Aircraft Compass Type P11 (6B/1672)

[billy]

Hi all have found this in local junk shop and acquired it and thought it may interest some of you? there are Quality Assurance stamps which are to end of photos and you can make out 1941 & 1942, the others are not to readily seen to make out? only that they are actually there! Aircraft Compass Type P11 (6B/1672) Google it and could have been in any number of Aircraft type one hit said Mosquito! I would personally like that to be true but further on it goes on to say other Aircraft types including Chipmunks! BUT!! the stamps verify it being WW2 so was used in action I think?

Well hope you enjoy it any info any can shed on it would be nice but enjoy! all the best billy

[David Tremain]

Billy, just as a precaution you might want to get it checked out for radioactivity. Aircraft instruments from that period had radioactive paint on the dials and numbers. The radiation stays around and does not dissipate. It may not be enough to worry about, but nevertheless worth getting a health & safety bod to wave a Geiger counter over it.

There have been a few articles written by museum professionals warning of these type of instruments, also found in cars and elsewhere. If I find anything, I'll send you a link.

David

[billy]

Thanks for that David will look into that, fortunately I work where Geiger counters are available looking at it though and did not see any Luminous paint which is what is radioactive (the same as watches little Green Luminous dots above Numerals and on Arms) but will have it checked cheers billy

[David Tremain]

Billy, here's one article I've found. Not exactly the one I was thinking of, but might come in useful. There was a girl from the Nuclear Safety Commission used to have a table at the Ottawa militaria show a few shows back with info on this kind of thing - and really good free pens!

http://www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca/pubs_...CC172-41_e.pdf

There is also an abstract I have attached of a paper from Australia given at a conference I helped to organize back in 1992. Somewhere I have a copy of the actual conference proceedings, and can send you a photocopy of the entire paper if you're interested.

Cheers, David

[billy]

Hi all took Aircraft Compass to work and Geiger counter switched on 12 foot from compass and the odd click (background radiation) as it was brought closer the clicking rammed up and directly above was going crazy! brought in a more sensitive machine you can read Gamma & Alpha - Compass was giving off 10 Micro-severts per hour, this equates to 20 Severts which is the U/K,s Maximum Adult dose rate! which if you can imagine a sphere of 18 - 24 inches around the Compass you as a person would Absorb this added 20 Severts on top of natural absorption from being in the Sun But you would in effect have to have this Compass literally up close to your person the whole time to accrue this dosage!

So if in a cabinet and 18 - 24 inches away you should be getting minimal absorption, like if it where in a Museum you would be O/K.

The main problem with these is if the Paint is breaking down and you inhale the dust! this then leads to Cancers! of the respiratory tract possibly stomach? if paint is O/K as was this one everything is fine But! DO NOT use abrasive to clean as this will through up dust!

All the best and thanks Dave for the heads up billy

[GTB]

A very interesting but somewhat disconcerting piece of information. The more we learn shows us how little we actually know. and how we can be oblivious to dangers around us.

I have a substantial collection of aircraft gauges, mainly locked away in a cabinet, however the most attractive are on open display. A question: are gauges with the 'luminous' paint sealed behind the gauge glass safe if undisturbed, or would radiation still be evident in the air?
Thanks
GTB

[David Tremain]

You should probably get them monitored and seek advice from the appropriate authority, whatever that is in the UK.

David

[billy]

Hi GTB I think the problem is if the Paint is old and creating dust this absorbed/ingested is cancerous, "fact" Our Health Physics guys have to put in place a barrier at 2.5 micro-severts really low at a distance of 18 inchs which for this instrument it was reading 5 micro-severts up close and directly above it read 10 micro-severts.

It is the dial which is covered in the luminous paint, for you to get a dose you have to be in the 18-24 inch area so if in a cabinet and set back deep one would think it would be O/K? "BUT!" wooden box nor glass is going to stop Alpha particles.

Am not to sure if I have helped or confused the issue here? hopefully helped will ask our main Health Physics guy if still in doubt as to having a few well I would presume they are all emitting but how this would effect the size of potential area am unsure off but will ask!

It is a bit of a pain and I never thought about this until Dave & Edgar pointed out the problem to me! all the best billy

[David Tremain]

I have just emailed my previous employer, the Canadian Conservation Institute, who published the paper on radioactive aircraft instruments (referred to in an earlier post), for permission to reproduce it on the Forum, since they hold the copyright. As soon as I hear back from them I will post a pdf version of the paper, assuming the reply is in the affirmative.

Just looking through the paper which I found amongst a box of stuff I brought with me when I retired, it lists a number of different aircraft instruments and the radiation the Australian War Memorial measured although yours, Billy, doesn't appear to be in it. However, it looks like an article other collectors should be aware of.

David

[Eddie Parks]

At one time very nearly every small boat operating in UK waters had one of these as boat's compass. They were very very common indeed. Even today you will see them by the box load in marine jumbles and second hand shops. As long as the glass isn't broken you are OK.
eddie

[GTB]

Thanks to all contributors for your very valuable information.
I have carried out some online googling and come up with an interesting site on the subject, which has grasped the concerns and explains in a user-friendly manner.

http://theaviationist.com/works/radi...t-instruments/

GTB