what is this?

[chaz]

without googling it have you any idea what this was used for, it dates from WW2, I'm selling it on ebay and someone has told me what it is, I thought it was out of an aircraft but it's not. Sorry but no prize for guessing.

THE ANSWER IS..................A BARRAGE BALLOON WINCH GAUGE      BUT DOES IT RED LINE AT 800 FEET PER MIN. ON THE WAY UP OR ON THE WAY DOWN? THAT I DON'T KNOW.

[tex]

Not sure, it's got the air ministry stamp, so r.a.f, fpm, ? Feet per minute  air speed indicator?  Or height

[lew600fazer]

Is it for measuring Vacumn and pressure in Milli Bars?

[richfzs]

I would have gone with it being rate of ascent / descent - but if its not out of an aircraft? Submarine doesn't seem likely, with AM marked like that, so a bit stumped!

[chaz]

feet per min. x10, and ascent/descent are right but not air speed, it never left the ground?

[Exupnut]

As tex said feet per minute gauge.... Mostly used on landings....I have that reading on my flight sim

[dazza]

Definitely submarine, I used to live in one,  a yellow one. In fact,  at one time, we all used to live in one.

Hang on a minute

I can feel a song coming on  :b

[mtread]

It's from a Moto Guzzi Surrenderi motorcycle, which like all Italian WW2 motorbikes had 4 reverse gears as well as 4 forward ones. Hence the backwards and forwards speedometer ...... 

[Frosties]

feet per min. x10, and ascent/descent are right but not air speed, it never left the ground?

Barrage balloon rate of height/climb indicator.

[chaz]

Barrage balloon Control Gauge

Very unusual  Wartime gauge used to measure the rate of climb and descent of a barrage balloon. This was attached to the winch vehicle.

you're right Frosties

[richfzs]

Frosties, see where you're coming from, but surely you just check how much line you'd rolled off the winch? They were unmanned, controlled from the ground?

Edit: ah ok, Just seen chazs reply. Good call!

[Frosties]

Feck me.


I initially thought it was off a sub until i realised the gauge was x10 scale.


Honestly, why would the rate of a barrage balloon going up or down matter at all


I'd be thinking the same as Rich to be honest.....i.e. HOW FOOKIN HIGH IS THE BASTID THING  :lol [size=78%] [/size]

[Exupnut]

The connector turns so it's not operated by pressure ....that rules out fathoms.....or anything of the sea

[BBROWN1664]

Speedo from an Itallian (or French) tank.
They were designed to go faster in reverse.

[bri h]

fpm stands for fun per mile its retro fitted to mighty thous and is negative or positive depending on roads/ traffic etc.

[locksmith]

Maybe the odometer type digits gave the height?

[imax]

Interesting to note it is deemed safe to go faster in one direction

[unfazed]

Is it an air speed and height indicator of an Air Ship?  :rolleyes

[Ebme Geek]

Interesting to note it is deemed safe to go faster in one direction

Uhhm :  800fpm = 9.1mph        1400fpm = 15.9 mph

[Exupnut]

Nice post chaz.