exposed while serving with VD-4, then ended up in the pool at FAW-14, then pool at San Diego (sorry, no dates to add). Finally she ended up at NAS Clinton in the pool there where she was struck off charge on 7/31/45, transferred from the Navy and declared excess. We can pretty much guess her fate from that point.

[retroaviation]

Thanks for that info, Scott.

[Hawkeye]

Sorry for the crappy pic, I dont have the plate here with me to photograph. I've got a blank Orenda Engines dataplate meant for recording the overhaul dates. Its the one on the right. Im also looking for the plate on the left if anyone knows where I could get one.